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!
In our final session, participants will learn about and discuss the labor conditions of modern gig workers and office workers and make connections to the impact of technology in labor past and present. We will reflect on the themes of the previous three sessions and brainstorm topics that are relevant to our lives today. Participants will be shown three simple melodies and will be given time to write their own lyrics with the opportunity to share at the end of the session. We hope that you will leave feeling inspired to continue writing and singing about your experiences!
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
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.