Testimonials

"I don't think there was an aspect of the trip I disliked. The travel, the camaraderie, the creativity; I loved being able to work with other people--'here's what I bring to the table, here's what you bring to the table'--and molding it all together into one cohesive tune or song or album. It was wild to sing a song (that I helped write!) at the end of the day and think 'this was just an idea literally 8 hours ago' and have it be real! And tangible! Not much beats that."

Clare Cahill  

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"The whole trip was amazing start to finish. It was so cool getting to write with other people and work with their creative processes. My issue is never actually FINISHING songs, but this trip is great because that is almost your only responsibility."

Jonathan Florence

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"It was so fun, but also deeply meaningful. Across the world, peoples of different cultural backgrounds continue to converge on American soil, seeking citizenship, and promises of freedom. All the while, we wonder: where is the heart of our home? What does it mean to be American: the good, and the bad alike. How do we atone for the past, while working in hope toward the future? What is this future together—is there a way to envision it together? What voices and visionaries have been left out before, and what voices and visionaries of the past are being too-quickly forgotten? What does it mean to live together today and what society are we building? These are the questions that drove us—to look for America.

Music and poetry has something important to contribute to civil and social identity. Our common narratives give us a story to tell together, and a vision to participate in. Stories are sung. At every baseball game, at every school assembly, we sing our common identity—we sing to feel at home. Sometimes these songs recall pain. But we still need songs. We still need things to share. Even in an age of internet, and constant mobility, we still need points of contact with identity, places and words that call us home to the family table. We hoped that our project would become a small part of offering songs for a homeland. “Americana”, in a sense that recalls images of the past, and musically creates a space of dwelling. What is more needed?"

Caroline Redick

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"It was super cool."

Samuel Corey