2022–23 Rainwater Grant Awards

Vicky Mogollón Montagne (Ph.D.) and Mercedes Alejandra Payán Ramírez (Ph.D.) | First Encuentro of Latina Music Scholars at The University of Texas at Austin

Objective: to host the first Encuentro of Latina music scholars at UT Austin, which will be a place for Latina music scholars to “know each other” better — whether they’re seeking mentorship, study groups, or more general support in their academic careers. The grant will also help create a website that will serve as a directory of Latinas in music studies and house recordings and resources from the encuentro.

J.A. Strub (Ph.D.) | Fandango de Bevo: bringing Son Jarocho to The University 

Objective: to bring the son jarocho tradition of Veracruz, Mexico to Austin. Straub is commissioning a multi-generational heritage maker of the jarana, an instrument used to play son jarocho, to make several instruments that will become part of UT Austin’s permanent collection. Straub is also traveling to Veracruz to record instructional videos with son jarocho players so that Butler School students can participate in this tradition for years to come.

Amelia McElveen (Ph.D.) | Diasporic Monasticism: Tracing Chant Traditions Across Vietnamese-American Monasteries

Objective: to conduct research at six Catholic Vietnamese-American monasteries across the United States. McElveen’s focus is on monastic chants. Her research includes tracing monastic lineages, and examining Vietnamese Catholic chant through a post-colonial lens.

Madeline Styskal (Ph.D.) | SoundProof: A Russian-American Collaboration in New Music

Objective: a collaborative program featuring chamber works by emerging composers from Russia and the United States. The musical exchange, which will be live streamed, hopes to promote intercultural understanding. The program will feature five American pieces and five Russian pieces, with Austin-based performers.