An American Songline

Journeys in Vintage Music with Cecelia Otto

2012 Opening performance

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!