In the second episode of the August Wilson series, Zoya takes us to Wilson’s childhood neighborhood the Hill District where we examine his childhood home that’s now a landmark, the restoration process of the home, and the changes that the neighborhood has gone through due to gentrification and the building of its new infrastructure. This episode features interviews from Dr. Ervin Dyer, a Hill resident himself, and Diael Thomas who serves as the Outreach and Engagement Curator for the August Wilson Archive within the University of Pittsburgh’s Library System.

Works Cited

August Wilson House, http://augustwilsonhouse.org. 

“August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand ~ August Wilson’s 10-Play Cycle: Scenes and 	Synopses.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 23 Dec. 2020,  

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/august-wilson-the-ground-on-which-i-stand-	scenes-and-synposes-of-august-wilsons-10-play-cycle/3701/.  

Bill Moyers, “August Wilson’s America: A Conversation with Bill Moyers,” American Theatre 	7.6 (1989): 14. 

Bogumil, Mary L. Understanding August Wilson. The University of South Carolina Press, 	2011.  

Dial, Thomas. Personal Interview. 3rd November 2023. 

Dyer, Ervin. Personal Interview. 7th November 2023. 

“Find Any Sound You Like.” Freesound, freesound.org/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2023. 

https://freesound.org/people/-CASK-/sounds/623288/ 

https://freesound.org/people/-CASK-/sounds/623286/ 

https://freesound.org/people/Migfus20/sounds/559850/ 

https://freesound.org/people/leytos/sounds/251000/ 

https://freesound.org/people/Danskin54/sounds/344624/ 

The Hill District (Pittsburgh, PA), a story 

https://aaregistry.org/story/the-hill-district-pittsburgh/ 

Zach Cene, “August Wilson House,” Hill District Digital History, accessed October 26, 2023, 	https://hillhistory.org/items/show/15.

Secret Pittsburgh S1 Ep7: The Hill's Hidden Histories and Lasting Legacies

Our podcast episode discusses the Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden and the continued expansion of the Jewish community
and Jewish expression through the growth of Reform Judaism at Pittsburgh’s Rodef Shalom synagogue.

Works Cited

Bird-Sounds-Nature-Birds-Noises-Royalty-Free-Sound-Effect.
https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/search/birds/
Free_No_Copyright_Nature_Sound_Music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8unj-Zp2S0

Freehof, Solomon B. “Reform Judaism in America.” The Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. 45, no. 4, 1955, pp. 350-362. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1452937

Gentle_Solemn_Piano_Cinematic_Background_Music_for_Videos.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2x4IiLi3zE

Gilbert, Shirli. “Buried Monuments: Yiddish Songs and Holocaust Memory.” History Workshop Journal, no. 66, 2008, pp. 107-128. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25473010

Hopeful_Inspiring_Instrumental_Cinematic_Piano_Music-Royalty_Free. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJOzeIET0Gk

Khristi, Barbara. Personal Interview. 3 Nov 2023.

Magid, Shaul. “The Holocaust and Jewish Identity in America: Memory, the Unique, and the Universal.” Jewish Social Studies, vol. 18, no. 2, 2012, pp. 100-135.

Petronova, Dasya. Personal Interview. 3 Nov 2023.
Sad-Violin-Music-Piano-Violin-Saddest-Song-No-Copyright-Music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfFZl2Fho7I

Scott Holmes Music – Deep Thinker Ident.
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/podcast-background-music/deep-thinker-ident/ Scott Holmes Music – Emotional Cinematic Ident.
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/podcast-background-music/emotionalcinematic-ident/

Tabachnick, Toby. “Rodef Shalom’s Biblical Botanical Garden is Testament to Jacobs’ Love for Plants, Each Other.” Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, 17 June 2015. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/jewisocistud.18.2.100

Epic Music

Secret Pittsburgh S1 Ep6: Renewal at the Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden

This episode is about the Quantum Theatre’s performance of _The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk_, a musical production of Marc and Bella Chagall’s lives together. Together we’ll explore how the Quantum Theatre used the Jewish space of Rodef Shalom in order to tell the Chagall's love story.

