Barry Pearson

Barry Pearson is a Professor in the English Department at the University of Maryland and serves as Affiliate Faculty in the School of Music and Affiliate Professor in American Studies. His career focuses on African American traditional music, cultural studies, and folklore.

• Research spans African American/African Diaspora studies, Film Studies, and Ethnomusicology
• Active in educational music presentation through organizations like the Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, and National Council for the Traditional Arts (President)

His work includes four books and over 100 publications analyzing blues music, oral biography, and cultural narratives. He has produced nine Smithsonian Folkways CDs and received a Grammy nomination for blues scholarship. Pearson combines teaching with international music tours through the Arts America Program, emphasizing painless educational engagement with traditional American music.