In 2013, singer and writer Cecelia Otto traveled the Lincoln Highway from one end of the country to the other, giving concerts of vaudeville-era music in every state she passed through. Her goal on this one-of-a-kind "singing travelogue": to recreate the music that had once rang out in concert halls across America, reconnecting with the hopes and dreams of a simpler time. Along the way, she met new friends with a shared love of the history along America's original coast-to-coast highway. She discovered how life has changed since the road was founded in 1913 - and also saw firsthand that Main Street, U.S.A. is alive and well in the 21st century. In An American Songline, Cece recounts her incredible adventure state by state. Follow her on a journey from Times Square in New York to Lincoln Park in San Francisco ... a journey in which history and music come together to document and preserve a cherished part of American life.
About the Author: Cecelia Otto (AKA "Cece") is a classically trained singer, composer, educator, and author. This ends up being too long to write on letterhead and business cards, so she chooses to call herself a "Professional Artistic Journeywoman". Her education background in the arts is exemplary. She has earned an Interdepartmental Dual Masters Degree in Vocal Performance and Composition from the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. Ms. Otto is the only recipient of this degree in the University's history. Her studies have also taken her to Cork, Ireland where she studied the Irish language and Irish Traditional music at the University College Cork where she she focused on Irish Studies. At Macalester College, in St. Paul, she also obtained two Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Music and Linguistics. She has taught Music at both the University and Community College levels, and has also had private students in voice. Cecelia is a classically trained Mezzo-Contralto who has performed in venues all over the world as both a soloist and in ensemble. Her Masters' recital has amassed hundreds of CD sales. She has composed over ten classical music pieces which were performed live in Denver, CO and in St. Paul, MN. Cecelia was also accepted into two weekend residencies with the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, IL for memoir and travel writing. She has done academic research in in such topics as Bilingualism in Music, Epicene Pronouns, and Agency and Authorship in Contemporary Music. When not performing, Cecelia is a crowdfunding consultant for people all over the United States. She also donates her time to helping others in the gluten-free community. She has lived and traveled all over the world, but currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband and friendly talkative cat.