Sherry L. Davis, M.A.
Music Preservationist
Sherry leverages a lifelong passion for the musical past and a vitae of interdisciplinary education and experience to inform her work as a music preservationist.
She enjoys operating in the field as a scholar-practitioner where her work has a direct impact on the relationship between music history and heritage and the general public.
Through writing and research, film, music landmark initiatives, exhibits, events, concerts and more, she creates accessibility, excitement and relevance in order to reach broader audiences and sustain their commitment as consumers, patrons, investors and volunteers.
Photo: At work, Sherry conducts research at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives in Cleveland, Ohio.
“It’s fantastic to see that Sherry’s dedication to preserving such important musical heritage, encompassing places linked to rock and roll legends such as the Everly Brothers and Buddy Holly, has been featured in Vintage Rock magazine and will receive wider recognition.
Since her dissertation at Westminster, Sherry has pioneered research in this field and strived to engage the public with these great stories of music history.”
-David Brooks, Alumni Relations Officer
University of Westminster, London
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Ohio University
B.A. Psychology & Music Minor
University of Westminster
M.A. Media, Arts & Design
Visionary Beginnings
What Makes her Unique
Millennial on a Mission
The Many Hats She Wears
Artform of Public Service
As children, Sherry and her twin sister Sheryl attended a concert featuring members of the doo-wop and rock and roll vocal group Danny and The Juniors with their parents at a local Labor Day Festival. It would later inspire them to recruit friends, gather costumes and choreograph dancing to present an interpretation of their appearance on American Bandstand during intermission for a school drama club performance. It was the beginning of something special.
Sherry has one of the only platforms providing an informational, scholarly and human-interest driven narrative about music history and heritage through the contemporary scope of fandom, industry, performance, popular culture, heritage tourism and preservation.
Sherry is focused on establishing a new profession (music preservation) that develops music history and heritage as an industry, giving it an unprecedented role in culture, community and economy. At the intersection of entertainment and tourism, it constitutes a viable, but undeveloped part of the U.S. arts and culture sector.
Sherry understands that music preservation isn't a linear process and its success requires a wellspring of personal and professional versatility. Involved in every aspect of her work from concept to completion, she enjoys wearing the hats of historian, musicologist, social scientist, cultural strategist, communications designer and creative. From empirical research to preparing an event space, the field work that sets it all in motion places her in the middle of the action where she thrives!
Sherry believes to be a music preservationist means to have the heart of a public servant. Her objective is to elevate communities through the unique narrative of their local music history and heritage to promote social, cultural and economic revitalization.