Jul 27, 2026
Students in St. Bonaventure University鈥檚 six-week Francis E. Kelley Oxford Program at the University of Oxford鈥檚 Trinity College conducted research for a conference presentation on Stevie Wonder鈥檚 鈥淪ongs in the Key of Life鈥 album.
The presentation, 鈥淔ifty Years Later, Are the Songs Still in the Key of Life?,鈥 was part of the Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association鈥檚 July 26 Virtual Symposium.
鈥淪ongs in the Key of Life,鈥 released on Sept 28, 1976, is the best-selling and most critically acclaimed album of Wonder鈥檚 career. The record is regarded as one of the greatest albums in the history of popular music.
Students in Anne Lee鈥檚 Women, Minorities and the Media course and Richard Lee鈥檚 Media and Democracy course watched documentaries about Wonder鈥檚 career and the album, listened to the songs on the record, researched the background of each track and shared their thoughts on the album.
鈥淭he students鈥 analyses were extraordinary. Their work became a large part of our presentation,鈥 Anne Lee said. 鈥淏y having college students work on the project, we were able to view the recording through the lens of a different generation.鈥
The students found the songs relevant for today鈥檚 audiences, noting that topics such as poverty and race remain important. They also were impressed with Wonder鈥檚 ability to play multiple instruments and to find inspiration for songs in his personal life.
鈥淭he project showed that the tracks on the album are very much in the 鈥榢ey of life鈥 in 2026,鈥 Richard Lee said.
The students who participated in the project were Matthew Barber, Aubrey Domres, Jacob Frank, Montana Geibel, Elisabeth Hassett, Lindsey Lilly, Declan McGrath and Niamh Moore. All eight are in Anne Lee鈥檚 Women, Minorities and the Media course. Barber also is in Richard Lee鈥檚 Media and Democracy course.
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About the University: The nation鈥檚 first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).