Freedom Sings adds music to First Amendment – Iowa State Daily

Freedom Sings has discovered a unique way to teach people about the history of the First Amendment through music.

"We tell the story of free speech through songs, simply," Ken Paulson, narrator and author of the show, said.

Paulson is also president of the First Amendment Center.

Freedom Sings will be in the Ames City Auditorium at 7 p.m. Wednesday to help Iowa State and the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication celebrate First Amendment Day.

The show will feature music of all genres, including The Beatles, Beyonc, The Black Eyed Peas and Little Big Town. Freedom Singsoften plays songs that were extremely censored or even banned from the radio because of the lyrics.

"You'll hear a song from the '50s that was banned and laugh because it's ridiculous," Paulson said.

Freedom Sings features many talented musicians, including Bill Lloyd, successful guitarist and country music writer; Joseph Wooten, three-time Grammy winner and former keyboardist for the Steve Miller Band; and many others.

"(The band made) some of the best music stars you've never heard of," Paulson said.

Paulson has written each Freedom Sings show since they began in 1999. He rewrites each show and makes sure to keep relevant music and free speech topics included in the program.

"We were looking for a way to inform others about the history of free speech, and music is easy to integrate with learning," Paulson said.

Paulson is also the dean of the College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University and is an advocate for free speech.

"The First Amendment and free speech have to be protected above all else," Paulson said.

Through teaching the history of free speech in Freedom Sings, Paulson hopes to keep people engaged and make them care about their rights.

Paulson said Freedom Sings can best be described as a "musical lecture," but you really don't know what it is until you see it.

"Almost always we're met with standing ovations, often people come up to me after shows and say, 'I wish I would've brought my roommate or my friends,'" Paulson said. "It's funny, it's informative, it's full of talent. ... It's unlike anything else you'll see."

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Freedom Sings adds music to First Amendment - Iowa State Daily