Works Cited

Acclivity. “WeddingBells1.mp3.” Freesound, 25 September, 2006. https://freesound.org/s/23090/

Avajoliec. “Small crowd cheering whistling and clapping.” Freesound, 24 February, 2022. https://freesound.org/s/621392/

Bacruz666. “Gasp.” Freesound, 2 April, 2016. https://freesound.org/s/341908/

Beman87. “Ambience street NY firetruck.” Freesound, 15 August, 2012. https://freesound.org/s/163142/

Boos, Karla. “Secret Pittsburgh.” Interview by Taya Hoetzlein-Sirman, Catie Gable, Simona Matiyevsky. November 3, 2023.

Breviceps. “Concert Pitch / Orchestra tuning.” Freesound, 27 February, 2023. https://freesound.org/s/677124/

Buzzelli, Michael. “To Me, You Are Beautiful - a Review of ‘The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk.’” ’Burgh Vivant, 30 Oct. 2023,
burghvivant.org/2023/10/30/to-me-you-are-beautiful-a-review-of-the-flying-lovers-of-vitebsk/

Edelhanie. “Birds and dove flying.” Freesound, 28 October, 2021.
https://freesound.org/s/594656/

Eqavox. “Sizzling.wav.” Freesound, 11 April, 2023. https://freesound.org/s/683522/

Felin_quinol. “Cricket Sound.” Pixabay, 26 June 2022,
https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/cricket-sound-113945/

FillMat. “Crowd/Mob/Riot Noise (Voices Only) - 14 people, 2 minutes HENRY VI.” Freesound, 16 March, 2017. https://freesound.org/s/384401/

Fischer, Carol Anne. Quantum Theatre: A Language for the Voices of Contemporary Theatre. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2004.

GirlWithSoundRecorder. “Village Soundscape.” Freesound, 20 March, 2023. https://freesound.org/s/679474/

Jacobs, Jacob, and Sholom Secunda. Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn. In MuseScore4. Uploaded by harmonika.cz. 1 December 2023.
https://musescore.com/user/2809151/scores/1909001?share=copy_link

Jamieson, Daniel, and Kneehigh. The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk. United Kingdom, Oberon Books, 2017.

Jamieson, Daniel and Ian Ross. Directed and Choreographed by Gustavo Zajac. Music Direction by Douglas Levine. “The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk.” Quantum Theatre, 30 Oct. 2023,
www.quantumtheatre.com/vitebsk/.

Kevp888. “220625-02_FR_Applause.wav.” Freesound, 17 November, 2022. https://freesound.org/s/659794/

Lewis, Michael J. "Whatever Happened to Marc Chagall?" Commentary, October 2008 pp. 36–37

Marcalexander8. “Take Your Seats.m4a.” Freesound, 2 May, 2020.
https://freesound.org/s/516158/

“Marc Chagall.” Elliott Gallery, 11 Sept. 2023, www.elliottgallery.com/marc-chagall/.

“Marc Chagall. I and the Village. 1911 | Moma.” MOMA, MoMA Highlights: 375 Works from The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 2019, www.moma.org/collection/works/78984.

“Marc Chagall: Paintings, Biography, and Quotes.” The Fiddler, 1913 by Marc Chagall, www.marcchagall.net/the-fiddler.jsp. Accessed 11 Nov. 2023.

Nathanson, Moshe. Hava Nagila. In MuseScore4. Uploaded by Rui.c.scousa.5. 1 December, 2023. https://musescore.com/user/172232/scores/313251?share=copy_link

Nesrality. “The Lonely Instrument Series - Fiddle -Played by Andy Leftwich.” Pixabay, 2 January 2022,
https://pixabay.com/music/solo-classical-instruments-the-lonely-instrument-series-fiddleplayed-by-andy-leftwich-13355/

Program for Daniel Jamieson and Ian Ross’s The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk at Rodef Shalom, Pittsburgh, PA. Quantum Theatre, 2023.

Robinhood76. “00193 birds before storm.wav.” Freesound, 14 July, 2008. https://freesound.org/s/57170/Tangjingyuan. “Baby2.wav.” Freesound, 7 January, 2023. https://freesound.org/s/668663/

TheFlyFishingFilmmaker. “Bluegrass Fiddle Ending.wav.” Freesound, 24 February, 2022. https://freesound.org/s/621592/

Secret Pittsburgh S1 Ep5: Coming to Pittsburgh: The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk

In this episode, Zoya discusses the life of August Wilson and his works, which have had a lasting effect on audiences and theater. Wilson’s philosophy and accomplishments are explored, as Zoya delves into the impact of the Hill District on August Wilson's plays.

Works Cited

August Wilson House, http://augustwilsonhouse.org. 

