An American Songline

Journeys in Vintage Music with Cecelia Otto

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Songs of the Week: "Beautiful Ohio" & "In My Merry Oldsmobile"

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Hi everyone!

Here’s a couple of songs from my upcoming concert tour to help you beat the mid-week and mid-winter blahs. Enjoy!

“Beautiful Ohio” was originally written as a waltz, and then the original lyrics were written in 1918. These lyrics were about two people in love admiring the nature and beauty of Ohio. The song became so popular over the ages that the State of Ohio made it their official state song in 1969. In 1989, the original lyrics were re-written to sound more patriotic for the state.

I’ll be performing the original lyrics when I sing it on the road this year. Here’s a great old recording sung by Henry Burr in 1919:

“In My Merry Oldsmobile” is one of those songs that you probably know and can sing along with me right now without the music. It was originally written in 1905, and it has become one of the most popular automobile songs of all time.

My concerts won’t just be me singing all of the time. I’ll have a few songs that you all will be hopefully singing along with me. This song is one of those songs. Here’s your chance to practice this song before the concert-just follow the bouncing ball!

New Year, New website!

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Hello everyone,

Hope everyone’s 2013 has got off to a great start! I’ve been running full speed the last few weeks trying to finalize the tour and get out the word to everyone about what I’m doing this year.

There’s been a lot of great changes to the website in preparation for this tour, including a Press page with photos and a press release, Audio and Video samples of me performing, a Frequently Asked Questions page, and an online store where you can buy the preview CD (you can also make donations to help with the project as well). Stay tuned for the tour page, where I will be listing all of the concerts shortly.

Again, this project is a grassroots effort. The more you and your communities participate with this endeavor, the better the project will be. If you would still like to help me, it’s not too late! I still need to find venues to perform along the route, musicians to accompany me and lodging, please contact me via email or through the contact page on the website.

Thank you all for your support this year, and I look forward to meeting you all very soon!

LHA 2012 Conference highlights

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There were many, many things going on at this year Lincoln Highway Association conference in Ohio, it was hard to keep up with it all!  I went on the West tour on Tuesday (Canton to Mansfield on the Lincoln Highway), the East Tour yesterday (Canton to Chester, WV), and took in the two fun evening activities: the Cruise-In and a night at the Palace Theatre downtown.  Thursday was a day full of learning with seminars, meetings, and tours that people could take, with our final banquet at the Canton Club.  All in all, it was a fantastic conference, thanks to everyone who made it so great!

So in photos, here’s my highlights of the 2012 conference in Canton (Get comfy-I have a few photos to share):

WEST TOUR (TUESDAY):

Our first stop was the Ohio State Reformatory (Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society) in Mansfield, Ohio. The Reformatory doors were opened to its first 150 young offenders in September 1896. After housing over 155,000 men in its lifetime, the doors to the prison closed December 31, 1990. It has the tallest free-standing cell block at six tiers.   I have been here before at night, so it was fascinating to see it during the day.

One of the first signs the inmates would see.
A standard cell in the East Cell Block.
This room in the East Cell Block now stores many things, including old toilets!
View of the West Cell Block.

After lunch, our second stop was to Oak Hill Cottage near downtown Mansfield.  Originally built in 1847, this home has all of  the possessions and furniture that were used in the house by the Jones family for over 100 years.  It was one of the most beautiful homes I’ve ever seen.

The Sitting Room had an “exotic” theme with Moroccan and Egyptian elements in the room. These Sphinxes on the lamps are a great example of the details in this house.
This hutch holds the hats and shoes of the women who lived in this house.
This is a working pipe organ in the sanctuary of the house.
A true representation of Gothic architecture, the exterior of this house has been restored back to its original glory.

Our last stop on the West tour was in Mifflin, Ohio. This place has some neat historical markers, including a village watering trough that has been preserved near St. Michaels church:

Tuesday evening’s fun was a Cruise-in in downtown Canton.  91 cars from all over came to show off their cars.  I was in the book room telling everyone about my project, selling CD’s, and talking with fellow LHA members.

