Sing-a-long History with Lloyd H. Miller

Lloyd H. Miller plays some of his tunes related to the New York City subway and tells some of the history behind the great mass transit system.  Included songs: Big Trip (from Lloyd's album, S.S. Brooklyn) Bluebird > Redbird, Redbird > Reef (from the Deedle Deedle Dees' Strange Dees, Indeed) I Needed Somebody to Pick Me Up Along the Way (working title, new song in progress) lloydhmiller.com thedeedledeedledees.com  

Lloyd finally delivers a follow-up to his Activists in American History episode AND intros a new format for Sing-a-long History - The Podcast.  In the first four episodes, Lloyd played songs on a theme and told stories about each. Starting with this episode, he'll tell one story and play songs to support it.  Here he tells the story of Civil Rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer, a woman famous for singing hymns at marches and other social justice events. He sings his own related songs as well as some tunes she used to sing herself.  Songs you'll hear:  When We Sing Together (L. Miller) This Little Light of Mine (trad, arranged by L. Miller) Woke Up this Morning (trad, new arrangement and lyrics by L. Miller) Amazing Grace (trad, lyrics by J. Newton)  Lucy & Fannie (L. Miller)   Further reading / listening / watching:  An illustrated book for kids: Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Ekua Holmes   Some books for grown-ups: Senator and the Sharecropper: The Struggles of James O. Eastland and Fannie Lou Hamer by Chris Myers Asch This Little Light of Mine: The Life of Fannie Lou Hamer by Kay Mills   some albums you gotta hear:  Fannie Lou Hamer - Songs My Mother Taught Me Voices of the Civil Rights Movement: Black American Freedom Songs 1960-1966 Movement Soul, Vol 2: Black History, Spoken Word & Music   some movies you should check out: Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Movement (a multi-volume documentary) The Black American Experience: Famous Human Rights Crusaders: Ida B. Wells & Fannie Lou Hamer  

Lloyd plays studio tracks from his albums inspired by activists in American History and tells the stories behind them. Part 1 of a two-part activist episode.  New on this episode: Lloyd's first-ever guest on the Sing-a-long History podcast! Lloyd chats with 7th grade teacher Ale Checka about the work and legacy of Cesar Chavez. Some topics Lloyd covers on this episode: - Sojourner Truth - abolitionism - Women's Rights - the fight for the right to vote for women - segregation - Ida B. Wells - Lynching - Activist Journalism - The Black Panthers - Cesar Chavez - migrant worker rights - the origins of the expression "¡Sí Se Puede!" - Harriet Hanson Robinson - The Lowell Mill Strike of 1836       Studio tracks on this episode: Sojourner Truth - The Deedle Deedle Dees Time Machine - The Deedle Deedle Dees featuring the IMPACT Repertory Theatre Do the Turnout - The Deedle Deedle Dees   Live tracks on this episode:  Theme song of the First Michigan Colored Regiment ¡Sí Se Puede! (the Deedle Deedle Dees song played live by Lloyd) I Cannot Be a Slave (Lloyd's daughter and her friend sing this song that was sung by the Lowell Mill girls during their 1836 strike based on the music hall song "I Won't Be a Nun")   This podcast is a companion to Sing-a-long History, Lloyd'd new series of albums that use music to teach history. The first volume of the series came out in the spring of 2015. It's called. Sing-a-long History Vol I: Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! It's an intro to the Civil War, abolitionism, and the Underground Railroad for kids. The other volumes of the series will explore a variety of other historical topics. Lloyd is the founder and frontman of the Deedle Deedle Dees, the critically acclaimed band known for their songs inspired by history, science, folklore, and literature. Volume II of the Sing-a-long History album series will be the first Dees record since 2011. It's scheduled for a fall 2015 or winter 2016 release (but singles and videos will definitely start arriving before the end of 2015).   lloydhmiller.com           

