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LORI BROOKE  is an accordionist, yodeler, singer, and song-writer from Austin, Texas. A native Texan with German heritage, she grew up on a dairy farm in Nordheim, just southeast of San Antonio. Lori Beth started playing piano before she started elementary school. At seven she was finally big enough to hold an accordion and learned to play her first polka from the Palmer Hughes series. By age 12 she was writing her own songs. She graduated with a B.A. in Music and a M.S. in Computer Information Systems and now works in the computer industry managing a database team for the data analytics division at an Austin-based company.      However, Lori’s true calling is music. During the past 20 years she has performed in a broad range of genres: Classical, Big Band, German Folk, Country, and most recently, Western music. Learning to yodel after college, Lori has used this unique singing technique extensively in both German folk music and Western music. In 2016 the International Western Music Association named Lori Beth Brook Female Yodeler of the Year.      Ms. Brooke continues to write songs and believes that the Western music genre allows her to realize her full potential as both a songwriter and a performer. In August 2020 she released an album of Western/Western Swing music with 10 original songs called "Texas Star," which was awarded the 2020 International Western Music Association Cowboy Western Swing Album of the Year!  Most recently the Academy of Western Artists named Lori the 2020 Female of the Year in the Western Music category.  Her original song, "Knock Knock", a playful spin on a romance and sung as a male/female duet, has been named the winning humorous song for the 2021 Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase.      To purchase her CDs and downloads visit:  www.LoriBethBrooke.com   

ALEX MEIXNER  is a nationally acclaimed musician, performer, bandleader, educator, and a leading advocate of polka music. Formally trained in classical, jazz and ethnic music, Alex has cross-pollinated his versatile playing styles through pop music, funk, jazz and polka. He is an active ambassador for polka music, revitalizing cultural interest coast to coast, and growing mainstream acceptance. For Alex, it’s more than playing energetic shows; it is a mission to provide a much needed positive experience that pulls communities together to celebrate history, culture and genuinely good times.     Alex’s passion for music was kindled at an early age, as he lived in a household of professional musicians. He was cultivated intimately by his father, the 3rd generation bandleader of a family band hailing from Austria. At age 3, he began formal study on the piano, and within a year he picked up the accordion resulting in his debut on stage by age 6, an experience that was to shape his life so much in future years. His ability to learn many instruments led to gigging regularly on drums, bass, keyboards, piano accordion, button accordion and trumpet with Polish polka legend Joe Oberaitis and Canada’s Polka King, Walter Ostanek, in addition to touring nationally with his father’s band by age 11. His aptitude for playing jazz and classical trumpet opened doors to formal study and opportunities including playing with the London Symphony Orchestra in High School. Alex is a formally trained educator with degrees from Ithaca College and the Pennsylvania State University.     He has recorded albums for artists from the USA, Mexico, Austria, and Canada. At age 18, a track he performed on with his father was on Walter Ostanek’s, 1994 Grammy award-winning album “Music and Friends.” His performance on the album “Polka Freak Out,” a collaboration with Bubba Hernandez, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2007. He has also recorded with a vast number of diverse artists as a soloist or sideman including avant-garde accordionist/ composer- Guy Klucevsek, Grammy winners- Brave Combo, TexMex Rock icons- The Krayolas, and Irish entertainer- Seamus Kennedy. In 2016 Alex collaborated with the notable advertising agency, BBDO, to produce the infamous Hormel Pepperoni commercials and later that year he recorded with comedy phenomenon, Jack Black, for the major motion picture, ”The Polka King. ”     Alex leads the Alex Meixner Band which performs approximately 180 times a year across the country for venues ranging from intimate events and clubs to massive festivals and Oktoberfests. In 2015, Alex formed the talent agency, AM Management, that focuses on pairing the right entertainment for Oktoberfests and themed events, weddings, and corporate events. The New Braunfels, Texas-based Faust Brewery has launched the Alex Meixner Polka Pilsner, and he has a new line of Alex Meixner Band apparel. To see where he is performing next, or to purchase Alex’s CDs and apparel, visit:  www.alexmeixner.com