I was so happy to finally meet Jamie, the creator of “My Lincoln Highway” blog! Check out her site if your haven’t yet.
Over 91 cars appeared in Canton. This photo was taken towards the end of the show.
We had our own “cruise-in” in the book room that night. Bernie (who turns 100 next month) gives Esther (his wife) a ride on a hotel cart-faster than I would have pushed it! These two have an amazing story to tell, which I will share at a later date.

EAST TOUR (WEDNESDAY):

This day we went all the way to Chester, West Virginia, stopping in Lisbon (the 2nd oldest city in Ohio), East Liverpool, Chester, and Robertsville. Our evening was spent at the glorious Palace theatre in downtown Canton touring and taking in a movie. I will post a few photos now for the theatre, but plan to see more video and audio of this beautiful place!

Here are some of my photo highlights of this day:

This stretch of the original Lincoln Highway brick road is right outside of Minerva, Ohio.
Built in 1805, the Old Stone House, is one of Ohio’s oldest buildings.
This bridge abutment is all that is left of the original bridge that used to cross the Lincoln Highway. Today it is now a scenic overlook (looking at Ohio from West Virginia).
View of the Ohio River from Chester, West Virginia.
The world’s largest Teapot: Chester, West Virginia.
Some other old remnants of the original route near Cindel Road.
This is a Mural in Robertsville, Ohio of what their downtown would have looked like in the 1920’s. Those buildings still exist, but are used for different functions now.
View of the Palace theatre from stage right. This theatre was built in the 1920’s.
Had a little fun with color on this one-this is one of the dressing rooms at the Palace theatre.
Detail of one of the theatre chairs.

THURSDAY:

Thursday was our final day of the conference, which included seminars and our final dinner/awards ceremony.  I spent most of my day connecting with people, meeting about the Centennial plans for the conference and how I will be involved with the upcoming celebration in Nebraska next year.   This view was magnificent from the roof at the Canton Club, which was where our final banquet took place.  Here’s a few photos of that view from the 14th floor.

Again, I had a fabulous time performing and being a part of the conference this year!  I hope everyone makes it home safely, and I will see you all soon.

Greetings from Canton!

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I’m here in Canton, Ohio for the 2012 Lincoln Highway Association conference, and all I can say is wow, what a night last night!

I had the honor to start the festivities off after invocation last night at dinner with a few songs from next year’s program.  I am still floored by the response from over 130 people in attendance last night. Everyone had a good time, and were smiling and singing along. Thank you again to the Ohio Lincoln Highway League and the Ohio Lincoln Highway Historic Byway for letting me be a part of your conference this year.

We shot video of my performance last night, and plan to put up excerpts after the conference is over, so stay tuned for that! In the meantime, I plan to post daily about the conference with pictures and words, so check back often for those posts. If you are in the Canton area, attending the conference, I have a table in the book room this year.  Please stop by to say hello!  I’ll also have an advance copy of last night’s songs for sale for $5, and you can’t beat that.

Here are a few picture highlights from yesterday:

President Lincoln and I met yesterday afternoon, and he bought a copy of my CD!
Here is a view of my booth for this year’s conference.
Me in my full costume prior to performance.
A big thanks to Paul Gilger for accompanying me last night. I couldn’t have done it without him!
Me with in costume at my table this year.
So glad to see a good friend and colleague Brian Butko last night at the conference! I know he is a busy man.

Getting ready for the 2012 LHA conference!

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I got back from Mongolia on Monday afternoon, and I’m still a little jet lagged still but all in all doing very well.  It was a fantastic trip, and I look forward to sharing some of the highlights with you all after I’ve sorted through the 1,500 photos, videos and audio recordings I made while I was there.

No rest for the weary though-I hit the ground running when I came back.  I am very honored and pleased to officially say that I will be performing for the opening night dinner of this year’s 2012 Lincoln Highway Conference in Canton, Ohio.  I will be singing a few songs to give everyone a small taste of what people can expect when I take the program on the road in 2013.  I look forward to seeing everyone that I met in Lake Tahoe last year, as well as making new friends at this year’s conference.

If you can’t make it to the opening dinner or conference this year to hear these tracks, do not fear!  I am selling a special advance preview CD with five tracks on it for $5 at the conference (Look for my table in the book room and come and say hi!), and after the conference is over I will have a special link where you can purchase the CD (additional shipping costs will apply).

