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Lydia Barrett

PhD Student in Cross-Cultural Musicology

Lydia Barrett is in the PhD program in cross-cultural musicology. Originally from South Carolina, Lydia studied vocal performance and music history before they took a break from music to join the US Peace Corps and teach English for two years in the Borgou region of northern Benin -- where there was, of course, plenty of music! Their research interests include gender dynamics in trans-Saharan musical communities, nationalism and identity in the African postcolony, and the best way to replace eggs in baking.

Research Interests: 

Gender and music migration across the Sahara

Selected Publications: 

“Singing during Premenstruation: A Guide,” in Cursed?: Biologic and Cultural Aspects of the Menstrual Cycle and Menstruation, 213-224. ed. Elizabeth Bertone-Johnson. Nova Science Pub Inc. 2018.

Honors and Awards: 

2023 CITL Teaching Pedagogy Fellowship

Education and Training: 
Peace Corps Benin, Education and Youth Development sector, 2018-2020
BMus in Vocal Performance and Music History, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2017
South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, Voice, 2013
Teaching Interests: 

Global musical communities

Gender and music

Music and locality