“August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand ~ August Wilson’s 10-Play Cycle: Scenes and 	Synopses.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 23 Dec. 2020,  

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/august-wilson-the-ground-on-which-i-stand-	scenes-and-synposes-of-august-wilsons-10-play-cycle/3701/.  

Bill Moyers, “August Wilson’s America: A Conversation with Bill Moyers,” American Theatre 	7.6 (1989): 14. 

Bogumil, Mary L. Understanding August Wilson. The University of South Carolina Press, 	2011.  

Dial, Thomas. Personal Interview. 3rd November 2023. 

Dyer, Ervin. Personal Interview. 7th November 2023. 

“Find Any Sound You Like.” Freesound, freesound.org/. Accessed 25 Nov. 2023. 

https://freesound.org/people/FrankyBoomer/sounds/261100/ 

https://freesound.org/people/camel7695/sounds/577085/ 

https://freesound.org/people/Migfus20/sounds/559850/ 

The Hill District (Pittsburgh, PA), a story 

https://aaregistry.org/story/the-hill-district-pittsburgh/ 

Zach Cene, “August Wilson House,” Hill District Digital History, accessed October 26, 2023, 	https://hillhistory.org/items/show/15.

Secret Pittsburgh S1 Ep4: August Wilson: From Bedford Avenue to Broadway

Our podcast episode, focusing on the Violins of Hope exhibition and the Rodef Shalom Mosaic Exhibition, traces the devastation of the Holocaust and the anti-Semitic attacks against the Jewish population of Pittsburgh during the Tree of Life shooting. We explore the impact such tragedies had on the Jewish community.

Works Cited

42955_Freqman_Hoochie_Violin_Variation. https://freesound.org/people/FreqMan/sounds/42955/

Fackler, Guido. “Cultural Behavior and the Invention of Traditions: Music and Musical Practices in the Early Concentration Camps, 1933-6/7.” Journal of Contemporary History, vol. 45, no. 3, 2010, pp. 601-627. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20753617

Gilman, Sander L. “Einstein’s Violin: Jews and the Performance of Identity.” Modern Judaism, vol. 25, no. 3, 2005, pp. 219-236. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3526854

Khristi, Barbara. Personal Interview. 3 Nov 2023.

Kosta T – Informality. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kosta_T/Informality/02_-_informality

Rosen, Sandra. Personal Interview. 3 Nov 2023.

Sad-Violin-Music-Piano-Violin-Saddest-Song-No-Copyright-Music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfFZl2Fho7I

Savfk-At-The-Kitchen-Table-Freestockmusic. https://www.free-stock-music.com/savfk-at-the-kitchen-table.html

Scott Holmes Music – Deep Ident.
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/podcast-background-music/deep-thinker-ident/

Serge Quadrado Transition – FMA Podcast Suggestion.
https://freemusicarchive.org/music/serge-quadrado/single/transition-fma-podcast-suggestion/

Relax Violin

Secret Pittsburgh S1 Ep3: The Survival of Jewish Art and Story in Violins of Hope

When we visited Frick Park, we learned that sewage flows through Nine Mile Run, one of the main streams in Frick. This episode explores the mystery of how sewage ended up in this stream and almost every other waterway in Pittsburgh, including our rivers. We meet with staff from UpstreamPGH and the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory in our journey to find out history, impact, and community solutions in relation to sewage in Pittsburgh waterways. 

Written Sources 

Allegheny County Sanitary Authority. History Timeline. n.d. Web. 17 November 2023. https://www.alcosan.org/about-us/history/history-timeline. 

—. Wastewater Treatment. n.d. Web. 17 November 2023. https://www.alcosan.org/what-we-do/wastewater-treatment. 

American Rivers. What Makes a River Different Colors. 2023. Web. 17 November 2023. https://www.americanrivers.org/what-makes-a-river-different-colors/. 

Bain, Dan, Emily Elliott and Becky Forgrave. How does stream burial affect water runoff? Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh Collaboratory for Water Research, Education, and Outreach, 2022. 12 November 2023. https://www.water.pitt.edu/sites/default/files/2022-06/Forgrave_Briefing.pdf. 

Birdy, Aaron. Personal Interview Hunter Bash. 9 November 2023. 

Guy, Megan. Personal Interview Hunter Bash. 16 November 2023.
 
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. Frick Park. 2023. Web. 17 November 2023. https://pittsburghparks.org/explore-your-parks/regional-parks/frick-park/. 

