Common Knowledge is a podcast from Liberty Common School in Fort Collins, Colorado.
In each episode, guests explore topics from classical literature and musical composers to great art and groundbreaking science aiming to connect with the community through shared intellectual interests.
It's Like Baking! w/ Amy Clemens and Jill Dollar | Ep. 2
About the Episode
In this episode of Common Knowledge, hosts Brett Harkey and Chris Reynolds sit down with Liberty Common School music instructors Amy Clemens and Jill Dollar to consider why human beings have, for centuries, insisted on making music together.
The conversation traces the historical role of ensembles and follows how ensemble performance has moved from the town square into the classroom without losing its public purpose. Amy and Jill discuss the broader goods of ensemble life: collaboration, community-building, and civic engagement. They also describe the habits formed in rehearsal that travel well beyond music—listening, leadership, responsibility, and teamwork—and argue that ensembles help shape culture and strengthen the communities that sustain them.
Amy Clemens and Jill Dollar are both music instructors and elementary band directors for Liberty Common School. Amy teaches music and band at the Plato Campus. Jill teaches band at the Aristotle Campus. Together they introduce hundreds of young scholars each year to the demanding, joyful work of making music with other people.
Connect with Liberty Common School
Liberty Common School Website: www.libertycommon.org (https://www.libertycommon.org/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LibertyCommonSchool/ (https://www.facebook.com/LibertyCommonSchool/)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertycommonschool/ (https://www.instagram.com/libertycommonschool/)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/libertycommonschool (https://www.youtube.com/libertycommonschool)
17 Sept 2026
Women and Children of Jamestown w/ Kathryn James | Ep1
About the Episode:
Drawing on Connie Lapallo’s Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky, this episode explores the largely overlooked stories of the women and children who arrived in Jamestown, particularly during the perilous 1609 voyage and the brutal “Starving Time” winter that followed. Through the experiences of real historical figures like Joan Phippen Peirce and her daughter—Lapallo’s own ancestors—we uncover tales of extraordinary courage, heartbreaking loss, resourcefulness, and quiet resilience. These families transformed a struggling military outpost into America’s first permanent English colony, laying the human foundations for what would become the United States.
About Kathryn James
After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development from Colorado State University, she earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Northern Colorado. Kathryn brings her expertise as an LCS instructor to help us connect historical lessons to today’s learners.
Connect with Liberty Common School
Liberty Common School Website: www.libertycommon.org (https://www.libertycommon.org/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LibertyCommonSchool/ (https://www.facebook.com/LibertyCommonSchool/)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertycommonschool/ (https://www.instagram.com/libertycommonschool/)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/libertycommonschool (https://www.youtube.com/libertycommonschool)
14 May 2026
The Founding of a Country with Dr. Joel Penning | Ep 11
This episode explores one of the most pivotal transitions in American history: How the Second Continental Congress moved from hoping for reconciliation with King George III to boldly declaring independence in the summer of 1776. With the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence approaching, Dr. Joel Penning joins us to unpack the fierce debates in Philadelphia, the surprising unity between northern and southern colonies, and the ideas that convinced reluctant delegates that separation was not only necessary but inevitable. We examine the shifting instructions from colonial assemblies, and what this moment reveals about compromise, courage, and the birth of a nation.
About Dr. Joel Penning
Dr. Penning started teaching history at Liberty in 2018. He received his B.A. in history at Clemson University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University. In addition to Colorado, he has spent time living in Kansas, South Dakota, Illinois, South Carolina, Australia, and Italy. When not in the classroom, he can usually be found with his nose in a book.
Connect with Liberty Common School
Liberty Common School Website: www.libertycommon.org (https://www.libertycommon.org/)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LibertyCommonSchool/ (https://www.facebook.com/LibertyCommonSchool/)
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libertycommonschool/ (https://www.instagram.com/libertycommonschool/)
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/libertycommonschool (https://www.youtube.com/libertycommonschool)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.8 / 5
13 ratings
Spotify
2.9 / 5
24 ratings
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Guest appearances
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