About Cecelia Otto Media Contact

After her history-making journey along the Lincoln Highway in 2013, An American Songline® creator Cecelia Otto embarks on her next adventure: a program of songs commemorating America’s involvement in World War I. About May 2016 — For immediate release Cecelia Otto News Hook: With the centennial of America’s entry into World War I coming in 2017, 21st-century vaudeville Cecelia Otto (AKA “Cece”) is a classically trained singer, composer, and author singer Cecelia Otto will commemorate the anniversary who has performed in venues all over the with an album and concert tour of songs from the era, world as both a soloist and in ensemble. performed in her proven crowd-pleasing style. In 2013, she completed her cross-country musical journey An American Songline, In 2017, Portland-area singer and composer Cecelia “Cece” Otto performing 30 concerts of vintage music will embark on her newest project: recreating the music that enter- on venues along America’s first transcon- tained America as it went to war. Otto will commemorate the 100th tinental road, the Lincoln Highway. She anniversary of America’s entry into World War I with an album of has written a book and recorded an album standards (tentatively titled An American Songline: Songs of World War based on her travels. She is an in-demand I) popular in the mid-teens, which she plans to record this summer for performer and crowdfunding consultant release next year. who tours all over the U.S., and donates To finance the recording, Otto is launching a fundraising drive on popular crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. The campaign begins May her time to help others in the gluten-free 2, 2016, and runs for thirty days. community. Following the release of the album, Otto is planning a concert tour aimed to help modern-day Americans remember a simpler yet trou- bled time, when people turned to popular songs for relief from their Media Contact worries and fears. “Bringing history to life through music is my calling,” she says. Amy Ostigny “You can learn so much about a place and time through its songs, and (513) 403-0301 the songs people sang during World War I really speak to the patrio- [email protected] tism, the determination and the fears everyone felt at the time.” A 21st-Century Vaudeville Star along America’s first transcontinen- Is Born tal road. America in Singing vintage music is noth- “This isn’t a travel diary; it’s not, ing new to Otto. In 2013, she ‘I ate a sandwich and then played World War I created An American Songline, an a concert,’” Otto jokes. “It’s about the journey and the people. My outlet for the singer to perform, Sparked in 1914 by the assassination of travel, write and share historical time on the road was something Archduke Franz Ferdinand, World War I music across the country. That year, lots of people dream of doing and the classically trained vocalist and I wanted to give them that experi- pitted the Allied powers of France, Russia composer celebrated the 100th an- ence through my book.” and Great Britain against the Central niversary of the Lincoln Highway, Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. America’s first cross-country road, A New Project While the United States attempted to by traveling it from one end to the Once her book and album maintain neutrality, the country was other, performing concerts in every were complete, Otto cast her sights pulled into the conflict in April 1917 and state along the way. about for her next project. It didn’t fought with the Allies until the Armistice take her long to come up with the in November 1918. Recording Her Travels right idea. “The songs of World Her album, An American Song- War I just fit perfectly,” she says. line: A Musical Journey Along the “I learned a lot about singing the Lincoln Highway, was released in music of that era for the original March 2015. The album included American Songline project, so it many of the standards enjoyed by was right up my alley. There was audiences on her tour, including the anniversary of America enter- “Secondhand Rose,” “In My Merry ing the war coming up, so I knew Oldsmobile” and her crowd- there’d be an audience out there and ‘It’s a Long, Long Way to Tip- pleasing singalong finale, “When that was ready to hear it. And perary.’ Some songs poked fun at You’re Smiling.” I’ve really come to see myself as military life, like ‘Oh! How I Hate She also put her compositional someone who uses music to bring to Get Up in the Morning’ and talents to work writing several new history to life, and I think the story ‘How Ya Gonna Keep ‘em Down songs inspired by her journey, in- of World War I is something all on the Farm.’ cluding the jaunty “I Always Wear Americans should know about.” “Something else I noticed when My Amber Shades” and the elegiac Otto has chosen a wide range of I was researching the music of this “Land of Lincoln.” songs for the upcoming shows. “Of period,” says Otto, “was this note Following the album’s re- course, there are a lot of patriotic of melancholy and longing in the lease, Otto published her book An songs that encouraged people to songs people sang. Sure, there were American Songline, a detailed, vivid join up and fight,” she notes, “songs the usual patriotic numbers, like account of her six-month journey like ‘Keep the Home-Fires Burning’ Indiegogo Campaign Cecelia Otto is financing her next album with a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com. Launching May 2, the campaign will run for 30 days with the goal of raising $3,000. This will allow her to record an album of 15 songs — and for each additional $500 she raises, she will record an extra tune. Project backers can also claim a variety of fun rewards, from a digital download of the album to a chance to sing backing vocals on a song. Her campaign can be reached by visiting https://igg.me/at/songsofWW1 ‘You’re a Grand Old Flag,’ and those or turn their dreams into reality, are great tunes. But there were also What Is a Songline? which is what crowdfunding is re- a lot of songs about absence and A songline is a trail followed by Austra- ally all about.” separation, about not knowing lian Aborigines, who follow these paths what the future was going to bring. singing songs that they believe bring Cross-Country Tour There’s a lot more to the songs of their ancestors back to life. Cecelia Otto Once the album is released in that time than just ‘Over There.’” learned of songlines and wanted to adapt early 2017, Otto will return to the the idea for America. She created An road, kicking off her national tour A Grassroots Effort American Songline in 2013 and in 2016, with a show in Portland, Oregon To raise the $3,000 needed to was granted a trademark for the term. the week of April 6, 2017, the 100th finance the recording of the al- anniversary of the United States bum, Otto is using crowdfunding officially entering the war. She is platform Indiegogo. “When I trav- But crowdfunding for her is currently in talks with museums eled across the country in 2013 for about more than the money. “Since and veterans’ associations across the original American Songline my first campaign,” she says, “I’ve the country, planning dates for her tour,” she explains, “I wanted it actually embarked on a second ca- performances. to remain a grassroots effort. So I reer as a crowdfunding consultant, “I can’t wait to get the album used Kickstarter and was able to and later this year, I’ll be publish- out there,” she says, “and then get raise more than $15,000. I want to ing my second book, The Ten back on stage, singing these songs.” maintain those close ties with my Commandments of Crowdfunding. I audience and involve them in this love the opportunity to help other n e w proj e c t .” people launch their businesses .

Load more