on his 21st birthday, welk left the family's farm to start his career in music. during the 1920s, he performed with the luke witkowski, lincoln boulds, and george t. kelly bands before he started his own orchestra. he led big bands in north dakota and eastern south dakota. these included the hotsy totsy boys and later the honolulu fruit gum orchestra. his band also played for radio station wnax in yankton, south dakota. in 1927, he graduated from the macphail school of music in minneapolis, minnesota.