Kyra Gaunt
Music researcher | Exploring how Black girls shape musical culture and rhythm
About
Kyra Gaunt is a music researcher who examines the cultural contributions of Black girls to music and rhythm. Her work illuminates how young Black women have historically influenced musical traditions, often without receiving proper recognition for their innovations.
Through her research, Gaunt traces the musical DNA that connects playground games like jump rope to broader musical movements. She demonstrates how the rhythmic patterns and vocal techniques developed by Black girls in informal settings have shaped popular music.
Her TED talk explores pathways for Black girls to reclaim their rightful place and voice in music, addressing both historical erasure and contemporary opportunities for recognition and empowerment in the music industry.
Talks2
How Black girls can reclaim their voice in music
How does music shape us? Digital ethnomusicologist and TED Fellow Kyra Gaunt studies how Black girls can preserve the integrity of their own voices while listening, dancing and singing to pop songs largely engineered by men, often with lyrics that express anti-Black, patriarchal sentiments. In a quick, incisive talk, she shows how Black girls can disrupt the stereotypes and stigmas buried within this music and chart their own revolution in sound.
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