Michael DeLuca Music

You know every word to the chorus, but do you know the story of Katie Casey? ⚾️

The irony of our universal baseball anthem, written in 1908, is that the two men who wrote it had never actually been to a baseball game. They wrote a verse about a young female super-fan who routinely booed the umpire and told her suitor she'd rather go to the ballpark than a fancy theater show!

For my new album, AMERICA: 250 Years Young, I wanted to honor that pure, old-time spirit of play. My arrangement may start out small, but don't be afraid to join along in the final chorus - just be sure to bring your peanuts and Cracker Jack.

Read the full story on my latest blog post and find your favorite place to stream the track today! 🇺🇸

🔗 https://michaeldelucamusic.com/2026/06/04/the-great-american-pastime/

We're just one week away from the release of AMERICA: 250 Years Young - a vibrant collection of patriotic classics and folk favorites reimagined for the nation’s Semiquincentennial. Be sure you're ready for May 21 - and be sure to join me at a local concert!
Read the full update in the link below 👇

How do you capture 250 years of history in just 8 tracks?

That was the challenge when developing AMERICA: 250 Years Young. I didn't just want to pull the biggest anthems; I wanted to curate a "musical journey" that includes not only the brassy marches of Cohan but also the echoes of the frontier.

Today on the blog, I'm sharing the "why" behind the tracklist—the history, the heart, and the story of how these specific songs became the pillars of this project.

👇 Check the first comment for the link to the full curation story!