Display for all of the inductees can be viewed at the MMHF museum, at 27 N. Broadway, New Ulm, adjacent to the New Ulm Public Library. This has been the home of MMHF for most of its 38 years.

Despite the hall’s long history in New Ulm, every now and then the question will come up as to why the MMHF is located in New Ulm? Why not the Twin Cities?

MMHF Treasurer and co-executive director Dodie Wendinger answered this very question during last week’s induction ceremony.

“Because the musicians are closer to New Ulm,” she said.

The Minnesota Musical Hall of Fame awards, shaped like the state with musical staff in the center, were originally designed shortly after the organization was founded in 1988 and have not changed since. The idea was to create a memorable and distinct award that could only be a Minnesota music award.

New Ulm has a long history and background in music. Dozens of musicians and bands originated in the New Ulm area in different genres like big band, choir, old time music, dance music and of course polka. New Ulm is best known for its polka background, sometimes going by the nickname “Polka-town” or “The Polka Capital.” In fact, the originally MMHF board formed with the intention of starting a Polka Hall of Fame, but around 1986 this plan ran into a snag.

Dayle Besemer, MMHF’s first president, said he joined the board because he believed a music hall of fame would bring extra tourism to New Ulm, but said nothing ever got off the ground because the focus was on polka, instead of the broader music scene.

Dodie Wendinger, who was also on the organizing board, said another problem with a Polka Hall of Fame is the diminishing number of inductees. There is only so many polka players that can be inducted.

It was suggested the hall of fame be expanded to include all Minnesota music.

After some quick research, Wendinger discovered there was no Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, meaning the title was New Ulm’s for the taking.

MMHF Treasurer Dodie Wendinger gives Dayle Besemer a special award during the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Besemer served as MMHF president for 37 years, only retiring last year. In accepting the award, Besemer said “I am proud that New Ulm is the keeper of the Minnesota Music industry.”

Early on there was some concern among the organizing board that they did not have a wide enough knowledge of other musical genres to host a state wide hall of fame.

“I told them, ‘don’t worry, the knowledge will come,” Wendinger said. “We will learn as we go along. And we did.”

After deciding to start a music hall of fame for the entire state, the next step was to raise money for it and become an established nonprofit. The board was able to accomplish this by 1988. They were able to start inducting members the next year.

Several factors go into how members are inducted. Wendinger said there is a nomination process. The board mainly considers a nominees influence on music in Minnesota. Technically, a nominee does not need to be from Minnesota to be inducted, as long as their work had an affect on the Minnesota Music Industry. The inductees longevity is also considered. Someone who has made music in the state for decades would be strongly considered.

Wendinger said there are some nominees who are from Minnesota, but never had the range influence. She said a band that performed extensively in their home town or county but never played anywhere else, is not likely to be inducted. However, the board does hold on to all nominations. If a nominee is not inducted one year, they might be considered at a later time.

The Minnesota Music Hall of Fame features displays on all of its nearly 230 inductees, including memorabilia from some of the inductees.

They also like to have a variety of inductees to represent multiple music genres.

Co-executive director Bonnie Ubl said they don’t want it all to be rock ‘n’ roll and polka.

The MMHF had no permanent home in the early days. For the first three years, the hall of fame had its inductee showcases on display at Randall’s grocery store and cafe, located off 16th N. Street.

By the early ’90s, the hall got its permanent home at 27 N. Broadway, adjacent to the New Ulm Public Library. The space the MMHF occupies was previously the Brown County Historical Society museum, but that moved across the street into former New Ulm post office.

Wendinger credited former Mayor Bert Schapekahm for finding the MMHF a home.

Saturday, April 11, the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame held an open house to celebrate its new inductees. Several of this year’s inductees were in attendance including Cathy Erickson (in photo) as well as Rick Keane, Cornbread Harris and members of The Twin Citis Catholic Chorale and members of The Chatfield Brass Band.

“He was instrumental in acquiring this building for us,” she said.

Each year, the hall grows by at least six inductees. As space becomes more tight, the volunteers are forced to get creative with the displays, but Wendinger said they still have room to grow. The display cases all have room to add additional shelving. Some items might need to go into storage, but for now the hall has room to breathe.

In 2023, the MMHF saw a large influx of Prince memorabilia, courtesy of Joel King, president of the Prince Legacy Project.

Wendinger said there was some concern that the Prince memorabilia might overshadow the rest of the hall, but that has not happened.

She said there are people who come to the museum to see Prince memorabilia, but they go on to explore the entire hall.

In 2023, the MMHF saw a large influx of Prince memorabilia, courtesy of Joel King, president of the Prince Legacy Project.

In 2024, MMHF received a donation of a 15-foot Prince themed guitar sculpture. The sculpture was placed outside the building.

“I love that guitar,” Wendinger said. “It’s not just Prince themed, but a celebration of music as a whole.”

She said so many people see the sculpture as their driving through New Ulm and stop because of it. Once inside the hall, they are treated to wealth of information on the inductees.

At the MMHF’s front desk, visitors may borrow headsets with pre-recorded information on most of the inductees.

Each year MMHF volunteer and 2009 inductee, Steve Moran creates a new recording for the new inductees. The recordings are played during the induction ceremony, but are also available at the museum hall.

Moran said some of the earlier recordings for the first inductees were lost or recorded over. He is in the process of re-recording them.

Museum administrator John Kass praised the recordings. He said every so often a guest will visit the hall to learn about a specific inductee and its great to have the information on hand.

Kass said his favorite times at the hall is when a large group visits. Six or seven times a year an entire tour bus of visitors stop by. There will be about 40 tourists checking out the displays. The tourists come from the Twin Cities, Rochester and Duluth area.

“I love it when it is chaotic like that,” he said.

Wendinger said occasionally there will people who visit the hall and will comment that it would be better to relocate it to the Twin Cities.

“As long as I am living, that will never happen,” she assures.

Current MMHF president Lorreta Gerasch agrees, the hall will be staying in New Ulm.

Former MMHF president Dayle Besemer, who retired from the position last year after 37 years, said the MMHF traveled a long road, but he believed it was successful.

“I am proud that New Ulm is the keeper of the Minnesota Music industry,” he said.