Acting
Tammy L. Kernodle
Tammy L. Kernodle, a distinguished American musicologist, has made significant contributions to the understanding of Black women in music. Serving as the president of the Society for American Music from 2019 to 2021, her scholarly work has shed light on influential artists such as Mary Lou Williams, Meshell Ndegeocello, Alice Coltrane, and Melba Liston, while also exploring the roles of African-American women in contemporary gospel and jazz.
Kernodle earned her Bachelor of Music degree in choral music education and piano from Virginia State University, followed by a Master’s and PhD in music history from Ohio State University. Since 1997, she has been a professor of musicology at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Her excellence in education was recognized in 2018 with the Benjamin Harrison Medallion for "Outstanding Contribution to the Education of the Nation," and in 2021, she was honored as a University Distinguished Professor.
In collaboration with Lisa Barg, Dianthe Spencer, and Sherrie Tucker, Kernodle co-founded the Melba Liston Research Collective in 2021, aimed at advancing the scholarship on women musicians in jazz. Her acclaimed book, *Soul on Soul: The Life and Music of Mary Lou Williams*, has garnered praise from notable publications, including *JazzTimes* and *Notes*.
Kernodle's expertise has been featured in NPR's "Turning the Tables" series and the Walker Art Center's digital exhibit "Creative Black Music." Additionally, she has been a prominent voice in various documentaries on jazz history, including *The Girls in the Band* (2011) and *Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool* (2019), and has shared her insights with major media outlets like The New York Times and NPR.
