Jay Sweet

Jay Sweet serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Music and Theatre Arts at Monmouth University, teaching courses including Applied Music: Bass (MU 181), Applied Music: Guitar (MU 196), Global Popular Music (MU 224), Jazz in America (MU 291), and Music Appreciation (MU 101).

Education:

• Berklee College of Music: Degree in Bass Performance and Composition
• Rutgers-Newark University: Master's in Jazz History and Research

Dr. Sweet's research centers on Jazz History, highlighted by his Benny Carter Award-winning work on bassist Ray Brown. His scholarship involved interviews with jazz legends including Oscar Peterson, Hank Jones, and Phil Woods. His teaching and research span Music Theory, Bass/Guitar Performance, Classical Music, and Rock Music History, with publications through Oxford University Press and Hal Leonard Publications.

Scientific Awards:

• Benny Carter Jazz Research Award

As an educator, Sweet founded Sweet Music Academy in 2004, expanding to three New Jersey locations that have trained over 2,500 students. Many graduates pursue professional music careers. He previously taught at Rutgers-Newark University and Middlesex County College across disciplines including Jazz History and Classical Music History.

Professionally, Sweet maintains an active performance career as a bassist and guitarist across concert halls, jazz clubs, and recording studios. He has released three albums as a bandleader, composed for television/film, and performs with the Platinum Band while mastering mandolin, banjo, and ukulele.