While teaching music as an adjunct at Delaware State University, Ph.D. candidate Joyce Chen was struck by the need for resources to support students with an interest in early music from underrepresented communities. A classically trained harpsichordist with a prior D.M.A in harpsichord performance and a global performance career, she had worked with Early Music America as a featured soloist pre-pandemic. In 2020, she was recruited to EMA’s IDEA task force, which advises on strategic initiatives that expand BIPOC involvement in classical music. The intersection got Chen thinking: What if a curriculum could be developed for historically Black colleges and universities that creates inroads to early music – and expands the canon along the way?

Working with GradFUTURES, Chen designed a Social Impact Fellowship with EMA to develop a flexible HBCU music curriculum, piloted at Delaware State. Modular by design, it included workshops that expose students to early music – and its impact was quickly seen. One student landed a scholarship to perform at EMA’s festival. Another was awarded a full scholarship to Penn State. Chen is now an EMA board member and IDEA taskforce co-chair. In 2022, she helped launch a scholarship program for BIPOC musicians. As she prepares to defend her dissertation, Chen is already working as an assistant professor of historical keyboards at the University of Oregon. Chen’s mentor at EMA, Patricia Ann Neely, was one of the speakers as Chen’s vision came to life. Now retired and on the Board, she was the founder of the IDEA task force and is a scholar and musician in the areas of historically-informed performance.

“Academics have a lot of opportunities to change and transform lives through our writing, through our creative work, through our lectures, and through programs like the Social Impact Fellowship. I want to help make classical music more accessible for underrepresented musicians and communities.” – Joyce Chen, GS, MUS

Chen’s mentor at EMA, Patricia Ann Neely, was one of the key influences as Chen’s vision came to life. Now retired and on the Board, she was the founder of the IDEA task force and is a scholar and musician in the areas of historically-informed performance.

“I was happy to have the opportunity to work with Joyce Chen on her project of reaching out to HBCUs to expand curriculum choices in the study of music and music history. Not only did she provide a comprehensive look at periods of music history (renaissance and baroque) and the instruments that were prevalent at that time, she is also an ambassador for diversity in the field. GradFUTURES supporting her work lends enormous strength to her mission.” – Patricia Ann Neely, Board Member, Early Music America

Our Fellowship Partner

EMA’s mission is to develop, strengthen, and celebrate early music in North America by supporting the people and organizations that perform, study, and find joy in it, and by championing the contributions they make to the health and vibrancy of their communities.

Learn More About GradFUTURES Social Impact Fellowships

GradFUTURES Social Impact Fellowships are bespoke opportunities for Princeton graduate students with nonprofit organizations that have partnered with the Graduate School. Host organizations work closely with the Graduate School to determine the learning outcomes and professional development goals for these immersive experiences. Each fellowship is custom-designed, allowing graduate students to apply discipline-specific skills, gain interdisciplinary project team experience, and receive one-on-one mentoring while contributing to the social impact mission of the organization.