This blog post offers an overview of the ongoing collaboration between National Philharmonic (NatPhil) and American Folklife Center (AFC), highlighting the collaboration’s successes, emphasizing its novel approach to community engagement. As the collaboration’s primary facilitator, AFC reference librarian and musicologist Dr. Melanie Zeck used primary resource materials in 55 AFC collections to contextualize programmed pieces in National Philharmonic’s repertoire. To date, the collaboration has produced 20 multifaceted educational and engagement opportunities for over 21,000 NatPhil concert attendees, 21 NatPhil Youth Mentorship Program participants, and 130 residents at senior communities with established NatPhil partnerships.