My Life With Parents Without Partners of Florida, Inc.
And My Decision to DJ
Miguel Melgar
August 21, 1993
I remember the first Saturday of September 1974. I walked into the Polish American Hall that
evening. It was the first time in a ballroom since leaving New York. The hall was so packed that
I had to wedge myself through to see the dance floor. I swore that there was near 300 people
there that night. I have enjoyed coming to the Saturday night PWP dances since then.
Around 1984 I noticed that the attendance was diminishing. It did not take this statistician long
to notice that the average age of the group was increasing with time. In order for a club to
survive the average age of its members must be maintained reasonably constant.
This was not occurring. When I brought this observation up to the other members of the club,
they minimized the significance of my observation. This trend has continued to occur during the
next 9 years. The breaking event was hurricane Andrew. Since January after Andrew the
attendance has been very low, to the point of having a constantly losing night after night.
The next step of thought is why is the average age increasing? It isn't too difficult to realize that
the reason is that the music hasn't changed much. The same music is being played now as in
1974. That is why I volunteered to handle the music.
Mary Tye and I went to the Swing Club dance a few months after taking over. The place was
packed. I was told that 230+ people were there, at $7/$10 admission. During that evening
there were less than 5 pieces played that could be construed as non-swing. In addition not a
single piece was of the Glenn Miller era.
This is why I volunteered to play intermission music as DJ. I wanted to play more modern
music. I played as little of Glenn Miller era music as possible. I didn't eliminate it. I just reduced
the importance. I was playing many non-Big Band Swing whose CD volume titles that I received
from the DJ, Randy Atlas, of the Swing Club. All the Merengues except one were 1990s. All of
the Cha cha cha's were 1990s. All of the Socas are of the 1990s, starting with Tiney Winey.
I was convinced that by playing modern music we would attract a slightly younger crowd and
maintain a lowered approximately constant average age. It is with this philosophy that I was
working.
(addition to original) February 4, 1996
Recently, at a wedding, a request was made of the young DJ to play a Swing. You guessed it.
He played "In The Mood". At another wedding a Cha-Cha-Cha was requested. You guessed it
again. The young DJ played "El Bodeguero". This is indicative of the generation gap in South
Florida.
I recall that when I was in my teens and twenties three generations danced together. This no
longer exists. My first goal was to at least bring two generations together. Once accomplished,
bringing three generations might be a little easier.
PWP was bankrupt when I took over the music. I tried to attract the 40 and 50 year olds. Mary
Tye (the president) and I were reasonably successful. By the summer of 1995 the club was on
solid ground. The democratic North American tradition sets 2 terms as normal. I therefore
voted for a new president. The new administration of PWP, under the influence of older
previous members of the board, started to cater to the older crowd ("they pay the bills"). The
truth is they don't pay the bills. The very same Polish American Club also dwells too much in
the past.
Because of this move to erase my efforts, I resigned and am going to try my luck on my own.
Henceforth, I am available to whomever is interested in attracting the younger generations to
Ballroom. Let's talk of today, not dwell in the past. Let's have "Ballroom Without Nostalgia".
Hopefully,
Miguel Melgar
February 20, 1998
Well, here we go again. Bob Mezyk got elected President of the Polish American Club. He
hired me, from Vicky’s recommendation, for New Year’s Eve. January 10 was PWP’s last nite.
On January 17 I DJd solo. The attendance was 70. On the 24th Bob announced that Feb 7
would be my last nite. On the 24th the attendance was 76. On the 31st the attendance was
101. On Feb 7 the attendance was 121. Bob then decided that he did not need me. The
attendance on the 14th, without me, was estimated to be about 85. The band was “horrible”
and there was no DJ. Bob announced that Gwen would teach dance the first Saturday of every
month. On Monday we were told that Victor will DJ intermissions. So we are back to the same
old music and same old dancing instructions, e.g., back to catering to the 70-year-olds.
So after six weeks we are back to exile again. Again, I am available to whomever is interested in
attracting the younger generations to Ballroom. Let's talk of today, not dwell in the past. Let's
have "Ballroom Without Nostalgia".
