The State of Song: “My Old Kentucky Home” Faces a Changing World
Kentucky to the World proudly presents a unique family and student-friendly event on Sunday, Oct. 23, featuring a dynamic combination of live musical performances, audience engagement and conversation featuring Harry Pickens, Ben Sollee, Hannah Drake and Emily Bingham as part of the Republic Bank Foundation Speaker Series.
A reception with some delicious bites will kick off the event at 4 p.m. in the North Lobby followed by the live program at 5 p.m. in the Kentucky Center’s Bomhard Theater.
This conversation will examine the role of “My Old Kentucky Home” as the song that represents our state, and thus ourselves, from its problematic roots to its modern disconnect.
By combining their musical interactions with lively on-stage conversation and audience participation, this program seeks to begin the conversation about how we can work together towards rewriting Kentucky’s song to the world.
The Musical Hosts
An award-winning musician, author, composer, educator and life transformation coach, Harry Pickens is a global performer with a multi-faceted musical career that has featured collaborations with some of the world’s greatest jazz artists. Harry has received multiple honors including the Kentucky Governor’s Awards In The Arts and the Fund for the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award.
Hannah Drake is a blogger, podcast host, activist, public speaker, poet, author of 11 books. She serves as the Chief Creative Officer at IDEAS xLab and co-lead artist of the (Un)Known Project, which seeks to discover the hidden names and stories of Black people who were enslaved in Kentucky and beyond. She writes commentary on politics, feminism, and race, and her writing has been featured online at Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, The Bitter Southerner, The Lily, Harper’s Bazaar, and Revolt TV. Her work has been recognized by Colin Kaepernick, Ava DuVernay, and The New York Times.
An American cellist, singer-songwriter, composer and producer, Kentuckian Ben Sollee has distinguished himself as a multi-faceted creative, blurring the lines between music, technology and activism over the last two decades. In addition to his highly praised studio records and growing career as an Emmy Award-winning composer, Ben is known for his social and environmental advocacy to protect people and the land.
The Conversation Host
Louisville native and writer Emily Bingham, Ph.D., has explored the impact of ideas in the U.S. and the society through her written works across multiple genres including gender, politics and religion. Most recently, as author of My Old Kentucky Home, Emily unearths how the official state song of Kentucky has woven itself into the bloodstream of American life and through its 21st century reassessment.
Community members of all ages are invited to experience this one-of-a-kind program on Sunday, Oct. 23.
Tickets are on sale now for purchase here at $30 per adult. Tickets for students of all ages are free of charge thanks to the support of the Bass Family Foundation. College, technical school, or other higher education students must show a valid student ID, with a limit of two free tickets per ID. Student tickets can be redeemed in advance at the Kentucky Performing Arts Drive-Thru window, open Monday through Friday, from 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM. The entrance to the drive-thru is located on Main St, between 5th and 6th streets. Tickets can also be redeemed the day of the event starting at 4PM, in person at the box office.
