Biography

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Click on these links to hear the band at the Minnesota State Fair

Rod has been playing music since the age of 7. At 13 he started a polka band playing for wedding dances and at various clubs in and around his home town of Crosby, MN. He also taught accordion, piano, and guitar lessons and had as many as 75 students in 3 cities.

The band disbanded while Rod was in college at the University of Minnesota; but during that time, Rod played "piano bar / sing-a -long" on the weekends and 6 nights a week during the summer.

Rod also hooked up with Tony Jambor of "Polka Jamboree" fame and began touring with the band throughout the upper Midwest. Rod and Tony purchased the Coliseum Ballroom in Minneapolis and continued with the band playing more than 200 dates per year. The Rod Cerar Orchestra was in constant demand throughout the ballroom circuit and was booked 18 to 24 months in advance.

Rod then married and started playing with the Jimmy Sturm band trying to stay a little closer to home.

Currently Rod plays solo shows and dances as well as leading the Rod Cerar Orchestra. They continue to perform in the Midwest for the ballroom circuit, hotels, Minnesota State Fair, University of Minnesota, clubs, senior living centers, corporate events, dance clubs, festivals, polka masses, private parties etc. Rod performs in Florida during the winter months. They also are starring on the nationally broadcast television shows "POLKA SPOTLIGHT," "FUN TIME POLKA PARTY" and on the "MOLLY B POLKA PARTY."

Rod plays a wide variety of music for dancing, including polkas and waltzes as well as big band, ballroom, Latin, and country music. In addition, while performing for shows/entertainment, Rod plays current pop music, show tunes, 50's and 60's, blue grass, country, ethnic tunes, specialty numbers and much more.

Rod has been nominated three times for the Minnesota Ballroom Operators Association " Band of the Year" and has won national awards from the Entertainment Operators of America five times. Over the years Rod has performed with Frank Yankovic, Myron Floren and many others. In addition he has entertained John Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Al Gore, Ronald Reagan to name a few.

Rod and his wife, Judie, have 5 grown children and 6 grand children and have a home in Apple Valley, MN.