Always hopeful,
Miguel Melgar
And My Decision to DJ
Miguel Melgar
August 21, 1993
I remember the first Saturday of September 1974. I walked into the Polish American Hall that
evening. It was the first time in a ballroom since leaving New York. The hall was so packed that
I had to wedge myself through to see the dance floor. I swore that there was near 300 people
there that night. I have enjoyed coming to the Saturday night PWP dances since then.
Around 1984 I noticed that the attendance was diminishing. It did not take this statistician long
to notice that the average age of the group was increasing with time. In order for a club to
survive the average age of its members must be maintained reasonably constant.
This was not occurring. When I brought this observation up to the other members of the club,
they minimized the significance of my observation. This trend has continued to occur during the
next 9 years. The breaking event was hurricane Andrew. Since January after Andrew the
attendance has been very low, to the point of having a constantly losing night after night.
The next step of thought is why is the average age increasing? It isn't too difficult to realize that
the reason is that the music hasn't changed much. The same music is being played now as in
1974. That is why I volunteered to handle the music.
Mary Tye and I went to the Swing Club dance a few months after taking over. The place was
packed. I was told that 230+ people were there, at $7/$10 admission. During that evening
there were less than 5 pieces played that could be construed as non-swing. In addition not a
single piece was of the Glenn Miller era.
This is why I volunteered to play intermission music as DJ. I wanted to play more modern
music. I played as little of Glenn Miller era music as possible. I didn't eliminate it. I just reduced
the importance. I was playing many non-Big Band Swing whose CD volume titles that I received
from the DJ, Randy Atlas, of the Swing Club. All the Merengues except one were 1990s. All of
the Cha cha cha's were 1990s. All of the Socas are of the 1990s, starting with Tiney Winey.
I was convinced that by playing modern music we would attract a slightly younger crowd and
maintain a lowered approximately constant average age. It is with this philosophy that I was
working.
(addition to original) February 4, 1996
Recently, at a wedding, a request was made of the young DJ to play a Swing. You guessed it.
He played "In The Mood". At another wedding a Cha-Cha-Cha was requested. You guessed it
again. The young DJ played "El Bodeguero". This is indicative of the generation gap in South
Florida.
I recall that when I was in my teens and twenties three generations danced together. This no
longer exists. My first goal was to at least bring two generations together. Once accomplished,
bringing three generations might be a little easier.
PWP was bankrupt when I took over the music. I tried to attract the 40 and 50 year olds. Mary
Tye (the president) and I were reasonably successful. By the summer of 1995 the club was on
solid ground. The democratic North American tradition sets 2 terms as normal. I therefore
voted for a new president. The new administration of PWP, under the influence of older
previous members of the board, started to cater to the older crowd ("they pay the bills"). The
truth is they don't pay the bills. The very same Polish American Club also dwells too much in
the past.
Because of this move to erase my efforts, I resigned and am going to try my luck on my own.
Henceforth, I am available to whomever is interested in attracting the younger generations to
Ballroom. Let's talk of today, not dwell in the past. Let's have "Ballroom Without Nostalgia".
Hopefully,
Miguel Melgar
February 20, 1998
Well, here we go again. Bob Mezyk got elected President of the Polish American Club. He
hired me, from Vicky’s recommendation, for New Year’s Eve. January 10 was PWP’s last nite.
On January 17 I DJd solo. The attendance was 70. On the 24th Bob announced that Feb 7
would be my last nite. On the 24th the attendance was 76. On the 31st the attendance was
101. On Feb 7 the attendance was 121. Bob then decided that he did not need me. The
attendance on the 14th, without me, was estimated to be about 85. The band was “horrible”
and there was no DJ. Bob announced that Gwen would teach dance the first Saturday of every
month. On Monday we were told that Victor will DJ intermissions. So we are back to the same
old music and same old dancing instructions, e.g., back to catering to the 70-year-olds.
So after six weeks we are back to exile again. Again, I am available to whomever is interested in
attracting the younger generations to Ballroom. Let's talk of today, not dwell in the past. Let's
have "Ballroom Without Nostalgia".
Always hopeful,
Miguel Melgar
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