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An American Songline

Journeys in Vintage Music with Cecelia Otto

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Tour

A New World War One Album and a Call to Action

May 2, 2016 by Cece

Hello, hello American Songline followers!

I can’t believe May of 2016 is here. This year has disappeared so fast. After I finished performing last fall (I was on tour for several months last year promoting the American Songline book and CD), I took some time to relax and spend time with my family. During that time, regrouped to figure out what was next. I knew I wanted to do a new program on a theme like my Lincoln Highway program, but I wasn’t sure where to start. And then it came to me.

In 1917 and 1918, our nation changed forever when it entered into the First World War. More than a hundred thousand Americans fought and died in this often-overlooked period of our history, and I knew I had to share their songs and stories. I am proud to announce that I will be going back into the studio this year to record all these songs in their original sheet music as they were intended to be heard, and I plan on performing them live across the country in 2017 and 2018.

I have chosen a wide range of songs for the upcoming shows, including patriotic songs like ‘Keep the Home-Fires Burning’ and ‘It’s a Long, Long Way to Tipperary.’ Some other songs poked fun at military life, like ‘Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning’ and ‘How Ya Gonna Keep ‘em Down on the Farm.’ But it’s not all marching songs; I will also include sentimental songs on the album like ‘Till We Meet Again’ and ‘The Rose of No Man’s Land’.

And now, this is where you come in.

WWI-CD-Cover

The grassroots effort for my first project was the backbone of my tour, album, and CD. It was as amazing as it was because of the contributions of the people and communities I came through. Because of you!

Producing an album not only takes time, it also takes money. A typical album by today’s standards is roughly 45-60 minutes with about 10-12 songs. But due to the recording technologies of the time, songs were much shorter than they are now. To make a full-length album, I need around 15-20 songs to get around that 45-minute mark. To help with these production costs, I will be running a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo for the month of May.

All funds will go strictly to the producing of the album, which includes the studio production expenses and piano accompanist’s fees. Cover art as well as any fees to publish the album on CD Baby are also included in this funding goal. If I exceed my $3,000 funding goal, I will record an additional WWI tune for every $500 raised.

The perks of this campaign include digital and/or physical copies of the album, as well as autographed copies of my American Songline book and album. International donors are welcome and I’ve got various rewards at all tiers, including the chance for you to sing on the album with me, so check them all out!

Here’s the link to donate: https://igg.me/at/songsofWW1.

To read my press release, click here.

I love sharing America’s history through song, and I hope you’ll join me in having this music brought back to life again. Thank you for all of your support over the years, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Filed Under: Crowdfunding, Grassroots, Indiegogo, Music, Research, World War One Tagged With: Album, Announcement, crowdfunding, Indiegogo, Music, New, Tour, World War One

The Tour is Officially Complete, Plus I Have a Special Announcement!

September 3, 2013 by Cece

I am pleased to announce that as of September 1st, my historic American Songline tour along the Lincoln Highway is officially complete! In almost six months of touring, I performed 30 shows (plus some impromptu ones) in various venues along the Lincoln Highway. My car is full of things collected along the highway, and my mind is overflowing with so many memories of this time on the road. The next steps of writing the book and music for the album are starting to take form, so watch this blog for more posts and announcements this year!

A few people have asked me how I feel about reaching this accomplishment, and I have to admit it’s pretty bittersweet. While I’m relieved that I get to see my husband and cat again (I’ve missed them both so much) as well also being relieved that I don’t have to juggle so many balls in the air anymore, I also will miss being on the road. There’s been so many amazing people and places I’ve seen, I wish I could take it all with me.

I mentioned in Social Media posts over the weekend that I had a special announcement for all of the folks who attended the Livermore, California concert on Saturday. Now I’m sharing this announcement with all of you (see full text below after the picture):

SFO Proclamation

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Dated September 3rd, 2013 (Today, the first business day after the tour) from The City and County of San Francisco

Certificate of Honor Presented To Cecelia Otto

“Whereas, on behalf of the City and County of San Francisco, I am pleased to recognize and honor Cecelia Otto for her recent cross-country journey to commemorate the Lincoln Highway’s Centennial. When the Lincoln Highway was built in 1913, linking the east and west coasts, it served as a lifeline of commerce and culture in the communities through which it passed. Your musical journey along the Lincoln Highway, An American Songline, has brought this tradition back to life and brought joy to many across the country. Congratulations on the success of An American Songline and best of luck in all of your future endeavors!

Therefore, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City and County of San Francisco to be affixed.

(Signature) Edwin M. Lee, Mayor”

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I have to admit, I was pretty surprised and floored by this document. While my behind-the-scenes PR man Dan reached out to them, we didn’t know if the Mayor’s office would actually issue the proclamation until literally the day before the concert. It honestly didn’t hit me that this tour was going to be over until the moment I had this paper in hand and was reading it out loud to myself. I still stare at it now, and can’t believe this all has happened.

The next stage of this project officially starts now, and I want to thank all of you who have been along for the ride. I’m looking forward to sharing my stories of the road in song and in words, and I hope to see you all again very soon!

Filed Under: California, Life in General, Lincoln Highway Tagged With: California, Journey, Mayor, Next Steps, Proclamation, San Francisco, Tour

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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..

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