Biography

Carlehr Swanson is a doctoral student in Critical and Comparative Studies in Music. Her research interests include sacred music, Black American Music, and civic engagement through music. Through her organization, Music is Unity, Carlehr implements music in her community by taking performances to those who may not experience it otherwise. She has planned and performed more than a dozen virtual events for local nursing homes and schools throughout this year. In 2017, she was named the People's Choice and 3rd Runner-up in the Miss Virginia Pageant.

Before coming to the University of Virginia, Carlehr received an M.M. degree from the University of Miami in Jazz Vocal Performance. In addition to performing, her paper "Queens on the King's Highway: 'Herstories' of Black Women in Gospel Music" was selected for the University of Miami's Graduate + Postdoctoral Research Symposium. Additionally, Carlehr was a graduate assistant in the Office of Civic and Community Engagement. She oversaw their High School Partnership program, a mentorship program created to increase competency in English and History. Carlehr received her B.M. degree in Jazz Studies from George Mason University.