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Ray Dorschner
Living Category - Inducted 1996
Ray Dorschner was born in the tiny village of Ziattau,
Wisconsin, one of seven children born to Theodore and Berta Dorschner.
Theodore owned and operated a sawmill and woodworking business in Zittau
and was an old-time fiddler. Dad and sons occasionally played for local
parties and dances. Ray started playing button accordion at about five
years of age and later switched to piano accordion.
 Ray
attended elementary school in Zittau, high school in Winneconne,
Wisconsin, and college at UW-Oshkosh in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He learned
to play clarinet in high school and played in the high school band and
the UW-Oshkosh band. While he was in high school, Ray and some friends
formed a small band that played for weddings and other events in the
area. The name of the group was The Jolly Musicians. He soon learned to
play tenor sax, trumpet and tuba.
In 1949 Ray started his non-musical career by
becoming a laboratory technician at The Institute of Paper Chemistry in
Appleton, Wisconsin. After 2-1/2 years there, he moved on to be a
research and development laboratory technician at Marathon Corporation
in Menasha, Wisconsin, which later became part of American National Can.
He retired from American National Can Company in 1992 as a Senior
Research Scientist.
On October 20, 1951, Ray married Donna Steffens. Ray
and Donna have three sons, Randy, Steve and Jim. All of the sons play
with the Rainbow Valley Dutchmen. Ray organized the Rainbow Valley
Dutchmen in 1950, playing first full engagement at the Cinderella
Ballroom in Appleton, Wisconsin. The band has played throughout the
Midwest, plaving at all of the great ballrooms and all of the major
polka festivals. The band had a weekly radio show in the 1950s, a weekly
television show in the 1960s, and made tow performing tours in Europe in
1970s. The band was selected to play at the Minnesota State Fair for two
years and recently have added the great Milwaukee German Feat to their
annual schedule. They have performed at every Durant (Iowa) Polka
Festival since its start. They have also been selected to perform at the
National Council for the Traditional Arts Folk Festival in Dayton, Ohio
this year. The band has recorded 15 LP albums, numerous singles and a CD
(The Best Of Rainbow Valley).
Ray started his music composition career prior to
organizing the Rainbow Dutchmen; his first composition entitled
Bachelor's Waltz. He added many more compositions throughout the years,
presently totaling more than 60 compositions. Most of the compositions
have been recorded by the Rainbow Valley Dutchmen, many have become
industry standards and are played by all of the great old-time bands.
Many of his compositions have been recorded by these bands including
Whoopee John, Babe Wagner, Elmer Scheid, Ernie Coopman, Earl Schmidt,
Jerry Schuft, Ivan Kahle, Dean Hansen, Ernie Kucera, and many others.
Most noteworthy have been Rainbow Valley Polka, Putzig Polka, Concertina
Holiday, Polka Day Polka, Tune Timer's Polka, Dutch Maid Waltz, and
Schmaltzie Music. His style has influenced many musicians and bands. His
composition February March was arranged for concert band and has been
performed by various area concert bands.
The following are some of the accomplishments of Ray
Dorschner and the Rainbow Valley Dutchmen.
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