“Tanzlmusi”

For many decades people spent their evenings and other free time playing music, singing and dancing. The music was handed down from one generation to the next. Families played music together, and often times invited friends to join them.

”Tanzlmusi,” literally meaning “little dance music,” is traditionally made up of wind instruments and an accordion type instrument. It encompasses the style of music that lends itself to those past generations.

Peggy Mueller, who loved music at an early age and studied classical piano from age seven, learned to play the button box accordion by ear from her father, whose parents came here from Burgenland, in Austria. She, her father, brother, husband and daughter played button box together for several years. They played whenever requested and were the Austrian-German representatives for the First Family Music Festival, which was the debut event for Milwaukee’s Rainbow Summer series.

In 1993 Peggy attended Joe Smiell’s Button Box Camp in Norden California. There, along with button box players from all over the United States, she learned to play the instrument from standard musical notation. Soon she became part of “The Button Box Trio,” along with Joe Smiell, himself, and another student, Otto Schnauber from Rock Springs, Wyoming. Peggy has been a member of the teaching staff at Joe Smiell’s Button Box Camp for over ten years, and also teaches music privately. Along with studying with Joe Smiell, Peggy studies folk music and button box in Germany.

Peggy performs for parties, picnics, festivals, schools, business organizations, with other music groups, and has played throughout the United States. She is a regular guest soloist with the European wind ensemble, Dorf Kapelle. She is a member of a Bavarian dance group, SVEV D’Oberlandler, from the Milwaukee area, and, along with playing for the dancers, she has formed a young peoples’ music group. Peggy has played at German Fest in Milwaukee since 1989. She has also played in Germany and Austria, including a live performance on ORF radio in Graz, Austria, and performances at the World Beer Festival in Singapore. She has produced three CD recordings since 1999.

Hansi Mueller, Peggy’s husband, plays the wooden spoons (Löffelschlagen). The spoons were hand carved in Austria, specifically for playing music – not for cooking! He also cracks the whips (Goasslschnalzen), which he bought in Germany last July. Goasslschnalzen has become very popular in Bavaria, and Hansi is proud to have been first to have performed this art in the Milwaukee area and at Milwaukee’s German Fest. Hansi also works with the sound system, and gets the audience involved in the performances.

Recently Peggy’s nephew, Andrew Hacker, has joined them during their music performances. Andrew is in his fourth year at Carroll University studying music education. He has been playing tuba since the age of eleven and is an active musician in the state of Wisconsin. He regularly performs with Carroll’s ensembles as principal tubist with the Wind Symphony and bass trombonist and student director of the Jazz Ensemble. He also plays tuba with the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band, and is an active chamber musician as one of the founding members of the Brass Quintet of Southeastern Wisconsin. Mr. Hacker as subbed on tuba with the Racine Symphony, Milwaukee Festival Brass and the Lutheran Brass of Milwaukee. He has also been a guest soloist with the European wind ensemble, Dorf Kapelle. Aside from his playing duties, Mr. Hacker is the founder and musical director of Blaskapelle Milwaukee, and 18-piece European wind ensemble. He is a private instructor of low brass and also teaches music in the Waukesha Catholic School System. Andrew is currently studying conduction with Dr. Larry Harper, jazz with Rick Kirby, tuba with Dr. David Spies, and has previously studied tuba with Dr. John Tuinstra. Andrew also plays button box accordion and joins Hansi in cracking the whips

Lauren Tushaus is in her third year at UW-Milwaukee double majoring in music education and clarinet performance.

She is an active clarinetist and violinist, and has performed with UW-Milwaukee’s Symphony Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and University Community Orchestra in various chamber groups. Lauren is a member of the European wind ensemble, Blaskapelle-Milwaukee, and is active in the United German Societies of Milwaukee as both a musician and folk dancer. She has been teaching private viola, violin, clarinet, voice and piano lessons since 2003, and also teaches privately at Messmer High School in Milwaukee. Lauren is currently studying clarinet with Mr. Todd Levy and viola with Mr. Lewis Rosove.

Heather Hacker, Peggy’s niece and Andrew’s sister, is a senior at Menomonee Falls High School, and plays French horn, flugelhorn and piano in a variety of venues there. Heather is a featured voice soloist in Menomonee Fall High School’s annual Band Revue programs, and Jazz ‘n Java. She is also a member of the Blaskapelle Milwaukee, and is their librarian.

Heather plays Button Box Accordion, too. She plans on attending Carroll University in September, 2009, and will continue her studies in music, as well as physical therapy.

Peggy, Hansi, Andy, Lauren and Heather call their group “Tanzlmusi.” Often times they are joined by additional wind instruments, such as baritone and trumpet, a guitar player, other string and button box players. They play authentic Bavarian and Austrian folk and folk-style music for dancing and listening. Their music appeals to young and old!

Their performances include fund raisers, businesses, festivals, schools and private parties. They include and encourage participation by members of the audience while the musicians play. They are looking forward to playing music for you soon. For more information, please contact Peggy at btnboxpeg@wi.rr.com.