Dr Freya Jarman BA (Hons), MLitt, Ph.D, SFHEA

Personal Statement

Freya started work at the University of Liverpool in 2005 after completing her doctoral thesis at the University of Newcastle. Born in the year in which both Elvis Presley and Maria Callas died, her research and teaching have covered the works of both artists and more, and she is committedly a 'crossover artist' in terms of the musical material she finds interesting. More than particular repertoire, Freya is interested in questions pertaining to music in culture, especially the voice and vocality, and more especially through the critical lenses of queer theory and psychoanalytic theory. This leads her to various musical places, and she's as likely to be found talking about overdubbing in the music of the Carpenters as she is to be read in her work on the sound of the operatic hero. Publications include work on the musical workings of camp, her first monograph Queer Voices (2011), and forthcoming work on lip-syncing scenes in films. Freya is currently working on a wide-ranging historical exploration of the gendered values of high notes in western vocal music.

As a teacher, Freya channels her erstwhile ambitions to be a performer of some variety, and is committed to thinking outside of the boxes of pedagogy. This commitment has been recognised by the Faculty (Faculty Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, 2013), the University (University Teaching Award for Excellence in Innovation, 2009), the Higher Education Academy (awarded Senior Fellowship, 2014), and the Central European University (who shortlisted her for the European Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in the Social Sciences and Humanities in 2014).

Outside the University, Freya is Editor of the Journal of the Royal Musical Association, a member of the editorial board for twentieth-century music, and sits on the committee for NAMHE (National Association for Music in Higher Education).

Freya is interested in hearing from potential doctoral students in any of her areas of interest, particularly the intersection of vocality and any area of identity--gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, age, etc.

Prizes or Honours

• Teacher of the Year: Humanities and Social Sciences (Shortlisted) (University of Liverpool Guild of Students, 2016)
• Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching in the Social Sciences and Humanities (Shortlisted) (Central European University, 2014)
• Excellence in Learning and Teaching (University of Liverpool Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2013)
• Sir Alastair Pilkington Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (University of Liverpool, 2009)