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Syl's Dance Bands AZ and WA

squeezeboxsyl@yahoo.com

RESUME for BAND MEMBERS:

SYLVIA (SYL) JORGENSEN, ACCORDION, VOCALS, and BAND LEADER - NW and AZ

EDUCATION
Mount Vernon High School
Western Washington University, BA in Education
Graduate Schools:
University of Washington
Pacific Lutheran University, MA in Music Education

Sylvia's maternal grandparents emigrated from Romsdal, Norway and her paternal grandparents from Ostrobothnia, the Swedish-speaking part of Finland. She grew up in Skagit County surrounded by Scandinavian activities and music. Her Swedish-Finn father, Sigfrid Johnson, played accordion and had a dance band.  Sylvia sang with her dad’s band as soon as she could talk, and sang with choirs in school and church most of her life. Sylvia began flute lessons at age 8 and switched to piano when ten years old.  The following year, she took private violin lessons and played in a Girls Violin Ensemble and in high school and college orchestras. She began accordion lessons at twelve years of age from Hugo Helmer, a Swedish emigrant. She soon became a member of the Hugo Helmer Accordion Band. They played for dances, performances, and marched in parades as far away as Seattle and Canada. Sylvia formed her own dance band in high school called "Sylvia's Orchestra” with up to seven members. They played for grange dances and high school proms throughout several counties.  She worked her way through college playing with the band. She became an elementary vocal music specialist in Puyallup Schools. Her husband, Ron (Gus) Storaasli, whom she met and married in college, taught and coached at Lakes High School in Clover Park Schools. They had four sons. Sylvia retired from music performance while raising a family but continued her teaching career for nearly twenty eight years.

In 1983, Sylvia organized a Scandinavian-American dance band and called it "Sylvia and Fjordsong." A repertoire of polka and country music was added in1986, with the addition of Carl Nyberg to the band. In 1992 and 1994, they played in Upsalla and Stockholm, Sweden, and Parunka, and Vasa, Finland. They have traveled to entertain at numerous Scandinavian and polka festivals in the United States and Canada. Sylvia also enjoys writing and arranging music.

FAMILY
Syl and hubby, Don Jorgensen, live in Puyallup, Washington seven months of the year and at their home in Mesa, Arizona in the winter. Don is an avid golfer and superb dancer. They met at a polka dance, of course, and were married in 1994. Syl and Don's extended families include her four sons and four grandchildren, and his four children and eleven  grandchildren.

Playing the accordion is Sylvia's first love and "working"' hobby. She also plays piano, guitar, recorder, and violin and likes to sing. She sang in the PLU Choir of the West and for many years in church choirs. She enjoys many styles of music.  Scandinavian songs are her specialty. She delights in performing for festivals. Every October, the band plays for Oktoberfests and a Scandinavian heritage festival at the Puyallup Fairgrounds. They performed their show " An Emigrant Story" at last year's Scandinavian Festival in Libby, Montana.  This year, the first weekend of August they will be performing at the Festival of Nations, in Red Lodge Montana. The music of all Scandinavian countries is represented in their programs. Among her favorite songs are: Livet i Finnskogarna, Nidelven, and Greet the Folks at Home (Hals fra meg der hjemme) and Meet Me in Stockholm, Baby.

Sylvia is a member of Swedish-Finn Historical Society and has written articles for their newsletter. She is actively researching family roots in Norway, Finland, and the United States.

Syl's ARIZONA DANCE BAND
CARL NYBERG, GUITAR, FIDDLE, BANJO, VOCALS

Carl's father was born in Sweden and his mother in Finland. They emigrated and settled in St. Mary's, Idaho where Carl was born. After high school graduation, Carl got his airplane mechanic license in Texas. He owned a professional crop dusting business in Pullman, WA for 35 years. He flew all those years without an accident. His music career began when he learned to play fiddle in grade school and later added guitar and banjo. He has attended polka festivals all over the United States and was a personal friend of Frankie Yankovic. He had his own band in the Spokane area before joining Sylvia's band in 1986. Carl currently resides in Apache Junction, Arizona. Carl plays for nursing and retirement homes, entertaining the seniors with familiar old time music.

