Ethnic music is a strong indicator of cultural identity. Central and Eastern European ethnic groups have historically been associated with folk music traditions, such as polka, and radio broadcasting patterns in the United States reflect continued demand for and support of this music. Data from the 2000 Census was used to generate maps of the county-level ancestral patterns from European regions traditionally associated with polka music and was compared with the locations of radio stations that play polka. This article demonstrates straightforward quantitative approaches to evaluating these patterns of musical preferences. This study serves as an example for ways in which mapping and GIS can be used as tools for teaching and learning topics related to cultural geography. (Contains 4 figures.)