UC Merced Expert 

Musicology – it might sound like a strange word, but Kevin Fellezs makes it accessible to everyone. He explores issues of identity – race, gender, age, sexuality and class – by exploring the roots and evolution of culture from a musical perspective. From rap, rock and pop music to jazz, rock-jazz fusion and even heavy metal, Fellezs researches and teaches his students about modern music and popular culture in the United States – even the accordion culture, from polka to tango!

 

Fellezs is an accomplished jazz pianist who has plenty of live-performance experience, but he`s just as likely to be found banging his head to Slayer and Metallica, talking with and learning from his students about pop culture or researching world music.

 

He specializes in African American music cultures, primarily jazz, and Asian American popular culture and Pacific Island/Hawaiian studies, including ki ho`alu.

He uses music as a way to get people thinking about their identity and how music helps them express those identities. Race, class, age and culture all factor into how people perceive music and the people who listen to it, and Fellezs says he enjoys disturbing people`s assumptions as he invites students to learn about the history of the music they enjoy while learning to think about their listening habits and understand their music`s heritage.

 

Fellezs earned his Ph.D. in 2004 from UC Santa Cruz, his Master`s in 2000 and his Bachelor`s in 1998, both at San Francisco State University.