Music Education Jobs
While most music education majors seek careers in public education as performance-based ensemble teachers, a variety of music education jobs are emerging that require both musical proficiency and an education background:
Public and Private Schools
1. Band/choir/orchestra teacher: While in college, most music education majors want to be a high school music teacher of some sort; this is probably due in some part to the recency effect: the most recent and fond memories you have of music were in your high school program, and you probably had a great deal of respect for your high school music teacher. Keep in mind how incredibly valuable middle school music teachers are in this process: the skill of being able to teach the very fundamentals of are craft (while keeping students motivated and excited) is paramount to the success of any school music program. Spend time devoted to your craft and teaching in a variety of education field experiences before making judgement on what age level you want to teach.
2. Elementary or middle level general music teacher: The elementary music teacher has one of the busiest schedules and largest amounts of responsibility: ensuring that the very basic processes of music-making are understood by all students, regardless of their background (or even interest) in music. Successful elementary music teachers are able to tie meaningful musical experiences into games and activities that are fun for students, but that also follow the curriculum for fundamental music learning. Well-known and utilized curriculum include Kodaly, Orff-Schulwerk, Suzuki, and Dalcroze, which each offer special certification for teachers who want seek advancement in their careers and skill-set. Middle school general music teachers often teach at-risk youth, students with special needs, and students who are not participating in other musical performance ensembles. To engage students, many middle school music teachers focus on music history, technology, guitar classes, rock band classes, or African drumming to provide a hands-on atmosphere.
3. Administrator: In large school districts, arts administrators are employed to be an advocate for the arts in district-related decisions, to be in charge of hiring procedures for arts positions, and to ensure a comprehensive, balanced, and viable music education curriculum is in place. Aside from arts administrators, many music educators are often sought for positions of leadership as vice-principals and principals because of their understanding of the larger framework of education. Unlike many other educators, music educators tirelessly work for vertical and horizontal integration of curriculum, are very visible to the community, handle extensive budgets, and work with populations of students all across the school. Analytically-minded music teachers can be great candidates for these types of positions.
Colleges and Universities
1. Collegiate conductor: For music educators drawn to the art of conducting, leading advanced collegiate music ensembles might be of interest to you. Collegiate conductors often get to travel both domestically and abroad with their ensembles, perform the most challenging repertoire, and have less teaching responsibilities than do most public education music teachers. Despite the advanced degrees needed for these positions, most starting salaries are much smaller than their public education counterparts, and tenure-track positions are more difficult to come by, meaning that job stability is often difficult for collegiate professors.
2. Studio faculty professor: Another position that requires advanced degrees, the studio faculty are primarily responsible for teaching their primary instrument to a studio of undergraduate or graduate students. At smaller colleges, a faculty member may teach all of the woodwind instruments, whereas a large university may employ the same person to teach only graduate level clarinet lessons. Depending on the position, studio faculty are often hired as adjunct professors, so many teach lessons between several different schools as well as in the community. The best studio faculty also have extensive performance experience and may have studied and performed with some of the best musicians in the world, and perform actively in orchestras or chamber ensembles.
3. Music theory/history/composition faculty: Those who teach theory, history, and composition often have some of the most acclaimed academic records, having presented papers, written extensive dissertations, and attended very niche-oriented conferences. Unfortunately, rarely do these faculty (or other collegiate faculty) have any practical experience in education before they are appointed to their positions, and thus are often treated as the “gate-keepers” of collegiate music programs: if you can’t keep up, get out! With a rich background in music education and a passion for theory and history, you can help contribute to warm environment for students that focuses both on academic importance and nurturing musical development.
The Private Sector:
(I use “private sector” loosely here, mostly, I mean music education opportunities for those not involved in public, private, or higher education).
1. Church music leader: Whether you conduct a church choir, lead the praise band, are a cantor, or serve some other function, you will most likely benefit from a background in music education. Sight reading, teaching the congregation a new song, leading an ensemble, and fixing intonation issues are just a few of the times when it is helpful to be a music educator.
2. Private lesson teacher: Requiring many of the same skills as a studio faculty professor, a private lesson teacher can work from the comfort of their own homes, or travel to different schools, homes and churches. While it is often difficult to initially set up a studio, word-of-mouth advertising is usually the most helpful for these teachers, and studios build through connections of families and social circles.
3. Educational consultant: Technology and public speaking consultants are often in high-demand from schools and educational companies. Traveling as a sales representative for musical instruments, overseeing educational programming, or presenting professional development clinics are just a few of the ways you can get involved as a consultant.
