Wisconsin Polka Music

HELP

Navigating This Website
This website was designed to be simple to navigate. On every page, you'll find menus on the top and right sides. Use these menus to find your way around the site. One of the buttons on the top always says "Home". Clicking on it will take you back to the "front page" of this website.

When Links Don't Work
Most of the links on this website will take you to other websites hosted by other internet servers. We are not affiliated with those website in any way, and therefore cannot guarantee those websites will work, nor are we responsible for their content. Now and then, almost every internet server will experience some downtime for maintenance. During that time, web pages on that server may be inaccessible. Have patience, and try accessing the website again in a few hours.

Report a Website Technical Problem
If you experience persistent problems accessing areas of this website and don't know why, send us an email with a detailed description of the problem. We cannot guarantee we'll be able to diagnose the problem since we are not in the public technical support business, but the more descriptive you are of the problem, the better the chance is that we can help. Again, please be descriptive of the problem, noting exactly what happens when the problem occurs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why isn't my favorite band or dance hall listed on this website?
If a Wisconsin polka band, establishment, or public dance is not listed, it is most likely because they willingly choose not to publicize themselves on the internet. We can only list bands, dance halls, festivals, and organizations who wish to be on the internet. If you would like to see a particular band or public dance listed here, there is no need to contact us. Instead, please contact the band or dance operator yourself and encourage them to promote their services online. We'd like to hear from them.

How many people visit this website?
Every time someone views a page, photo, or listens to an MP3 audio clip on this website, it counts as a "hit".

   2003: 76,834 hits (12,806/month)
   2004: 277,644 hits (23,137/month)
   2005: 783,240 hits (65,270/month)
   2006: 871,266 hits (72,605/month)
   2007: 1,079,137 hits (89,928/month)
   2008: 1,811,458 hits (150,955/month)
   2009: 1,596,976 hits (133,081/month)
   2010: 1,377,200 hits (114,766/month)
   2011: 1,335,706 hits (111,308/month)
   Total: Greater than 8,831,853

May I use this website to hire a band?
Absolutely! Many people seeking polka entertainment for their parties use this website to read about, contact, and book bands online. If you've never hired a polka band before, know that not all polka bands are the same! Just as in any genre of music, there are profound differences in style and repertoire (and dare we say quality?) among polka bands. It doesn't hurt to ask for a demo recording or references of the band you're interested in hiring. Better yet, see the band perform live at any of their upcoming events. Bands book jobs on a first-come-first-serve basis, so please book early. Please consider booking bands a full year in advance for the peak Octoberfest season as there are often more events than available bands.

Will you recommend a band for us?
Sorry, but that is a service we cannot not provide. Bands are our clients, so we cannot give any one particular band an employment advantage over another.

May I contact WPM for information?
Only for information about this website, please. We receive numerous emails from people looking for sheet music, local dance information, contact addresses, etc., however, we are not a research or information service. We ignore such inquiries.

What happened to the Wisconsin Polka Music Awards?
As a fundraiser, the WPM Awards were quite successful. However, running the awards program took a lot of time and would have needed the help of volunteers in order to continue operation. We not successful in finding volunteers. Click here for a complete list of previous years' winners and runners up.

What happened to the discussion forum?
As Facebook grew in popularity, the usage of the WPM message board continually decreased over the last couple of years. Everyone is now using social networing services for distributing and sharing polka-related information. The WPM message board has gone the way of the dinosaur.

Why does a window with blotchy-looking words pop up whenever I try to email someone on the Radio Stations page or post a message on the message board?
It's a technological defense against spam called "captcha." Every day, spammers use software programs to harvest email addresses from web pages so that they can send out unsolicited advertising for products like Viagra. They also use software to seek out message boards and automatically post advertisements. The captcha system is used to weed out this spam, because only the human brain can decipher blotchy text.

What is the fold level of heirarchy in the SCOP database?
Protiens that have the same major secondary structures in the same arrangement and with the same topological connections are defined as having a common fold. Different proteins with the same fold often have peripheral elements of secondary structure and turn regions that differ in size and conformation. These differing peripheral regions may comprise half the structure in some cases.