Andrew Okrzesik
I started listening to polkas as soon as I was born. Whether at home, in the car, or at a dance, I always enjoyed listening to polkas. When I was a kid, my dad would bring home his drums, and my brother, my dad and I would all take turns playing drums to polkas on the stereo. Right before I turned 13, I got a bass for Christmas and began to teach myself to play. I started getting very interested in music, so I also began teaching myself guitar, piano, and eventually, concertina. I played bass and concertina in the Freeze Dried band for 3 years, and I also play bass and keyboards with a rock band I formed with my friends in junior high. I always wanted to play concertina in a traditional polka band, and I figured a little accordion couldn’t hurt either.