Ethnomusicology
jbrown@g.harvard.edu
Jordan R. Brown (she/her) is a Ph.D. student in ethnomusicology and Presidential Scholar at Harvard University, where she holds the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging Fellowship. She is currently co-chair of Harvard’s Southern-Pian Society and a committee member of Project Spectrum. Originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, she obtained her bachelor of arts degree in both music and statistics from The University of Virginia (class of 2020) under the musical supervision of Noel Lobley, Ph.D. and A.D. Carson, Ph.D., and the statistical supervision of Gretchen Martinet, Ph.D. Her undergraduate thesis titled “From Surface Pop to Influential Art: A Homecoming Story,” was accompanied with original compositions inspired by the racial politics addressed in Beyoncé’s Homecoming. She also holds a master’s degree in ethnomusicology (class of 2022) from Florida State University under the supervision of Frank Gunderson, Ph.D. Her master’s thesis, entitled “Intellectual Misogynoir: Hip-Hop and Rhythm and Blues in The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill,” focused on genre studies, gender studies, and African American popular music. Brown’s current research interests include Black underground politics, Black feminist theory and queer theory, Black alternative music, and video game music, all specifically in the late 20th century. Her co-authored article, “The Black Power Station – A Model for Liberated Arts Activism,” was published in the Imbiza Journal for African Writing in 2021, and she has a book review in the Journal of Popular Music and a book chapter in the Oxford Handbook of Pop, both forthcoming. In addition to her scholarly interests, Brown also composes musical arrangements, performs with her band “Jordan and the Boys,” releases original songs under her pseudonym J-Renee, and produces podcasts. She identifies as a performer-scholar and intends on continuing to bridge the two practices in her future work. For more information, visit jordanrbrown.com.
Photo Credit: Xavier Hadley