Laura E. Kennedy is a musicologist who specializes in twentieth-century music and Russian studies. Born in Michigan, Kennedy moved to the island of Guernsey (Great Britain) as a teenager, where she thrived on the unique opportunities of the island's vibrant music scene (performances under professional conductors, lessons with faculty from the Royal College of Music in London, and music courses at Oxford University). After graduating
summa cum laude from Wheaton College, Kennedy matriculated at the University of Michigan and earned her doctorate in historical musicology. Her research on Dmitri Shostakovich took her to Russia, where she lived for 18 months, becoming fluent in the language and gaining access to private archives and manuscripts in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Kennedy's research has been supported by numerous grants and fellowships, including a Fulbright Fellowship to Russia and Rackham Humanities Research and Dissertation Fellowships. Her dissertation on Shostakovich's sketch materials was nominated for a Distinguished Dissertation Award (2009) at the University of Michigan. Kennedy has presented her findings at national and international conferences and is actively publishing her work. She joins the Furman faculty after holding positions at the University of North Texas and Bowling Green State University. A committed and passionate teacher, she is devoted to cultivating her students' growth in knowledge and wisdom.
Training
Louis Nagel
University of Michigan
Daniel Paul Horn
Wheaton College
Neil Immelman
Royal College of Music, London
I seek to challenge my students to a depth and breadth of knowledge that demands critical thinking, effective communication, and active engagement with the musical material. My goal is to foster engaged students, who integrate knowledge about music history with good listening and writing skills and with an awareness of music history's relevance to their other studies.
I am, therefore, deeply committed to mentorship and believe that my role as an educator is to teach life and academic skills through the subject matter of music. Whatever profession or field of study my students enter, the skills that they exercise in my classes will be fundamental to their development as musicians, teachers, performers, composers, and people.