Lloyd's podcasts are like sitting in a room with him while he plays songs from his records -- and live on whatever instrument he happens to be holding -- and talks, at length, about them.  In Episode 3, Part 2 of a 2-part episode loosely organized around the topic of the Underground Railroad, Lloyd uses songs and conversations in an attempt to connect: - Harriet Tubman - Martin Luther King - the guy in Do the Right Thing who sells photos of Martin and Malcolm - Gandhi - the SCOTUS same-sex marriage decision - Henry Ward Beecher  - Hank Aaron - Dan Savage - Babe Didrickson - Emma Watson - slave spirituals - hunting dogs - Moses - Lazarus - Noah - Jim Crow laws - recent cases of police and prison brutality - the Titanic On this episode, the third in his Sing-a-long History Podcast, Lloyd plays studio tracks and performs a few live tunes as he continues to discuss the Underground Railroad and its legacy. Lloyd's first three podcasts are all connected to his album, Sing-a-long History Vol I: Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! This album is the first volume of the Sing-a-long History series, a collection of albums that use music to teach kids about history. It's an intro to the Civil War, abolitionism, and the Underground Railroad for kids. The other volumes of the series will explore a variety of other historical topics. Studio tracks on this podcast: Do the Tub-Tub-Tubman, Ah-Ahimsa, Keep the Hate Mail Comin' Live tracks on this podcast: Wade in the Water, Mary, Don't You Weep + excerpts of If You Miss Me From the Back of the Bus and The Ship Titanic Be sure to check out the PDF curriculum guide included with this podcast. It has the complete lyrics to all the songs on Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! plus background info on the songs, lesson plans, reading lists, and more. Lloyd is the founder and frontman of the Deedle Deedle Dees, the critically acclaimed band known for their songs inspired by history, science, folklore, and literature. Volume II of the Sing-a-long History album series will be the first Dees record since 2011.  lloydhmiller.com 

Lloyd H. Miller plays his studio tracks, tells stories about them, and explores the background of the tunes he sings. On this episode, only the second in his Sing-a-long History Podcast, he focuses on the Underground Railroad songs that appear on Sing-a-long History Vol I: Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! This album is the first volume of the Sing-a-long History series, a collection of albums that use music to teach kids about history. It's an intro to the Civil War, abolitionism, and the Underground Railroad for kids. The other volumes of the series will explore a variety of other historical topics.  This is Part 1 of a two-part Underground Railroad episode.  This podcast is like sitting in a room with Lloyd listening to the album. He'll play a track, talk about it, pull out his guitar and sing a related song that comes to mind, play another track, talk about his inspiration for writing it...  Studio tracks on this podcast: Follow the Drinking Gourd, Henry Box Brown, Trapped in the Attic Live concert recording on this podcast: Tub-Tub-Ma-Ma-Ga-Ga by the Deedle Deedle Dees live at Symphony Space NYC Be sure to check out the PDF curriculum guide included with this podcast. It has the complete lyrics to all the songs on Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! plus background info on the songs, lesson plans, reading lists, and more. Lloyd is the founder and frontman of the Deedle Deedle Dees, the critically acclaimed band known for their songs inspired by history, science, folklore, and literature. Volume II of the Sing-a-long History album series will be the first Dees record since 2011.  lloydhmiller.com

Lloyd H. Miller plays his studio tracks, tells stories about them, plays other related songs live, and just generally goes deep, exploring the background of the tunes he sings.  On this first episode, he focuses on the Civil War soldier songs that appear on Sing-a-long History Vol I: Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! This album is the first volume of the Sing-a-long History series, a collection of albums that use music to teach kids about history. It's an intro to the Civil War, abolitionism, and the Underground Railroad for kids. The other volumes of the series will explore a variety of other historical topics.  This podcast is like sitting in a room with Lloyd listening to the album. He'll play a track, talk about it, pull out his guitar and sing a related song that comes to mind, play another track, talk about his inspiration for writing it...  Studio tracks on this podcast: John Brown, Tenting on the Old Campground, Marching Through Georgia Live tracks on this podcast: John Brown's Body (excerpt), Battle Hymn of the Republic (excerpt), Goober Peas, Dixie (AKA Dixie's Land) Be sure to check out the PDF curriculum guide included with this podcast. It has the complete lyrics to all the songs on Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! plus background info on the songs, lesson plans, reading lists, and more. Lloyd is the founder and frontman of the Deedle Deedle Dees, the critically acclaimed band known for their songs inspired by history, science, folklore, and literature. Volume II of the Sing-a-long History album series will be the first Dees record since 2011.  lloydhmiller.com