Anna Harwell Celenza: ON THE RECORD: Music That Changed America

You’re invited to an evening conversation about the intersection of music, politics, and culture with Anna Harwell Celenza, author of the new book On the Record: Music That Changed America.

From “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Billie Holiday’s haunting “Strange Fruit” to Paul Simon’s Graceland and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking Hamilton, Celenza explores moments where music wound its way through the halls of Congress, influencing decisions and reshaping culture. Each chapter highlights an iconic musical work, tracing its backstory, uncovering its connection to political debates and legislative actions, and in the process revealing it in a new light.

This book is perfect for many kinds of readers, and we’re really looking forward to sharing it with you. We’ll see you at Bird in Hand on March 27!

RSVP here!

Order ON THE RECORD: MUSIC THAT CHANGED AMERICA here.

Anna Harwell Celenza is a professor at Johns Hopkins University, holding a joint appointment at the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences and the Peabody Conservatory. She is also the author of eight children’s books. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.