Leah Smith
Program:
Musicology
Biography:
Leah Smith is a first year Ph.D. student in Musicology. Her master’s thesis, “‘Hell No’: Theorizing Aesthetics of Play in Contemporary Black Women’s Solo Gospel Vocal Performance,” analyzes the performance of Black gospel women vocalists as merged sociological and theological playscapes.
Leah is a singer and songwriter who has recorded, performed, and toured extensively. She is currently working on a solo recording project that engages with womanist theology and afrosurrealism.
Education:
AAS, Community College of Philadelphia, 2012
BAAS, University of Pennsylvania, 2023
MAR, Yale Divinity School, 2026
Research Interests:
Black sacred music, Black music, popular music, women music makers, theology, music industry, performance aesthetics, beauty, Black maternity