Born and raised in New Orleans, Shane Lief is a musician and linguist who focuses on the cultural traditions of Louisiana. He is currently completing a PhD in the Interdisciplinary Program in Linguistics at Tulane University, and holds an MA in Musicology from Tulane as well as an MA in Linguistics from the University of Georgia at Athens. He has taught a range of language courses at universities in the US and overseas, including Roosevelt University in Chicago, Montana State University in Bozeman, Erciyes University in Kayseri, Türkiye, and most recently at Tulane University as well as Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge. In addition, Shane has worked as a professional translator for 25 years, handling materials ranging from 19th century German-language newspapers to Spanish colonial manuscripts. He co-authored the book Jockomo and wrote a chapter for Language in Louisiana: Community and Culture, both published by University Press of Mississippi.