Like last year, I will be posting photos from the conference as well as giving written updates from the road. We will also try to get video of my performance as well so you all can finally see me sing, so stay tuned for that.

Safe travels to my LHA colleagues, and I look forward to seeing you all next week in Canton!

A Journey of a Different Sort

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Happy May everyone!

While this website is mostly going to be about anything related to the Songline and anything Lincoln Highway related, I do have other journeys that I will be taking soon that are not in the realm of hitting the open road. I feel that every journey we take, we must take it so that we are ready for the next one that lies ahead.

In eleven days, I will be embarking on a trip to a part of the world that has minimal roads, hundreds of miles of arid steppe, and horse is still used as the main form of transport in the countryside.  I will be going to Mongolia for 20 days as a belated birthday present to myself (my birthday was last November).

Most people when they hear I’m undertaking a trip here either say “That’s awesome! I would love to go!” or I hear, “Why?” with a interesting tone of confusion in their voice. There’s no middle ground on people’s opinions of me taking this trip, either they love or hate the idea. I have many reasons for going, but for me this trip is all about getting out of my comfort zone and seeing a place that tourists don’t go.  Seeing a place where the way of life is not “Westernized”. I will be on a tour with 7 other people, and we will have a guide who will interpret as needed (to see some photos people took on their trips with this company, click here).

I first learned more about the beauty of this place through the book and documentary called “Long Way Round”. In 2004, actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rode their motorcycles from London to New York across Eurasia and North America and it changed their lives.  One of the best quotes from the book came from Ewan while they were staying in Mongolia about seven weeks into their trip:

“Before we left London, I thought I was going to miss knowing what was going on in the world, but I realised that day, as I listened to the wind whistling round my ger (Cece’s note: this is like a yurt in American terms), that being completely out of touch was one of the glories of the trip. We’d travelled a third of the way around the world on the back of three bikes; people’s faces had changed, their homes had changed, the way they led their lives and what they believed in were different. But with everything that was going on in the world at that time, if we hadn’t been so isolated we might have easily have travelled through these countries without becoming aware that ultimately we are all the same: we all love our kids, we all need somewhere to sleep and some food. We all want the same things; the world isn’t that big a place.” –Ewan McGregor

My brain can’t still fully comprehend all of what lies ahead, but I know in my heart that this trip will shape the journey I will take across the US next year.

I leave you with this famous Mongolian saying, “While your father is alive, make as many friends as you can, and while your horse is alive, visit as many lands as you can.”

Bayartai! Sain yavaarai!

Song of the week sung by yours truly: "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life"

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Can you believe it’s almost April!  Time has flown this month. I’ve been working with a great coach on a demo to sell/market the singing travelogue, and I thought I’d share this track with you today!

Today’s song sung by me is: “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life”.

This song comes from the operetta “Naughty Marietta” by Victor Herbert which first premiered in 1910.  The Utah Historical Archive told me this song appeared on a January 23,

1930 music program for the Chamber of Commerce in Salt Lake City.  Seeing the 20 year gap from the premiere to the performance in Utah, you can see the song had wonderful staying power.

For those of us who weren’t alive during at this point in history, I’ve heard various comments from people like: “it sounds like music from a Bugs Bunny cartoon” or “I’ve heard this music before, but didn’t know there were actually words to it!”  Overall, those who have heard me sing this piece really like it, and for me it definitely speaks to the sentiments of the time.

Let me know what you think!

Song of the week: “Manhattan”

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For those of you new to the Lincoln Highway’s history, the Eastern Terminus of the highway is in Times Square in New York City. Whether drivers were heading eastbound or westbound, this little part of New York made a big impact on all of their journeys.

“Garrick Gaieties” was a musical revue that gave Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart there first commercial success in 1925. This revue parodied topics of the day, and was so popular two more shows followed this revue in 1926 and 1930. This team went on to write many memorable songs together including:  “My Funny Valentine“, “The Lady is a Tramp“, “Falling in Love with Love“, and “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered“.

Today’s piece is an instrumental version of “Manhattan”, the biggest hit from the first revue and part of the “Great American Songbook” (there’s a few different links to various non-profits that are trying to preserve the songs on the Wikipedia page I linked to).

I love the pictures that accompany this version, and the orchestra does a great job. I’m so impressed by this recording, and I hope you will enjoy it too!