Sewer Equipment Company of America. Sanitary vs. Combined Sewer Systems. 2023. Web. 17 November 2023. https://sewerequipment.com/sanitary-vs-combined-sewer-systems/. 
 
Audio Credits 
cookies+policy. "Bright Cinematic Boom (Slow Reverb)." 2021. https://freesound.org/people/cookies+policy/sounds/555243/. 

Eelke. "Analog Camera click shutter." 2019. https://freesound.org/people/Eelke/sounds/462827/. 

Mark Wilson X. "Drowning." 2023. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/mark-wilson-x/quiet-moods/drowning-1/. 

mrrap4food. "Toilet Flushing." 2019. https://freesound.org/people/mrrap4food/sounds/470621/. 

Puddle of Infinity. "Young And Old Know Love." n.d. YouTube Creator Studio Library. Setuniman. "thoughtful moment 0_19c." 2011. https://freesound.org/people/Setuniman/sounds/136658/. 

Straget. "The rain falls against the parasol." 2020. https://freesound.org/people/straget/sounds/531947/. 

yanvince and comusal. "magnificent." 2023. https://youtu.be/m7HcGCbzB00?si=F2xCgeJtdTZuArBn.

Secret Pittsburgh S1 Ep2: Unearthing Pittsburgh's Secret Streams of Sewage

Do you know who the first Steelers were? Let’s go back in time to learn about stories from immigrants and African American steelworkers that were part of the cost of production during this industrial time. They put their lives at risk but also found ways to organize, fight back against injustices, and remind us of who the real builders of the United States of America were.

Works Cited

Henderson, Ryan. Rivers of Steel, 18 Feb. 2021, https://riversofsteel.com/black-workers-at-carrie/.   

Paine, Kirsten L. Carrie Clark: She Who Lit the Fire, Rivers of Steel, 9 Mar. 2023, https://riversofsteel.com/carrie-clark-she-who-lit-the-flame/?_gl=1*1box61u*_ga*MTA4ODAyNjQ2OS4xNzAwMDA0MjIx*_up*MQ.   

Roth, Mark. “Homestead Works: Steel Lives in Its Stories.” Pittsburgh Post Gazette, 30 July 2006,https://www.post-gazette.com/businessnews/2006/07/30/Homestead-Works-Steel-lives-in-its-stories/stories/200607300258.   

Serrin, William. “A CHAPTER OF INDUSTRIAL HISTORY CLOSES WITH THE HOMESTEAD STEEL WORKS.” The New York Times, 27 July 1986, https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/27/us/a-chapter-of-industrial-history-closes-with-the-homestead-steel-works.html.   

Simon, Ed. An Alternative History of Pittsburgh. Belt Publishing, 2021. 

“The Strike at Homestead Mill.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/carnegie-strike-homestead-mill/.

Secret Pittsburgh S1 Ep1: Pittsburgh's First Steelers

Welcome to the Secret Pittsburgh podcast! During the Fall 2023 semester, Dr. Elise Ryan’s course traveled across Pittsburgh to uncover stories of Pittsburgh’s places and people. Over the course of ten episodes, we explore the buried streams of Pittsburgh and the public art they inspire; Carrie Blast Furnaces' industrial past and creative present; August Wilson’s childhood home and the Pittsburgh neighborhood that inspired him; Rodef Shalom’s role in the development of Reformed Judaism in the US and the synagogue’s partnership with the Violins of Hope exhibit; and Quantum Theater’s production of The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk and the company’s commitment to place-based theater. Join us! 

Series Thumbnail Image Credit

Pittsburgh view from incline © Derek Cashman, used under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Trailer Episode Works Cited

FrankyBoomer. “Jazz Loop.wav” https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
https://freesound.org/people/FrankyBoomer/sounds/261100/

Williams, James (publishes under manychefsbroth). “Car—Pulling Away.” https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
https://freesound.org/people/manychefsbroth/sounds/151876/

Secret Pittsburgh S1 Trailer: Welcome to Secret Pittsburgh!

Welcome the official SoundCloud account for the English Department at the University of Pittsburgh. These pieces are made by independent students and do not represent official opinions of, or statements on behalf of, the English Department or the University of Pittsburgh (But we are proud of our students for sharing their work beyond campus).

Secret Pittsburgh S1 Ep1: Pittsburgh's First Steelers

Pitt English

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