“The American Songbag is a ragbag of strips, stripes, and streaks of color from nearly all ends of the earth. The melodies and verses presented here are from diverse regions, from varied human characters and communities, and each is sung differently in different places.” - Carl Sandburg

So begins Carl Sandburg’s introduction to his groundbreaking collection of American folk song, The American Songbag. The anthology would redefine American notions of folk music…”

“In the first half of the 20th century, as The Great Migration saw waves of Black Americans journey from South to North, Chicago became an important cultural center for Black American classical music. The combination of a robust independent music infrastructure that developed in the city’s “Black Belt” on the South Side as a result of segregation, and the relative progressiveness of the world-class music conservatories in the Loop that admitted Black students, made Chicago an important mecca for African American classical musicians. Black musicians from all over the country came to study at institutions like the American Conservatory of…”