Chicago’s Henhouse Prowlers have partnered with the US State Department in more than 28 countries, using the power of music to connect people across cultures. These tours inspired the band to start Bluegrass Ambassadors, a non-profit organization with a mission to celebrate moments when people from different parts of the world find commonality through music and build a sense of global citizenship. One of the most powerful examples of this is when the people of Czechoslovakia heard American music on German radio stations after the war. They fell in love with the music, finding it spoke to them and gave them a sense of freedom and belonging during a time when those things were being taken away.

This symposium celebrates this lasting musical connection. It also acknowledges how Czech and Slovak musicians have made this music their own, leading to exceptional original songs and some of the best bluegrass instruments ever made. Few Americans fully understand this phenomenon. One of Henhouse Prowlers' main goals is to share this incredible story of talent and unity both in the US and abroad.

The band is eager to hear the music and stories directly from the people who lived through this significant moment of cultural diplomacy. They’ve even learned a few Czech songs, and while you may laugh at their pronunciation, you'll also see how much they genuinely admire the tenacity, talent and determination of Czech and Slovak musicians and music lovers.

Several guest speakers will share these stories from a historical perspective. Attendees are encouraged (but not required) to share their own stories, old and new. Food and beverages will be served, and all are invited to bring instruments for a jam session.

Over 15 years of diplomatic ventures spanning 25+ countries, the Henhouse Prowlers, a bluegrass quartet from Chicago, have exemplified an unwavering belief, that the exchange of music stands as the most potent means of nurturing connection and empathy among diverse communities. The Common Chords series, overseen and presented by their nonprofit Bluegrass Ambassadors, celebrates this idea as a diplomatic mission in itself.

At the heart of this program is the desire to learn and then document the history of these meaningful musical connections around the world. Along the way, the Prowlers will learn to sing and perform this music, giving the band a deeper understanding of the music and culture itself, all while reflecting back to the originators the timelessness and importance of their creations. Ultimately, the group will bring these experiences back home to the U.S. in the form of accessible educational programs and mixed media to be showcased at schools and gatherings across the country – and around the world.

The outcome? A deep mutual respect and natural evidence of the powers of unity and understanding that exist in all of us – common chords and collective humanity.

The people of Czechoslovakia, now Czech Republic and Slovakia, are a resilient and ferociously talented population. Their complicated and fascinating history involves oppressive governments and social uprising, alongside embracing bluegrass and then expanding upon the music, making it fundamentally their own.

Along the way there are tales of Armed Forces Radio broadcasts inspiring the “sound of freedom,” banjos built simply from referencing photographs, and an all-female bluegrass group performing with Johnny Cash, among many others. This history is widely unknown here in the U.S. and elsewhere, and we’re determined to hear the stories directly from the people who lived them and to amplify them.. It’s a tale of “cultural diplomacy” before those words ever became a pair.

When Blue Owl founder Mimi met Henhouse Prowlers (Bluegrass Ambassadors) members Jon and Ben at their 2017 concert in Jablonec nad Nisou, a bond formed over their shared Chicago roots and love for Cubs baseball.

That evening, the band joined the Blue Owl team for a bilingual jam session at a local microbrewery, marking the start of a fruitful partnership. The two nonprofits quickly began planning educational programs, leading to the band's 2018 visit to Loužnice and Železný Brod, where they donated musical instruments to the Blue Owl Library.

In 2022, the Bluegrass Ambassadors recorded an album of songs they’ve learned to sing in the original languages, including Kyrgyz, Urdu and Swahili. In the Czech Republic, it was Ivan Mládek’s beloved Jožin z bažin. They invited Blue Owl students to sing and play kazoo on the chorus.

When the Bluegrass Ambassadors return to the region in autumn 2024 to launch their Common Chords initiative in cooperation with Blue Owl, they will conduct English and music workshops in Železný Brod and Letohrad, east Bohemia — and have added another song in Czech to their repertoire!