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Named "Top 30, under 30" by DC’s 93.9 WKYS FM, "Living Legend" by the LadyDiva Corp., and an Innovator by the University of Chicago and Harvard Divinity School, Native Washingtonian Rev. Dr. Alisha Lola Jones, is a voice charming the nation in message and music, as she re-teaches our communities their loveliness. An ethnomusicological thought- leader and Highest & Best Life Strategist, she innovatively consults leaders and organizations on how to find their rhythm and achieve their maximum potential. Dr. Jones’ multiple interests have coalesced into the establishment of InSight Initiative, Inc. to produce concerts and empowerment events specializing in low income, high minority neighborhood programming. 

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ACADEMICIAN 

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Alisha Lola Jones, PhD is an assistant professor in the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University (Bloomington). Dr. Jones is a graduate of University of Chicago (Ph.D.), Yale Divinity School (M.Div.), Yale Institute of Sacred Music (ISM) and Oberlin Conservatory (B.M.). Dr. Jones' is a council member of the Society for Ethnomusicology’s (SEM) council and the co-chair of the Music and Religion section of the American Academy of Religion (AAR). Additionally, as a performer-scholar, she consults seminaries and arts organizations on curriculum, programming, and content development. 

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Dr. Jones’ forthcoming book Flaming: The Peculiar Theo-Politics of Fire and Desire in Black Male Gospel Performance breaks ground by analyzing the role of gospel music making in constructing and renegotiating gender identity among black men. Dr. Jones' research interests include musical masculinities, gastromusicology, global pop music, future studies, ecomusicology, music and theology, the music industry, musics of the African diaspora and emerging research on music and future foodways in conjunction with The Institute for the Future in Silicon Valley, CA. 

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In spring 2016, she received a College of Arts and Humanities Institute (CAHI) grant to expand upon research on music of the African diaspora to the Pacific islands, focusing on Pacific African Americans' musical responses to the #BlackLivesMatter and #SayHerName movements in the United States territory of Guam. Among her lectureships at schools of music, seminaries, and churches this year, Dr. Jones is slated to train interfaith leaders on the merits of music and wellness at the United Nations. 

Among the awards Dr. Jones received this year, she was named an innovator in community organization by the Harvard Divinity School (December 2016); she was inducted into the esteemed Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Collegium of Scholars at Morehouse College (March 2017); and the University of Chicago Divinity School recognized her with an award for her contributions to womanist religious research and public engagement (April 2017). 

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Dr. Jones has received academic acclaim and support for her research with fellowships from Andrew W. Mellon; the Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture and the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality; Martin Marty Center; and the Franke Institute for the Humanities, among others. As a performer-scholar, Dr. Jones has lectured on her research throughout the world at institutions such as Oxford University, Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Yale University, Hampton Ministers Conference and Musicians Guild, Samuel Dewitt Proctor Conference, Spelman College, Howard University, Boston University, Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) 

Her writings on African American religious music, gender and sexuality in ethnomusicological research appear in various publications. She has been featured in Liner Notes magazine, The Afro-American newspaper, Black Enterprise.com, HuffingtonPost.com, TheChristianCentury.com, and ForHarriet.com. She is a contributing writer for HEED magazine and Musiqology.com.

 

ENTREPRENEUR

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Training theologians and researchers to turn their research and faith into innovative entrepreneurship, Dr. Jones is an inaugural thought-leader for the Forum for Theological Exploration’s entrepreneurship incubator. Dr. Jones has unveiled her award winning Genius For Men Conference (GFM). GFM is a men’s empowerment conference that celebrates community between men and women, male achievement, and transcendence within one’s profession. Also, Dr. Jones has founded Move And Shake Women: Academic Women Connecting in the Journey. With the support of a University of Chicago GSA Innovation Grant Move and Shake focuses on training high achieving women in work-life balance. In addition, Dr. Jones has served on the board of several faith-based and arts focused organizations such as the Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) and the Black Gents of Hollywood. 

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MUSICIAN 

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A seasoned cultural ambassador as an emerging operatic soprano, Dr. Jones has also had the distinct honor of performing throughout the world and with many luminaries in events and venues such as Washington, DC’s Kennedy Center Honors and The Washington National Opera at Constitution Hall, the observance of the United Nation’s Day of Peace at Carnegie Hall in New York, The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, The Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria and at the Centro Studi Italiani in Urbania, Italy. 

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PREACHER 

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A fourth-generation, ordained, itinerant preacher, Rev. Dr. Jones has preached internationally and has spoken before organizations such as the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) on tapping into their genius. She has spoken alongside notables such as Professor Sonia Sanchez, Dr. Dorothy Height, Judith Jamison, and Attorney Star Jones. She has worked for ministries in Connecticut, Chicago, IL, and is an associate pastor at International Kingdom Church in Bowie, MD, where Rev. Dr. Martha Jones is senior pastor. 

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