From "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing" to Rhapsody in Blue and Hamilton, the story of America is written not only in its laws and speeches but also in its music. In On the Record: Music That Changed America, award-winning scholar and storyteller Anna Harwell Celenza reveals how certain songs and compositions didn’t just mirror history—they made it. Across two centuries of American life, Celenza traces the extraordinary moments when music moved Congress, challenged power, and united people around shared ideals.
Through vivid storytelling and rich historical insight, On the Record reveals how the interplay between art and politics has defined the American experiment. Each chapter connects a groundbreaking musical work to the social and legislative changes it inspired—from civil rights to women’s liberation; environmental protection to digital freedom. Don’t miss the author’s remarkable musical presentation and discussion with veteran radio host Henry Santoro’s about this provocative and moving work of history.
Zoom Access
Click here to join the live broadcast: https://zoom.us/j/98424397844
The live broadcast will take place on December 2, 2026, 6:00-7:15p.m. Eastern Time. The program will be recorded, and registrants will receive a link to the video recording, which will be posted to this page.
Additional Information
Signed Books: Attendees who purchase the $48 bundled ticket will be mailed a signed (book-plated) copy of On the Record ($35 value), in addition to gaining access to the virtual program. Book(s) will be sent by our partners at Porter Square Books (Cambridge, Mass.) two weeks after event; via Priority Mail throughout the U.S., except in Massachusetts (Media Mail).
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.
Henry Santoro is a Host, Anchor, and Producer at GBH, the public radio station in Boston. He spent 30+ years working at Boston rock radio stations WMBR, WBCN, WFNX, and RadioBDC. In 2023, Mr. Santoro was inducted into the New England Music Hall of Fame as a broadcast and music historian. He reports owning approximately 25,000 albums & cds representing a great variety of music including rock, jazz, and American classics.