Christina Smiley is a first-year PhD student in Musicology at Washington University. Prior to attending WashU, she obtained an associate degree in Music with an emphasis in Vocal Performance from Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida and a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. Christina is passionate about how music shapes group identity and reinforces feelings of unity within groups, particularly religious fundamentalist organizations. Her research interests also include African American musical genres and socio-political movements, gender studies, disability studies, linguistics, and popular culture. She seeks to challenge the ways in which future scholars approach music, race, and religious studies, and hopes to assist in diversifying academic spaces. Christina is an active musician, having performed in classical, gospel, jazz, and musical theatre arenas. In her free time, she enjoys trying new foods, writing poetry and novels, composing music, sewing, traveling, and streaming TV shows.
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