An American Songline: Show commemorates Lincoln Highway centennial across country
Submitted by Carson Now Reader on Wed, 08/14/2013 - 3:00pm
Event Date:
August 24, 2013 - 2:00pm Travels include stops in New Jersey,Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California.
Cece Otto is a classically trained vocalist who has performed in venues all over the world.
She set out to create a project that fused her passions for music, travel and writing into a unique creative work. “An American Songline” was born as a cross-country musical journey that takes her from New York to San Francisco along the Lincoln Highway, America's first transcontinental road, to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013.
Otto will present concerts of old-time music in all 14 states along the route, including a special performance at the Nevada Historical Society from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. Another presentation is at 7 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Churchill County Museum and Archives in Fallon.
“She includes songs specifically about the highway and invites local musicians to accompany her along the way, so every ‘American Songline’ performance is unique,” said Shery Hayes-Zorn, acting director of the Nevada Historical Society. “The Lincoln Highway played a very important role in the development of this part of Nevada. Celebrating its culture in this way is a big bonus.”
In 1913, the Lincoln Highway was inaugurated, linking Times Square in New
York with San Francisco and giving Americans the first opportunity to drive from one end of the continental United States to the other. To celebrate the centennial, Otto is traveling the length of the Lincoln Highway in a “singing travelogue,” serenading communities along the way with songs popular during the highway’s heyday.
“I will follow the original 1913 route,” she said. “I sing a mix of operetta, light classical and vaudeville songs that were performed in concert halls and recitals along the road. I thought about our roads, how they are built on top of old Native American trails, old pioneer trails and so on. I wanted to create ‘An American Songline,’ something that would reach back to our ancestors and reflect how they once lived and entertained each other.”
Otto’s journey kicked off in April in New York. Her travel includes stops in New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California. The journey ends in September at San Francisco’s Lincoln Park, the Western terminus of the historic highway.
She will perform with local musicians at each stop. “I want to take my time and get to know each community I pass through,” she says. I want to see for myself how much of small-town America is still with us and how much of it has passed away.” Following her cross-country journey Otto said she plans to compile her trip stories into a book and compose new music reflecting her experiences on the road.
The Nevada Historical Society is at 1650 N. Virginia St. in Reno, adjacent to the UNR campus. There is no admission charge for the event and free parking passes are available. For more information check out the Society’s Facebook page, go to nevadaculture.org or call (775) 688-1191. The society is managed by the state Division of Museums and History, an agency of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. For program information, visit www.americansongline.net or email americansongline@gmail.com.
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