Benny Lawson

Bio

Benny Lawson is a PhD candidate in musicology at UC Santa Barbara. Their research explores the intersection of popular song, vaudeville, and gender-bending musicians in the United States during the early twentieth-century. The treatment of theatrical song as a space in which listeners weigh their relationship with class, race, and gender form the basis of Benny’s approach to scholarship.

Benny earned their bachelor’s degree in music at SUNY Fredonia in 2019. They are a proud recipient of the Charles G. Einkenburg Award for outstanding vocal performance, the Daniel & Laurie Tramuta Scholarship for exceptional singing, and a multi-year recipient of the Fredonia Dean’s Scholar Award.