Jason W. Solomon
Phone: 404.471.6261
Email: jsolomon@dos5.net
Office Location: Presser 101
Academic Degrees
- B.M., University of Georgia
- M.M., University of Georgia
- Ph.D., University of Georgia
Teaching and Scholarly Interests
Professor Solomon is a music theorist, composer, and classical guitarist. His research interests include spatialization, music perception, popular music, and music theory pedagogy. His recently published textbook, Music Theory Essentials (Routledge 2019), offers a condensed and streamlined approach to music theory, covering fundamentals, tonal harmony, post-tonal materials, and popular music. Professor Solomon has presented papers at a number of conferences, including the International Conference on Music and Shape, the International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition, the College Music Society National Conference, the Rocky Mountain Society for Music Theory, and Music Theory Southeast. Articles of his appear in Theory and Practice, Soundboard, and Guitar Review, and he is currently working on several different articles and conference presentations. Professor Solomon composes both acoustic and electronic music, and he has arranged music for small ensembles as well as full orchestra. He is a founding member of the Georgia Guitar Quartet—an ensemble that has released five CDs, performs and conducts masterclasses across the nation, and has won numerous awards.
Professional Activities
Selected Publications:
- “Theorizing and Analyzing Spatial Gesture: A Case Study of Beethoven’s String Quartet no. 14 in C# Minor, op. 131,” Theory and Practice 44 (2019): 119-64.
- Music Theory Essentials: A Streamlined Approach to Fundamentals, Tonal Harmony, and Post-Tonal Materials. Abingdon and New York: Routledge, 2019.
- “Perceiving Spatial Gestures,” in Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition, ed. S.M. Demorest, S.J. Morrison, and P.S. Campbell (2010): CD-ROM, 284–89.
- “Found in Translation: De-sublimation and Spatialization in Guitar Transcriptions,” Soundboard 33.3–4 (2007): 16–24.
- “What Every Guitarist Should Know: A Guide to the Prevention and Rehabilitation of Focal Hand Dystonia,” Guitar Review 133 (2007): 2–9.
Selected Presentations:
- “The ‘Tonic-Initiating IV’ in Cadential V–IV–I Progressions,” Joint meeting of the Rocky Mountain Society for Music Theory, Rocky Mountain Chapter of the American Musicological Society, and Southwest Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, April 2016.
- “Gesture in the Space of Musical Performance,” Academic Colloquia and Monthly Exchange, Agnes Scott College, Decatur, GA, March 2016.
- “The Composite Shapes and Virtual Motions of Musical Performance,” Music and Shape, Institute of Musical Research, University of London, London, ENG, July 2012.
- “The Shaping of Sound and the Sounding of Shape: The Analysis of Spatial Gestures,” College Music Society National Conference, Minneapolis, MN, September 2010.
- “Perceiving Spatial Gestures,” The International Conference on Music Perception and Cognition, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, August 2010.
Recent and Upcoming Performances (with the Georgia Guitar Quartet):
- Rappahannock Concert Association, Lottsburg, VA (10/16/21)
- Center City Concerts, Charlotte, NC (3/16/20)
- Town of Kiawah Arts and Cultural Events, Kiawah Island, SC (2/09/20)
- South Carolina Music Educators Association, Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, Columbia, SC (2/07/20)
- North Georgia Guitar Summit, Young Harris College, Young Harris, GA (3/23/19)
- Little Carnegie of the South, Macon, GA (1/26/19)
- Cannon Classical Music Series, Sautee Nacoochee, GA (12/10/17)
- Concerto Performance (Concierto Andaluz by Joaquín Rodrigo) with the Anderson Symphony Orchestra, Greater Anderson Musical Arts Consortium, Anderson, SC (2/03/17)
- Mary McDonald Music Series, Fort Smith, AR (4/10/16)
- Rappahannock Concert Association, Lottsburg, VA (3/19/16)
- University of Georgia, Athens, GA (4/17/15)
- Pensacola Christian College, Pensacola, FL (2/14/15)
- Festiva Arts Series, Greenwood, SC (2/09/14)
- Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus, GA (9/19/13)
- Lake City Concert Series, Lake City, SC (11/15/12)
- Virginia Wesleyan College, Norfolk, VA (11/08/12)
- Hampden Sydney College, Hampden Sydney, VA (11/07/12)
- Shepherdstown College, Shepherdstown, WV (11/06/12)
- Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA (11/05/12)
- Bob Jones University, Greenville, SC (10/23/12)
- Southern Wesleyan College, Central, SC (9/20/12)
- Classical Guitar Society of Upstate New York, Binghamton, NY (2/25/12)
- Corning Civic Music Association (with Robert Sims), Corning, NY (3/24/12)
- Symphony Orchestra Augusta, Augusta, GA (3/03/12)
- Association of Performing Arts Presenters, New York City, NY (1/07/12)
- Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus, GA (9/19/11)
- First United Methodist Church, Warner Robbins, GA (9/18/11)
- University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS (9/16/11)
- Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI (4/03/11)
- Concord University (with Robert Sims), Athens, WV (3/22/11)
- Mostly Music Concert Series (with Robert Sims), Chicago, IL (11/14/10)