Some musicians start with formal lessons and daily practice and some get hooked by picking up a washboard between hopping train cars across the country. Alynda Segarra is the latter type, and it led them to a new life dedicated to music and community in their adopted home of New Orleans. As the band Hurray for the Riff Raff, Segarra has been making music beloved by critics and fans since 2008 and is still going strong. Their most recent album, “The Past is Still Alive,” came out last year. They sat down with poetry professor and host of the PBS series “Poetry in America,” Elisa New, at the 2024 Aspen Ideas Festival to talk about writing lyrics, making music and finding their place in America. We’re bringing you the conversation for National Poetry Month.

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