Jacob Smith earned his PhD in Communication from Indiana University. Smith is the author of Vocal Tracks: Performance and Sound Media (University of California Press 2008), Spoken Word: Postwar American Phonograph Cultures (University of California Press 2011), and The Thrill Makers: Celebrity, Masculinity, and Stunt Performance (University of California Press 2012). He writes and teaches about the cultural history of media, with a focus on sound and performance. Before he joined Northwestern’s Radio, Television, and Film department, Smith played music professionally with his band, The Mysteries of Life, which was signed to RCA Records in 1996. Smith wrote the songs and performed them alongside his wife, drummer Freda Love, and he continues to play music for several bands in the Chicago area.
Main faculty page: https://communication.northwestern.edu/faculty/JacobSmith
MSLCE Course: Understanding the Creative Industries