More Than a Music Fest: My Experience at the Inaugural Freely Fest in Nashville by Freedom Forum

Last week, I traded my usual work from home office view for the neon lights of Nashville, TN. I wasn't just there for the music, I was there to witness a first of its kind celebration of the five freedoms that make our country move!

Alongside the teams at Freedom Forum and Made By Us, I headed to the Bridgestone Arena for the first ever Freely Fest, a music festival designed to celebrate the First Amendment and the power of music.

The Intersection of Civic Life and Live Music

For those who know me, you know my life often exists at the cross section of civic nonprofit work and a deep love of live music. Freely Fest met me exactly at that intersection.

At Freely Fest, I watched artists I’ve followed for years, including The Killers, Janelle Monáe, T-Pain, and Dominic Fike, take the stage. These artists shared what they "speak freely" for, reminding the thousands of attendees that the music we love is only possible because of our right to create, assemble, and express ourselves without fear.

I found myself getting emotional throughout the night. There is something incredibly grounding about being in a room full of people and realizing that our creative liberties are not just legal concepts, they are the true heartbeat of our culture.

Making History with Made By Us & Civic Season

My trip was also a deep dive into the future of how we tell the American story. Working with Made By Us is always inspiring, especially as I've been actively engaged with Youth250, the nationwide effort to engage the next generation in the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Freely Fest felt like a massive kick off for this momentum. It reminded me of the energy we see during Civic Season (the time between Juneteenth and July 4th), where we ask ourselves what we want to carry forward into our future. To see Freedom Forum bridge the gap between history and the now through a medium as universal as music was a great example of civic engagement taking the modern stage.

The Nashville Hospitality

The experience extended well beyond the arena walls. I want to thank:

• Alex Edgar for the initial connection and for being such a champion of this work.

• Jennifer Young and the Freedom Forum team for the incredible hospitality at the Freely Fest Village, where the energy was electric before the first note was even played.

• Alyssa Dituro for a special tour of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) the following day. Seeing the history of Black music in America re-emphasized why protecting the First Amendment is a matter of justice and progress.

  
  

Why This Matters

If you’re searching for Freely Fest or wondering what the Freedom Forum is all about, know this: it’s about more than just rights on a piece of paper. It’s about the freedom to see yourself represented on a stage. It’s about the liberty to tell your truth.

You could say my #influencerstatus leveled up on this trip, but more importantly, my "active citizen" status did, too.

Want to get involved? Check out FreelyFest.org to see how you can support the First Amendment, and visit Made By Us to learn how you can help shape the story of our country as we approach Youth250.