Invisible Ground

Invisible Ground heads over to Ohio University's College Green in Athens, Ohio to learn all about one of the most prominent backdrops to all who have lived in this town: the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. We learn about why it's there, what it means, and the times that have changed around it, on it, and well... literally from its hands. And we hear about the life of Athens County's most important Civil War hero, Milton M. Holland.

Music from:
Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Brian Harnetty - "Major Fountain"
The Peel - "Autumn"
Daniel Bachman - "Blue Ridge Turnpike"
Pete Fosco - "Improvisation 2"
Weedghost - "Standard Conclusion"
The Peel - "Air Above"
Dead Winds of Summer - "2"
Brian Harnetty - "Millfield"
Brian Harnetty - "Rendville"
Brandon Reisig - "The Ballad of the Incomplete"
Unmonumental - "The Brakeman"
The Peel - "Harmonics"

Support for this episode of Invisible Ground comes from the Ohio University Center for Community Engagement and Republic of Athens Records. Thank you for sponsoring this episode.

Thanks to audio production, and editing help from Todd Jacops, Tommy Stumpp, Taylor Burnette, and Sherri Oliver.

Invisible Ground travels to the small town of Albany, Ohio to learn about its important connection to the Underground Railroad, and early Black education in the United States. We learn about the Albany Enterprise Academy, and its predecessor, the Albany Manual Labor Academy: the legacies they leave behind, the forgotten places on the landscape, and the incredible people who walked through their doors.

Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Michael Hurley - "Are You Here for the Festival?"**
Powers/Rolin Duo - "Aster Blooms"
Disjointed Mike - "Equinox"
Pete Fosco - "Untitled"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Zarek at the Door"
Weedghost - "Ghost of a Weed"
Cold Snack - "In the Dry"
The Peel - "Autumn"
Dead Winds of Summer - "For the Book"
Cold Snack - "Rocky Point"

**courtesy of No Quarter Records on behalf of Nelsonville Music Festival advertisement

Produced and recorded by Brian Koscho
Audio Editing by Brian Koscho, Tommy Stumpp, and Todd Jacops

Thanks to Brett Elliott for his work on this photo. Photo originally from Ohio University Libraries - Digital Archives, we love those folks too.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Paul Logue.

Invisible Ground heads to the literal center of Uptown Athens to dive into the history of the Athens County Courthouse in this episode. The current Courthouse dates to 1880 and contains so many stories, we learn more about this building, the ones that came before it, and the connections inside and outside of Athens County. Plus, hear a bit more about the oldest buildings on Court Street in a special walking tour at the end of the episode. Support for this episode was provided by The Athena Cinema in Athens, Ohio.

Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
David Colagiovanni - "Adventure Club"
Matthew J. Rolin - "Dovetail"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Waves of Silt"
Weedghost - "Carillon Park"
The Peel - "The Lost and the Saved"
Cold Snack - "Edge of the Sea"
Matthew J. Rolin - "What Comes Next"
Brandon Reisig - "Pop Quiz Hotshot"
Disjointed Mike - "Empty Bucket of Flies"
 

No history or documentary storytelling in this episode, this time it is all focused on The Music of Invisible Ground! To celebrate the pre-order of our compilation of the same name on vinyl, cd, and digital download (which you should make sure to go pre-order and support at igg.me/at/invisiblegroundmusic) we are diving into the sounds you hear throughout the podcast. Music from Todd Jacops, Powers/Rolin Duo, Daniel Bachman, The Peel, Brian Harnetty, Bill MacKay, Brandon Reisig, Unmonumental, Weedghost, Disjointed Mike, Pete Fosco, and Dead Winds of Summer on the show! Some are on the compilation, some are on the podcast, some will be on the podcast, but all of these people have amazing music on the record. This special episode of Invisible Ground also serves as the 43rd episode of Brian's long-time Ohio music podcast, The Western Reserve. Thanks to The Union and Dinkey Coffee for being our sponsors this episode. Enjoy!

Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Powers/Rolin Duo - "Aster Blooms"
Daniel Bachman - "Blue Ridge Turnpike"
The Peel - "Lucy's Song"
Brian Harnetty - "Major Fountain"
Bill MacKay - "Keep Your Spirits High"
Brandon Reisig - "The Ballad of the Incomplete"
Unmonumental - "Elephant"
Weedghost - "Carillon Park"
Disjointed Mike - "Untitled"
Pete Fosco - excerpt from "Invisible Ground Sessions"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Invisible 1"

Learn a bit more about the Berrys, the Davisons, Mount Zion, and the Westside of Athens in these short stories. Students from the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School researched, interviewed, wrote their script, and recorded their narration in only a few weeks! This episode is part of a project for Tantrum Theater and their debut play Hotel Berry, and is a collaboration with Invisible Ground, the Andrew Jackson Davison Club, Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, the Southeast Ohio History Center, and Athens Photographic Project. This project is supported by a grant from Ohio Humanities, and a matching grant from the Ohio University College of Fine Arts Community Fund. Special thanks to Joshua Coy, Angela Hall,  Evan Shaw, Nicki Mazzocca, Yaphet Jackman, Chad Reich, Tommy Stumpp, and all of our historians and collaborators for making this project happen.

Stories by the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School.

Executive Producer: Brian Koscho

Assistant Producers: Yaphet Jackman, Nicki Mazzocca, and Evan Shaw

Editors: Chad Reich, Tommy Stumpp, and Brian Koscho

Music from: Todd Jacops, Pete Fosco, Matthew J. Rolin, Brian Koscho, Dead Winds of Summer, and Disjointed Mike

This episode is dedicated to the memory of my grandmother, Rita Terschak, who passed away on November 26, 2022 at the age of 95. Love you grandma.

