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An American Songline

Journeys in Vintage Music with Cecelia Otto

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Cecelia Otto

Authentic History Should Not Be Silenced

April 1, 2025 by Cece

The work I’ve spent over a decade building is now at risk—and I’m asking for your help.

Dear Friends,

This is one of the hardest messages I’ve ever had to write.

For over a decade, I’ve dedicated my life to preserving and sharing American history through music. While I enjoy singing those historic songs that everyone knows, my work shines a light on songs and stories often left out of the narrative—especially those of women and marginalized voices. But right now, I’m heartbroken and, honestly, deeply discouraged.

Since the change in the federal administration this year, I’ve lost work due to paused funding. Programs I’ve collaborated with are disappearing. Institutions I rely on—like the NEA, IMLS, and the Great American Songbook Foundation—are being defunded or dismantled. People talk about how much they trust museums and libraries in this polarized time… but those are under attack, too.

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) views my work—and the work of so many artists and historians—as wasteful or unimportant. But it’s not. It matters.

Five years ago at the start of the pandemic, I felt more support than I do now. But now? My monthly Patreon income has dropped by 30% in 2025, even as my costs rise. Some historic sites I partner with can’t even use the word “woman” in a grant application. I’ve seen proposals denied—not for lack of merit, but because we dared to center women’s voices in the story of our country.

It’s absurd. It’s harmful. It’s cruel.

One version of history is being held up as the only truth, while everything else is being erased. That’s not just inaccurate—it invalidates the work I do. And it threatens the stories I’ve spent years reviving and sharing with communities across the country.

I’ve performed in 25 states—often in rural areas, small-town libraries, and historic sites where these stories don’t otherwise get told. If I can’t continue this work, these songs and stories—especially in underserved communities—simply won’t be heard. That loss goes far beyond me. It means a quieter, less truthful version of our past takes root in its place.

My dream for 2026 was to perform in all 50 states—bringing these stories to audiences across the country during our nation’s 250th anniversary. I’ve been building toward this for years. But now, I’m honestly not sure if I’ll be able to make it happen.

Still, I believe in the power of this work. And if there’s a way forward, I want to find it—with your help.

If you believe in what I do, here’s how you can help:

  • Support me on Patreon or Ko-fi
    NOTE: I’ve seen others use their Patreon funds to hire assistants. Not me. Every dollar goes directly to me and the preservation of this work.
  • Book or recommend a concert
  • Forward this message to someone who cares about truth, culture, and community
  • Regardless of your political affiliation, call your representatives. Tell them that what I and so many others do in our communities is not wasteful. Demand these programs be reinstated.

I still believe that music has the power to connect us. I still believe every voice in our history deserves to be heard. I want to keep singing and preserving America’s history through song and story—and historic sites want to continue being essential cultural spaces.

But I can’t do it without you.
We can’t do it without you.

With love and music,
Cece

Filed Under: History, Music Tagged With: Cecelia Otto, Great American Songbook Foundation, history, IMLS, libraries, museums, Music, music history, NEA, research, women's history

“Songs of World War I” Is Officially Endorsed

April 4, 2018 by Cece

The “Songs of World War I” program has received an amazing honor!

I am thrilled to announce that my current project, “Songs of World War I,” has been officially endorsed by the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission. This means the Commission considers my project to be a valuable contribution to their efforts to commemorate those Americans who served in the war or contributed to the war effort, and to highlight this overlooked period of history for modern Americans.

I am confirming performances for this year and next, so check the Shows link to see my newest confirmed dates. And as always, if you know of an event or venue that would be a good fit for me, feel free to reach out. Thank you for all your support!

Filed Under: World War One Tagged With: Cecelia Otto, history, U.S., USA, veteran, World War I, World War One, World War One Centennial, WWI

The American Songline CD is now available – get your copy today!

March 25, 2015 by Cece

Lincoln Highway, Journey, Music

Hello, hello American Songline fans everywhere! I realize I have been quiet for some time, but I have been hard at work in the studio with the CD and book commemorating my 2013 journey in my new home state of Oregon. But that hard work has now all paid off…

The American Songline CD is now available for purchase!!

This amazing cover art was designed by John H. Clark, an artist who specializes in creating vintage artwork for the National Parks in Utah (http://scenichwys.com/). We not only wanted this to look like a piece of vintage sheet music, but it also incorporates historic buildings along the Lincoln Highway as well.

For those of you who are new to this project, here are a few notes about the album:

From the 1880s to the 1930s, when most towns had a theater and live music was a staple of weekly entertainment, people across America gathered to enjoy the sounds of vaudeville: popular favorites, operetta and folk songs that reflect the hopes and dreams of a simpler time. In An American Songline: A Musical Journey Along the Lincoln Highway, vocalist and composer Cecelia “Cece” Otto reaches back to the heyday of vaudeville to recreate the music that entertained Americans from coast to coast, singing songs of love and longing that have lost none of their power to enchant listeners of all ages.

In 2013, she underwent a history-making journey along the Lincoln Highway, America’s first coast-to-coast highway, giving concerts of vintage American songs in every state along the route. An American Songline features many of the songs Cece performed at these concerts, including timeless favorites such as “Second Hand Rose,” “Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life,” “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” and “Goin’ Home.” In addition, composer Nolan Stolz (The Lincoln Highway Suite) composed two works especially for this project, which appear exclusively on this album. Lastly, Cece wrote several new songs inspired directly by her travels, including the elegiac and inspirational “Land of Lincoln.”

The Lincoln Highway celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013, and Cece marked this milestone by journeying more than 5,000 miles along the road, starting at the highway’s eastern terminus in Times Square and ending in Lincoln Park, San Francisco. Over the course of nearly six months on the road, she performed more than 30 shows in venues ranging from a nineteenth-century opera house to the grounds of a historic farm. An American Songline is an audio souvenir of this journey, reflecting the songs audiences loved along with insights — and humor — picked up from traveling far from the interstates most Americans rely on to cross the country.

“From the beginning, American Songline was going to be an album, as well as a series of concerts,” says Cece. “I wanted to leave a record of my journey for people who weren’t able to see a concert. I truly believe that history lives in our music, not just our history books, and I hope anyone interested in this era gives this album a try and enjoys it.”

BUT WAIT! There’s more to come  – a book chronicling my journey will be released in May, and I’ll be out on the road touring again this summer! Definitely subscribe to my newsletter below or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube so you don’t miss a thing. Hope to see you on the road!

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Filed Under: Lincoln Highway, Music Tagged With: American Songline, CD, Cece Otto, Cecelia Otto, Female Singer, John Clark, Journey, Lincoln Highway, Music, Operetta, Secondhand Rose, Singing, Vaudeville, vintage

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Relive the Struggle for Women’s Rights

An American Songline: Centennial of Suffrage is now available to purchase, featuring lyrics for 14 suffrage anthems, as well as Cecelia Otto's notes and commentary..

PURCHASE NOW »

Upcoming Tour & Show Dates

Come see Cece perform live! See if she’ll be performing near you in the near future.

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