This year marks the 40th anniversary of the musical collaboration between singer Terry Leonino and guitarist Greg Artzner, together known as the folk duo Magpie.

Over the years, this married couple has performed at the Kennedy Center, been interviewed on National Public Radio, and received various awards, such as the Washington Area Music Association’s ‘Wammie’ award in 1998. Magpie has collaborated multiple times with folk icon, Pete Seeger. They traveled to Sing Out!’s hometown to sing at Bethlehem’s Musikfest in 1991.

After forty years of singing and celebrating traditional music, they are celebrating by continuing to perform their informative and motivational music about environmental and social justice. One of their upcoming concerts is June 13th at the Publick Playhouse’s ‘Tiny Tots Thursday’ in Cheverly, Maryland.

During their concert, they will focus on a theme that can be found throughout Magpie’s musical career, environmental awareness.

They have always highlighted environmental issues to inspire their listeners to take responsibility for human actions that harm the Earth. In the past, they worked with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center to produce ‘Tales of the Blue Crab,’ a musical about creatures in the Chesapeake Bay for the Smithsonian’s Discovery Theatre in 2000.

However, Thursday’s concert will feature many songs that teach children about a variety of environmental problems. Their goal is to emphasize to people at a young age the importance of taking care of the Earth’s natural resources, and that every person has a pivotal impact and role to play.

In an interview with journalist Cara Hedgepath, Leonino said, “They’re the generation that is going to be here long after we’re gone. When you’re a young person, that’s a very wonderful message.”

Whether you are five-year-old or a fifty-five-year-old, Magpie’s message is clear: let’s take care of our Earth and each other. Their work has not only affected their listeners, but also the lives of all the people whom their listeners have affected. Over the past 40 years, Magpie has brought many issues to the attention of their diverse, multinational audience, and we hope that they continue to do so for many more!

You can read a full bio of Magpie on Terry and Greg’s website.

— Kelsey Leck