Like many members of the music faculty, Dr. Jones is both a music scholar and an active performer. As a music theorist, his interests include the analysis of tonal music (especially in the realm of Schenkerian analysis), music of the Elizabethan Age, the history of music theory, issues with theory and performance, and music pedagogy. He holds a Ph.D. in music theory from Indiana University (2004), a M.M. in music theory from the University of Texas at Austin (1996) and a M.M. in guitar performance from the University of Akron (1998). In the past year, Dr. Jones has published articles entitled "Key Classes and Textural Dissonance," in Indiana Theory Review , and "Dowland Unchained: Britten's Nocturnal and the Cross-type Variation" in Guitar Review 131 . He presented his scholarly work at the 2005 Guitar Foundation of America conference, and the 2005 MO Association of the Departments and Schools of Music Fall workshop. His forthcoming article "Predictors of Success in the First-Year Music-Theory Curriculum" (with co-author Martin Bergee) and another article working with David Huron's computer toolkit "Humdrum" to yield new insight into chromaticism in the Well-Tempered Clavier are nearing completion.

Dr. Jones is also an active performer on the classical guitar, having performed throughout the United States as both a soloist and a chamber musician. He also has an extensive background in jazz and rock music, spending a year studying and performing at the Musicians' Institute in Hollywood, California. One of his more noteworthy musical engagements was as a banjo player for the Ohio Ballet, where he helped to accompany the troupe to sold-out shows at the Joyce Theater in New York City in 1998 and in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio in 1999. In Winter 2004, he performed full recitals with flutist Lara Langeneckert at both MU and CMSU. Dr. Jones will be performing as a soloist at the Elizabethan exhibit at MU Columbia (Fall 06) and the Akron Guitar Festival (Winter 2007).

Dr. Jones has been a faculty member of the MU School of Music since Fall 2002.