Grant Woods

PhD Student in Historical Musicology

Grant Woods is a PhD candidate in historical musicology at Columbia University, where he has been since 2019. Originally from Indianapolis, Grant received a Bachelor of Musical Arts from DePauw University (Honors with Distinction, summa cum laude) with minors in History and European Studies. His research broadly explores the British Empire’s role in conceptions of British musical identity at the turn of the twentieth century, with a particular focus on folksong revivalism. His dissertation, “‘By Right of Inheritance’: Empire and Identity in the First British Folk Revival, 1890-1940,” examines the First British Folk Revival’s ideological connections to the British Empire, arguing that, rather than being a localized movement, the Revival had far-reaching, global influences on the shaping of British and colonial identities. Some of his other research interests include musical exoticism/Orientalism, film music, propaganda, and music and cultural memory. Grant is also currently serving as President of Columbia's Organization of Music Graduate Students, and works as a Program Assistant for the American Musicological Society. In his spare time, Grant is a saxophonist and avid runner.