About this Event
6:00 PM in the Music Department
Whistle While You Work is a four-part journey through the history of folk music and labor organizing in the United States! Guided by music educator Olivia Johnson, participants will listen to and sing labor songs and discuss the connections between work and music. Each session will focus on a different occupation, and the final session will be a creative songwriting workshop for participants to write their own labor songs. If you can't join us for all four sessions, feel free to come for just one!
What do factory workers and service workers have in common? In session #3 participants will find connections between these two kinds of work as we sing and play songs from the struggle to improve conditions in these industries. We will discuss the history of manufacturing and service and the impact of outsourcing on these industries today.
Presenter Bio
Born and raised in South Carolina, Olivia Johnson is a musician, educator, and organizer based in Philadelphia. They are a classically trained Soprano and a self-taught autoharpist with a passion for keeping old music alive. Olivia’s dedication to justice and social change has led them to work with a variety of organizations including the Urban Leaders Fellowship, the Strother School of Radical Attention, Leadership for Educational Equity, and Spiral Q. You can learn more and listen to Olivia’s original music at olivialynne.bandcamp.com, or find them on Instagram @olivia_autoharp.
Event venue & nearby stays
Parkway Central Library, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, United States
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