Overview

In 1934, the Great Depression had destroyed the US economy, leaving residents poverty-stricken. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt urged President Roosevelt to take radical action to help those hit hardest. They set up government homesteads in rural areas across the country, an experiment in cooperative living where people could start over. To boost morale and encourage the homesteaders to find community in their own traditions, the administration brought in artists to lead group activities--including folk music. Working almost entirely (and purposely) under the radar, the music unit would collect more than 800 songs and operate for nearly two years, until they were shut down under fire from a conservative coalition in Congress that deemed the entire homestead enterprise dangerously ""socialistic."" Despite its early demise, the music unit proved that music can provide hope and a sense of belonging even in the darkest times. It also laid the groundwork for the folk revival that followed. A Chance To Harmonize reveals this untold story and will delight listeners with the revelation of a new and previously undiscovered chapter in American cultural history.

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Sheryl Kaskowitz, PhD, is the author of God Bless America: The Surprising History of an Iconic Song, which won an ASCAP Deems Taylor Book Award for music writing. Her articles have been published in the New York Times, Slate, Bloomberg News, and other outlets. Kaskowitz earned her PhD in music with an ethnomusicology focus from Harvard in 2011 and completed her BA in music at Oberlin. She has served as a lecturer at Brandeis University and Brown University and lives with her family in Berkeley, California. Kim Ramirez is a second-generation Irish-Mexican originally from Texas. Her storytelling career has flourished in front of the camera, behind the mic, and on the stage. She grew up around bilingual working-class families where people met the challenges of life with laughter, wise cracks, and sometimes head cracks. But through a series of opportunities, she had the privilege of experiencing life among the upper echelons of society as well. This unique background allows Kim to seamlessly adapt to a wide spectrum of roles, from portraying dry comedic characters with a gritty edge to a powerful queen commanding a room. Her voice is characterized by authenticity, richness, and a deep well of knowledge as well as a sharp dryness. She takes particular pride in having narrated books across a few genres that have Queer and BIPOC characters as the leads, two communities dear to her heart. When not in her booth or in front of the camera, she's busy momin' it up: cooking, crafting, or raising hell.

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