Christoph’ McFadden

Christoph’ McFadden is a third year PhD student in Music and African American Studies at Yale University. He is an honor graduate of Claflin University, where he earned the Bachelor of Arts in Music (Voice). Christoph’s scholarly interests lie along the intersection of music and spirituality. He is interested in the nuanced spiritual experiences that characterize African American gospel traditions in both church and industry. Christoph’s work is aimed at preserving, discovering and celebrating aspects of the Gospel tradition that have remained opaque in academic settings. In so doing, Christoph’ believes his research positions him to support current gospel practitioners while also highlighting the historic roles of faith and music in advancing societal equity. Christoph’ is also interested in the ways Black musical soundscapes broadly influence pop culture and social movements in the United States. He is affiliated with the Mellon Mays Fellowship and currently serves as co-chair of the Grant Hagan Society of Yale’s Department of Music. Outside of his research, Christoph’ is a vocalist, published writer, Christian minister, and is passionate about mentorship; he leads with his personal motto: “Live life above the influence.”