Lewis-Houghton Initiative published in Music Educators Journal
The variety and innovation of the six awarded of the Lewis-Houghton Civics and Democracy Initiative (LHI) at the Library of Congress were recognized in a recent article written by Eileen Manchester, who oversees LHI for the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) unit at the Library of Congress.
“The Library of Congress’s vast holdings contain incredible musical primary sources that shed light on the past, prompt contemplation of the present, and spark imagination of possible futures. Bringing these materials to secondary students around the nation is a primary goal” of LHI, she wrote. “The grant projects are demonstrating many rich possibilities for inquiry at the intersection of the arts and civics, especially when combined with the power of primary sources.”
When Songmasters advocated and succeeded in obtaining the core appropriation from Congress to fund LHI, it was for the specific purpose of using music to bring the soundtrack of each generation to this generation of youth in America. Our part of LHI is through The American Road, a landmark initiative that will introduce American youth to history, civics and civic engagement in an innovative and compelling way as it moves seamlessly from the classroom into communities across the United States. It uses the power of music and, specifically, the power of historically important American songs, to capture the voices of each generation in creating the real story of America and to engage young people in creating the best next chapter – their chapter – for themselves and for our collective future.
