kei slaughter (they/them) is a queer Black non-binary flutist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, and music therapist hailing from New Orleans. Currently based in Boston, they are an Associate Professor of Music Therapy at Berklee and doctoral student in Expressive Therapies at Lesley University. kei’s scholarly interests include music, health, Black spirituality, and the intersections of racial, sexual, and religious identities in US contexts. They are the owner and operator of S O U L F O L K Sounds, a music and wellness practice that centers LGBTQIA+ Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Working at the intersections of abolition, holistic healing, and community care, kei leverages the power of music to activate compassionate witnessing, dynamic wellness, and sustainable joy through various projects and collaborations. kei’s latest works focus on ancestral memory and the exploration of queer Black lifeworlds via musical improvisation, poetry, lyric-writing, song creation, freedom singing, and voice-and-flute-based looping. An enthusiastic pencil collector and Southern boi at heart, they hold deep reverence for porch sitting, singing around their grandmother’s dinner table, breathing near water, and sharing meals and laughs with their community.
kei slaughter
