Jason Hooper

Jason Hooper is a Senior Lecturer II in Music Theory at the Department of Music and Dance, University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also serves as Senior Fellow and Associate Director for UMass Amherst’s Office of Faculty Development, focusing on supporting non-tenure-track faculty. His expertise includes the theory and analysis of tonal music, historical and contemporary form theories, and innovative pedagogical approaches emphasizing collaboration, student-centered learning, popular musics, and fretboard spaces. Jason teaches undergraduate and graduate courses and has received awards for his teaching and scholarly contributions.

Education:

• PhD in Music Theory, CUNY Graduate Center
• MM in Music Theory, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music
• BM in Trombone Performance, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

Research Interests: Jason’s work bridges theoretical analysis of tonal structures, form in music across eras, and pedagogy reforms. He advocates for inclusive, student-driven education, particularly integrating popular music and fretboard studies into foundational theory curricula. His contributions include editorial roles in Music Theory Spectrum, Rivista di Analisi e Teoria Musicale, and others.

Awards:

• Residential First-Year Experience Student Choice Award
• Barry S. Brook Dissertation Award
• Patricia Carpenter Emerging Scholar Award

Teaching & Grants: Through a Fellowship for Innovative Teaching and Professional Improvement Fellowship, Jason redesigned undergraduate music theory courses to prioritize collaboration and student-centered approaches. He actively supports first-year students and non-tenure-track faculty.

Labs/Teams: As Associate Director of the Office of Faculty Development, he collaborates with institutional teams to enhance faculty well-being and professional growth.