
Fenwick Scholar Program
Vanguard for a New Age: Artivism Through Jazz
Date of Award
4-22-2025
Project Type
Thesis
Department
Music
First Advisor
Daniel DiCenso
Second Advisor
Carmen Jarrin
Third Advisor
Brian Saia
Abstract
“Vanguard for a New Age: Artivism through Jazz” by Rhiannon Hurst builds upon New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets By Women Composers (2022), which Grammy Award Winning Composer and Performer Terri Lyne Carrington curated. Rhiannon’s project amplifies and puts into action the book's foundation by exploring Jazz without patriarchy through the lives and works of female composers from New Standards. The project will include Rhiannon conducting interviews with women and non-binary individuals about their lived experiences in Jazz. Rhiannon’s research on the female composers from New Standards and the interviews bridge past to present, culminating in a written thesis that focuses on Artivism (Art Activism) across Jazz history. Rhiannon will actualize her research by recording an album of their compositions performed by a band of all female and non-binary musicians, teaching inclusive music fundamentals to underserved children in the Worcester community, and presenting a final performance that integrates history and musicology through the lens of Artivism.
Recommended Citation
Hurst, Rhiannon, "Vanguard for a New Age: Artivism Through Jazz" (2025). Fenwick Scholar Program. 25.
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/fenwick_scholar/25
Comments
Additional advisor: Dominique Eade
Readers: Professors Matthew Jaskot, Katie Gardiner, and Shirish Korde