Great Lakes Folk Festival - Programs & Activities - Music & Dance

Programs & Activities
Music & Dance

Pan Franek and Zosia's Polka Towners
Muskegon, Michigan
Polka

Frank Piotrowski

Muskegon, Michigan native Frank Piotrowski was introduced to Polish music at an early age at the city's Polish Falcon club where both Frank's parents were very actively involved. When he was in high school, Frank began playing the piano accordion. In 1972 he formed a polka band to play at a talent show. When an audience member at the show asked him to
perform at an upcoming wedding reception, the Polka Towners were launched. While steeped in the Polish-style polka music heard locally, Frank's music was also heavily influenced by Chicago-based musicians: the Pala Brothers Orchestra, Lil' Wally, and Eddie Blazonczyk. In an effort to have the Polka Towners sound a bit different from other Polka bands, Frank incorporated twin fiddles into the group. He says that violins were once common in the Polka music of the mountainous regions of Poland the fiddles; today the fiddles bring a country flavor to his groups' music.

In 1980 Frank traveled to Poland for a visit to relatives and there he met Zosia Gasior, his cousin's wife's sister. Zosia, born in a small village located between Czechoslovakia and the Ukraine, was one of fifteen children in a family that loved to sing. Frank and Zosia were married in 1981 and, with the inclusion of Zosia, the name of the band was changed to Pan Franek & Zosia's Polka Towners. Although the band was disbanded for a time after their first two children-Kristine and Andrea--were born, the band was started up again as soon as the two girls were old enough to travel. Today, four Piotrowski regularly play with the Polka Towners: Kristine (fiddle), Andrea (fiddle), Kristopher (drums, and Erica (vocals). Tom Sanocki (saxophone) and Larry Olsen (trumpet, guitar) round out this talented ensemble.