Book talk: “A Chance to Harmonize” with Sheryl Kaskowitz

Tuesday, July 16, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

The remarkable story of a hidden New Deal program that sought to transform America and end the Great Depression through folk music. It laid the foundation for the folk music revival and had a lasting impact on American culture.

By 1934, the Great Depression had devastated the American economy and left the population in poverty. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt urged President Roosevelt to take radical action to help those hardest hit—miners and mill workers in Appalachia stranded after factories closed, city dwellers with no hope of work, farmers whose land was no longer usable. They established government homesteads in rural areas across the country, an experiment in communal living where people could make a fresh start. To boost morale and encourage settlers to find community in their own traditions, the government brought in artists to lead group activities—including folk music.

As part of a musical group led by Charles Seeger (Pete’s father), staff member Sidney Robertson traveled the country recording hundreds of folk songs. Musical leaders, most notably Margaret Valiant, were sent to the homesteads to use the collected songs to foster community and cooperation. The musical group worked almost entirely (and intentionally) in secret, collecting more than 800 songs and was active for nearly two years until it was shut down under pressure from a conservative coalition in Congress that viewed the entire homesteading enterprise as dangerously “socialist.”

Despite their early demise, the musical group proved that music could provide hope and a sense of belonging even in the darkest of times. They also laid the foundation for the folk revival movement that followed, which saw the rise of artists such as Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Odetta and Bob Dylan.

Award-winning author and Harvard-trained American musicologist Sheryl Kaskowitz has had the unique opportunity to listen to the Music Unit’s entire recording collection and examine a wealth of archival materials, some of which have never been made available to the public before.

A Chance To Harmonize reveals this untold story and will delight readers by revealing a new and previously undiscovered chapter in American cultural history.

This event is free thanks to the support of our members. Become a KALW member today and get your first drink at all 220 Montgomery events at our expense.

See you there!

📍 220 Montgomery St., San Francisco, 2 blocks from BART/MUNI
🚪 Admission from 5 am
🗣️ Discussion starts at 6
🍕 Free snacks
🍷 Refreshments for donations
🆓 The event is free with an RSVP

Please note:

— The venue is located just to the left of the main entrance of the Mills Building at 220 Montgomery Street

— We recommend taking BART/MUNI, getting off at the Montgomery stop and walking two blocks north.

— Carpools can be dropped off and picked up directly in front of the venue

— If you are arriving by car, there are several garages within two blocks of the venue

KALW @ 220 Montgomery

18:00 – 17:30 on Tuesday, July 16, 2024