|
|
Members
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tony Banewicz
|
|
Tony, of Hagaman, NY, holds an A.S. in Performing Arts: Music from Schenectady County Community College. Founder of Tony's Polka Band in 1996, he built a small family band into an award-winning performing group. He composes and arranges the music heard on stage and has led them to the Grammy Award semi-finals four times. Also an accomplished pianist and organist, Tony frequently performs as a soloist for area events. He is a member of the United States Polka Association, the International Polka Association, and a voting member of NARAS.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sarah (Banewicz) Looman
|
|
Sarah is an original member of Tony's Polka Band since 1996. Since her childhood, Sarah has studied piano, saxophone, & voice and continues to perform frequently on each instrument. Apart from her music career, Sarah is a Kindergarten teacher and lives in Randall, NY with her husband Wayne.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mike Banewicz
|
|
Mike, of Schroon Lake, NY holds an A.S. in Performing Arts: Music from Schenectady County Community College, a B.M. in Music Education from the Crane School of Music, and a M.M. in Trumpet Performance from Ithaca College. He is an original members of Tony's Polka Band since 1996. When not on the road with TPB, Mike can be seen freelancing in churches, with orchestras and jazz groups, and as a soloist around New York's Capital Region. Currently, Mike is the band director at the Schroon Lake Central School.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cheryl Matott Humphreys
|
|
Cheryl, of Albany, NY holds an A.S. in Performing Arts: Music from Schenectady County Community College and a B.S. in Music Education from St. Rose College. Cheryl started playing clarinet at age 9 and pursued it as a career through high school and college. Cheryl performs with professional ensembles throughout the Albany area including the noted Schenectady Symphony Orchestra and the Capital Region Wind Ensemble. In her spare time, Cheryl enjoys fencing and spending time with her husband, Stephen and daughter Cadence. Cheryl has been a member of TPB since June 2002.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Steve Dudas Jr.
|
|
Steve has been a member of TPB since July 2005. He brings a new sound to Tony's Polka Band with his experience performing with groups. Before Tony's Polka Band, Steve played for The Ivory and Brass and The Orlando Polka Magic. In fourth grade, he began taking drum lessons and performed in the school band with the well-known polka artist Eddie Forman. Steve has been a firefighter since 1994, is a certified scuba diver, and enjoys collecting and restoring antique tractors. Steve lives in Amsterdam, NY with his wife, Brenda.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chad Mendrysa
|
|
Chad is the newest member of Tony'sPolka Band since February, 2007. He has studied electric and double bass at Schenectady County Community College, the Crane School of Music, and holds a B.M. in Music Education from SUNY Fredonia. He has been the principle bassist for the Crane Symphony Orchestra, the SUNY Albany Symphony, and the Capital Region Wind Ensemble. Commercially, Chad plays with the southern rock band ‘Mobana’ and wedding band ‘City Rhythm.’ Chad's bass playing has brought him to Ohio, up and down the East coast, and all the way to Carnegie Hall.
|
|
|
|
|
|
