Kevin Holt Receives Fellowship to Address Underrepresentation in Music Faculty

New faculty member Kevin C. Holt, Stony Brook University assistant professor of ethnomusicology, has been selected for the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Future of Music Faculty Fellowship. Funded by a grant from the Sphinx Venture Fund, this first-of-its-kind career development initiative will engage 35 Black and Latinx music professionals who are pursuing or considering academic careers, preparing them with the skills, insights and networks to flourish professionally and influence generations of musicians.

Holt is an ethnomusicologist who holds a PhD in musicology from Columbia University, a master’s in African-American studies from Columbia University, and bachelor’s degrees in Africana studies and in double bass performance from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music, respectively. After completing his doctorate, he was awarded the Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at Wesleyan University, hosted by the African-American Studies Department. 

Holt joined Stony Brook’s Department of Music in 2021. His research interests include American popular music and its sociopolitical applications, especially concerning navigations of race, class, gender and sexuality. His current research project focuses on Atlanta hip-hop party music as a performative resistance to the policing of Black youth in public space.

About the Future of Music Faculty Fellowship

Program faculty — including university presidents, music school deans and teaching artists from institutions ranging from The Juilliard School to the University of Richmond to the Heifetz Institute — will blend practical advice, skill building and creativity. Beginning June 25 and taking place over several months, the fellowship is structured as a series of virtual meetings. The program concludes in January 2022.

Program curriculum will cover practical skills, such as navigating the tenure process, as well as soft skills, such as thriving in a highly competitive work environment. As important as skill development, fellows will receive a powerful platform for showcasing their skills to potential employers, as well as a career mentor, who will offer personalized coaching and career advice during and between modules.

For more information about the fellows, visit cim.edu/fellowship/fellows.