State Sen. Judy Schwank Proposes ‘My Pennsylvania Home’ as State Anthem
State Sen. Judy Schwank has co-sponsored legislation to officially designate a song entitled “My Pennsylvania Home” as the official anthem of the Keystone State. Singer-songwriter Dave Kline of Sinking Spring, Berks County, composed the piece.
In a memorandum to all state senators, Schwank said the song highlights the state’s musical tradition. She said the song’s bluegrass and folk-inspired style makes it perfect for Pennsylvania’s state song.
“Many in our region know Dave Kline and The Mountain Folk Band, but this song has been performed throughout the commonwealth,” Schwank said in a statement shared with Berks Weekly. “It’s a charming tribute to Pennsylvania, and I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this effort to make ‘My Home Pennsylvania’ one of our official state songs.”
In his response to Schwank’s support for his work, Kline said, “If I were to list the number of places that song has been performed, both in the states and in Europe, to favorable reception always with curiosity about Pennsylvania, it would assist in adding gravitas for the song’s staying power and popularity…. This style of music deserves recognition as something Pennsylvania has within its very roots of traditional culture.”
According to a BCTV report, Kline has spent more than four decades writing, recording, and performing bluegrass, folk, and mountain music with The Mountain Folk Band. He has also served as an international music ambassador for Pennsylvania for more than three decades, performing in Reading’s sister city in Germany.
Listen to “My Pennsylvania Home,” performed by Dave Kline and The Mountain Folk Band, on YouTube.
