Cleveland Institute Of Music Appoints M. Jerome Bell To Music Theory Faculty

The Cleveland Institute of Music has announced the appointment of M. Jerome Bell as Assistant Professor of Music Theory. Bell previously served as a guest lecturer at the institution.

Bell’s research focuses on music theory pedagogy, linear analysis, schema theory, and modal fluidity in Black gospel music. His work has been presented at national and regional conferences, including “Analyzing Gospel: Modal Fluidity in the Works of Tye Tribbett and Richard Smallwood,” which received the Arthur J. Komar Award from Music Theory Midwest.

“Jerome Bell represents the very best of the next generation of music theorists—an accomplished scholar whose work is both intellectually rigorous and culturally resonant,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Scott Harrison. “His ability to connect analysis to living musical practice, combined with his extensive teaching experience with students of all ages and backgrounds, makes him uniquely equipped to prepare our students for meaningful, relevant careers in music. We are thrilled to welcome a teacher and mentor of his caliber to our community.”

“I am elated to be joining CIM‘s music theory faculty on a more permanent basis,” said Bell. “I look forward to sharing my diverse perspectives and expertise with the wonderful and talented students here at CIM, making the music theory instruction here all the more practical, accessible, and meaningful.”

A native of Buffalo, New York, Bell has received multiple teaching honors, including the Eastman School of Music’s TA Prize in 2022 and the University of Rochester’s Edward Peck Curtis Award in 2025. His dissertation, “Applying Analytical Approaches to Millennial Gospel Music,” examines the relationship between melody, bass line, and lyrics in contemporary gospel.

Bell holds a Bachelor of Music in composition and a Master of Music with dual concentrations in composition and conducting from Houghton University. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in music theory at the Eastman School of Music.

The Cleveland Institute of Music trains classical musicians for careers as performers, composers, and educators, and presents a wide range of performances and community programs throughout the Midwest.