Enjoy this special story courtesy of the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School about the Westside neighborhood in Athens and its West State Street Cemetery. The students researched, interviewed, wrote their script, and recorded their narration in only a few weeks! This episode is part of a project for Tantrum Theater and their debut play Hotel Berry, and is a collaboration with Invisible Ground, the Andrew Jackson Davison Club, Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, the Southeast Ohio History Center, and Athens Photographic Project. This project is supported by a grant from Ohio Humanities, and a matching grant from the Ohio University College of Fine Arts Community Fund. Special thanks to Joshua Coy, Angela Hall,  Evan Shaw, Nicki Mazzocca, Yaphet Jackman, Chad Reich, Tommy Stumpp, and all of our historians and collaborators for making this project happen.

Story by:  Carter Boeninger, Cohen Stadler, Simon Foehl, Theo Smucker, and Coltrane Parsons

Executive Producer: Brian Koscho
Producer: Nicki Mazzocca
Editor: Chad Reich

Music from: Todd Jacops, Dead Winds of Summer, Disjointed Mike, and Brian Koscho

Enjoy this special story courtesy of the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School about Mount Zion Baptist Church in Athens, Ohio and its historic importance to the Black community here in Athens and beyond. The students researched, interviewed, wrote their script, and recorded their narration in only a few weeks! This episode is part of a project for Tantrum Theater and their debut play Hotel Berry, and is a collaboration with Invisible Ground, the Andrew Jackson Davison Club, Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, the Southeast Ohio History Center, and Athens Photographic Project. This project is supported by a grant from Ohio Humanities, and a matching grant from the Ohio University College of Fine Arts Community Fund. Special thanks to Joshua Coy, Angela Hall,  Evan Shaw, Nicki Mazzocca, Yaphet Jackman, Chad Reich, Tommy Stumpp, and all of our historians and collaborators for making this project happen.

Story by:  JujuMae Anderson, Maddox Kinnison, Mekhi Perkins, and Iris Lee

Executive Producer: Brian Koscho
Producer: Yaphet Jackman
Editor: Tommy Stumpp

Music from: Todd Jacops, Pete Fosco, Dead Winds of Summer, and Brian Koscho/Mike Makosky

Enjoy this special story courtesy of the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School about Andrew Jackson Davison and Eliza Brown Davison. The students researched, interviewed, wrote their script, and recorded their narration in only a few weeks! This episode is part of a project for Tantrum Theater and their debut play Hotel Berry, and is a collaboration with Invisible Ground, the Andrew Jackson Davison Club, Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, the Southeast Ohio History Center, and Athens Photographic Project. This project is supported by a grant from Ohio Humanities, and a matching grant from the Ohio University College of Fine Arts Community Fund. Special thanks to Joshua Coy, Angela Hall,  Evan Shaw, Nicki Mazzocca, Yaphet Jackman, Chad Reich, Tommy Stumpp, and all of our historians and collaborators for making this project happen.

Story by:  Enzo Servedio, Gaewelyn Krisher, Margaret Nunemaker, and Blaze Radcliff

Executive Producer: Brian Koscho
Producer: Evan Shaw
Editor: Chad Reich

Music from: Todd Jacops, Pete Fosco, and Weedghost

Enjoy this special story courtesy of the Andrew Jackson Davison Club at Athens Middle School about Edward and Martha Jane Berry! Learn a bit more about the Berry's, their story, what their hotel was really like, and their important legacy. The students researched, interviewed, wrote their script, and recorded their narration in only a few weeks! This episode is part of a project for Tantrum Theater and their debut play Hotel Berry, and is a collaboration with Invisible Ground, the Andrew Jackson Davison Club, Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society, the Southeast Ohio History Center, and Athens Photographic Project. This project is supported by a grant from Ohio Humanities, and a matching grant from the Ohio University College of Fine Arts Community Fund. Special thanks to Joshua Coy, Angela Hall,  Evan Shaw, Nicki Mazzocca, Yaphet Jackman, Chad Reich, Tommy Stumpp, and all of our historians and collaborators for making this project happen.

Story by: Marie Kelly, Emily Parsons, Nadia Smucker, Aji Sarr, and Scarlett Brobeck

Produced and edited by: Brian Koscho

Music from: Todd Jacops, Pete Fosco, and Matthew J. Rolin

This episode is about the historic Mount Zion Baptist Church in Athens, Ohio, which is celebrating 150 years since the founding of its congregation. The church, the building, and the institution are a central part of the lives of the Black community in Athens County and beyond. A building that still remains with us, when so many others have been erased with their history, culture, and stories too. Learn all about the building's history from some incredible people who have preserved its past and are also seeing its future as a non-profit organization that will restore it as the Mount Zion Black Cultural Center. 

Music:
Todd Jacops - "Rain Spring"
Daniel Bachman - "Amazing Grace"
Dead Winds of Summer - "One"
Dead Winds of Summer - "Two"
Weedghost - "Morning 04"
Pete Fosco - "Untitled 1"
Matthew J. Rolin - "Untitled 2"
David Colagiovanni - "The Ladder"
The Peel - "Canaanville Station Blues"

Special thanks to  Yaphet and Nicole Jackman of Bent Street Films for providing some audio from their Black Wall Street Athens County documentary, and to Liz Pahl for providing some  audio of both Dr. Francine Childs and the Gospel Voices of Faith from her film Legacy: Women of Southeast Ohio.

Invisible Ground is created and produced by Brian Koscho
Assistant Audio Editor: Todd Jacops