UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Political Song-a-Palooza, a musical event sponsored by Penn State University Libraries to showcase new, old and original political or protest music performed by students and other Penn State community members, takes place 7 p.m. Thursday, April 20. Tickets to the event at downtown State College’s State Theatre are free but registration is required.

The evening will showcase performances influenced by art, music, politics and community activism producing a form of protest that remains as powerful today as it has been throughout human history. Organizers encourage the public to join performers in an epic night of live political protest music that includes classic American protest songs, a 1979 song from Pakistan used during 2019 protests in India, and some incredible original material.

Political Song-a-Palooza is the culminating event of the University Libraries Political Song Series for 2022-23, celebrating the history and legacy of political and protest songs. The series highlights music of many nations and time periods that has contributed to political dialogue, shaped cultural landscapes and inspired movements of social and political change worldwide. This live musical performance will feature Penn State students, faculty and staff chosen by audition who will share their unique interpretations of the musical genre.

“We felt that a live concert would be a great format, as music is an accessible art form and allows diverse voices to be heard,” Political Song Series co-creators and organizers Rebekah Hill, assistant librarian for music and the performing arts; and Andrew Dudash, assistant librarian for political science, policy studies and government information, wrote in a recent article in Library Journal magazine, the profession’s preeminent publication.

“Our initial goals were to create a unique outreach event for our community; give students, faculty, and staff an outlet for creativity and civic engagement; and provide student internship opportunities grounded in experiential learning,” Hill and Dudash wrote in their article.

Political Song-a-Palooza highlights the educational impact of the University Libraries through live performance, as well as experiential learning that is key to the event’s success.

In keeping with their intention for experiential student learning, Hill and Dudash relied on assistance from student interns, including Margaret Matous and Benjamin Rhine, whose creative input influenced every phase of the Political Song Series project. That work partly included research, recruitment of performers, performance scheduling and auditions, and oversight of social media promotion via Instagram and Facebook accounts.

The series, which began in November with “Hope: The Healing Power of Music,” a discussion featuring members of the Soweto Gospel Choir, introduced powerful conversation about the synergistic effects that take place at the nexus of music, political protest and live performance. Subsequent events included “Ancestral Communal Listening Session with DJ Elbow Knee Knee” at 3Dots Downtown State College and “Soundscapes of Resistance: Research at the Intersection of Music and Politics,” a panel discussion held April 5 highlighting recent academic research and political protest music from Japan, Ukraine and Indonesia.

Partnerships formed for these events have added to the richness of the Libraries’ outreach efforts and include the Center for Performing Arts at Penn State and the McCourtney Institute for Democracy.

While many of the April 20 performances may be reinterpretations of famous and familiar protest songs, others offer a unique reflection of today’s socio-political landscape, performed by members of the Penn State community in their own words, said the organizers.

"Some submissions reflected our vision of showcasing political and protest songs from other cultures and time periods, but we were most surprised by the number of original songs, displaying that the desire to share political and protest views through song is important to our University community," wrote Hill and Dudash.

Free concert tickets, available on a first-come, first-served basis, are available at this link. 

For information about Political Song-a-Palooza, or questions about physical access and accommodation for the event, contact Andrew Dudash at amd846@psu.edu or Rebekah Hill at rqh5509@psu.edu prior to the event.