Syl's ARIZONA DANCE BAND
RICHARD N. KUCIEMBA, SAXOPHONE, CLARINET, AZ

Musician, Composer, Arranger
Born in the greater Cleveland Ohio area, Dick’s early beginnings started with piano lessons at age nine.  He began clarinet/saxophone studies with the late Frank Hruby  (principal clarinetist, Cleveland Symphony) during his junior high and high school days.  This led to playing in dance bands for high school dances, weddings, parties, etc.

 Dick spent two years in the military service with U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division Band in Kentucky and the 2nd Army Band in Maryland.  He toured the mid-south and eastern states performing for many public and military events.  One highlight was appearing monthly with the 2nd Army’s Stage Band in New York City on a coast to coast television show Stars on Parade.�After returning to Cleveland from military service, Dick performed with many bands including Ed Buehner, Chuck Smith, Ray Budzilek  (3 Albums on Capitol Records plus TV shows), Eddy Stampfl (7 years on TV Variety shows), Johnny Pecon (TV shows & 1 Album on Dana Records), & Ernie Benedict-(TV shows).  Always seeking a new genre, he was found working at the Aragon Ballroom in Cleveland with the Phil Nelson Orchestra and also the country club and convention/show circuit with the late Art Broze.  This was a fantastic experience which came to an end when a move to Michigan with the family became necessary because of a GM job transfer.

 In Michigan, Dick quickly found his way to being a member of the house band at Russelville Ballroom, playing weekends.  He then joined the Andy Nester Orchestra-(1 record album), for several years.  From there he spent several years with the Eddie Adamic Band (3 trips to Europe). He also was a member of the Gaylord Klancnik Orchestra-(1 recording project).  Performed and recorded six Grammy Nominee projects with the Walter Ostanek Orchestra and tahree Grammy nominee projects with Ron Sluga .  He is currently with the Big Daddy Lackowski Orchestra-(3 recording projects). Other musicians he has worked with are Al Nowak (backing up Myron Floren shows). Also backed up Frankie Yankovic when he performed in MI and Canada.  Performed with the Jimmy Sturr Orchestra when he appeared in MI.  Jimmy Sturr recorded one of Dick’s original compositions Speedline Polka which is on one of Jimmy’s Grammy Award winning CD’s.

 In 1992, Dick was inducted into The Michigan Polka Music Hall of Fame and the Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame-Lifetime Achievement Trustees Honor Roll.  He is a life member of The American Federation of Musicians.Dick and his wife Helen look forward to shifting gears from MI to AZ for the winter months.  He will be performing with the Arizona Dance Band "Syl & Carl + Rich," and Ron & Barb Krainz in the East Valley area.  In Feb. 08 he will appear in Las Vegas at the Orleans Hotel for the Southwest Polka Party.

Syl's NORTHWEST BAND "YA SURE YA BETCHA"
PAUL JOHNSON, DRUMS, VOCALS

Paul grew up with music. He is Sylvia's brother and enjoyed all of the Johnson family music activities. He drummed at an early age and played with the Mount Vernon High School Band and Hugo Helmer's Accordion Band. He played with dance bands, grade school through college and played with the Crossfires at WSU in Pullman. He drummed many years with his dad's dance band. He began playing with Sylvia's band in the Seattle area in 1984. Paul is a retired Industrial Arts teacher. He taught at high schools in Lynnwood, Burlington, and Whidbey Island. He and his wife, Sally, live on a beautiful 5-acre ranch in Bow, WA. Paul plays with several bands but enjoys playing with his sister, Syl, whenever she is back in the Northwest. Syl and Paul are not only co-workers but best friends.

Syl's NORTHWEST BAND "YA SURE YA BETCHA" 
Phil Matison, Saxophone, Clarinet, Vocals 

Phil brings vast experience to the band as a musician and a band leader. He has played for many years in jazz groups, mostly in the Tacoma area. He will be playing with Syl's NW Band again this year and also books his own specialty band, the Matison Avenue Band. Phl is a retired police officer and worked in Tacoma and Puyallup. He lives with his wife Kimberley in Tacoma.

Syl's NORTHWEST BAND "YA SURE YA BETCHA" 
Mike Nelson, Guitar 

Listening to the guitar picking of Mike Nelson is sure to be a pleasant experience. He shines playing many styles of music. He also has experience as both musician and band leader. He will be joining Syl's Northwest band in May 2008. We welcome him to the band and look forward to a great season this spring, summer, and fall  (plus Dec), in the Tacoma/Seattle area.