Hannah Grantham is a music historian with a passion for the stories that things tell.
Handling Performance History
Hannah Grantham is an accomplished scholar whose specialties lie in researching and safeguarding musical histories and their artifacts. She is also a passionate performer who values the importance of the things we handle, consume, and treasure. Her wealth of experience includes interpreting and caring for objects including a 1789 London-made Davison & Redpath Grand Piano and a photo still of singer-songwriter Una Mae Carlisle saved by Laurie Cathrell—who worked alongside Carlisle as a chorine.
Hannah’s writing and curatorial vision bring the past to life and emphasize the historical connections to contemporary issues. She excels in identifying the lingering resonances performers of yesterday have in ongoing entertainment experiences and creative expressions.
Banner Image: Snapshot of a score arranged by Melba Liston housed in the Center for Black Music Research.
Blending material culture into her public-facing work, she focuses on the significance of cornets, handwritten lyrics, stage costumes, photographs, and business ledgers. Her projects dive into the many stories these objects reveal about their owners and how people engage with music.
Boasting a decade's worth of experience working in museums and universities across the US, she remains committed to showcasing a range of diverse musical histories through material culture. Utilizing artifacts as inspiration and primary resources, she contextualizes music and its relationship with our daily lives in her storytelling.
Hannah's teaching, consulting, and collaborative performance practices are geared toward creative projects incorporating material culture. Her ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between artists and academic spaces.