MCAA Avenue

Kristen Graves at the 2018 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge

In the very first year of her master’s program in XE: Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement, Kristen Graves decided to apply for the 2018 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge.

Her research was centered on songwriting as a tool for empowerment. “Songwriting is such a vulnerable and sometimes scary process, and yet it also supports creativity, honesty, and confidence. I wanted to see how youth, in my project’s case–indigenous youth of color ages 12-19, would respond to an unfamiliar process and curriculum specifically designed to help them share their personal stories.” 

To do this, Kristin developed songwriting lessons designed around the elements of music and the idea of affirmative listening, “making sure that every idea or lyric line was affirmed as valid,” she explains, and implemented it with Lakota youth in South Dakota and Zapotec and Mixtec youth in Oaxaca, Mexico. “The songs that resulted were incredible and informative,” Kristen reminisces, “which I had suspected and hoped would be the case. And then on the other hand, I was surprised to observe how supportive and sacred the actual shared songwriting experience became for the youth, and how much I learned about these two communities by participating and observing their songwriting processes.”

Participating in Threesis was a similar experience for Kristen, describing it as simultaneously challenging and affirming. “It can feel intimidating to hear about what people are working on, and the temptation to compare my research against my peers’ was definitely a hurdle I needed to get over. The great thing was that as soon as I got over this desire to compare, I was so inspired… The projects that my fellow GSAS colleagues were working on were so powerful, and creative; it really made me feel like we were (and are) all doing our part to make a difference in the world.” 

Kristen Graves at the 2018 GSAS Threesis Academic Challenge

Thinking back on the program, Kristen appreciates how Threesis influenced her academics. “Overall, the process was a wonderful way to hone the language that I could use to clearly explain my research, and it was incredibly validating to realize that my research could resonate in a room full of diverse interests.”

Kristen’s advice for future participants of the Threesis challenge? “Ask questions, listen to everyone’s answers, and adopt the advice that resonates with you. Not everyone works the same way, and that’s okay. Whatever information you can glean from the process – use it! And whatever information doesn’t serve you – store it away, because you might be able to use it on another project, or offer it to a peer somewhere down the line. Writing a thesis is hard. This process helps you clarify your research and write a better thesis. The contest itself is a wonderful added bonus.”

This fall, Kristen is starting a doctoral program in Ethnomusicology at the University of Toronto. There, she will be studying how a community of people who live and work in the Oaxaca city garbage dump in Oaxaca, Mexico, and how they use sound as a way to survive and make a living in their surroundings. “Their listening skills are virtuosic, and allow them to make a living that not only supports and sustains their families and community, but also positions them as powerful environmental citizens,” Kristen explains. Her master’s research at XE: Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement encouraged her to take an intersectional approach to this research, looking at it from a human rights angle as well as digital humanities. “With my training in these fields, I will be able to employ a diverse skill set [in my PhD] to better understand this community and Oaxaca, and hopefully shine a light on the important and life-saving work they are doing for their city and for our planet.”

Congratulations, Kristen! We are thrilled to see your GSAS research evolve and wish you continued success along the way. 

You can learn more about Kristen and her music at www.kristengraves.com.