For Music Theory and Composition jobs that begin in 2021.
- NEW 7/1 Next year's page: Music Theory/Composition 2021-22
Last year's page, for jobs that started in 2020: Music Theory/Composition 2019-20
Music Theory/Composition 2018-19 (2 years ago)
Music Theory/Composition 2017-18 (3 years ago)
Music Theory/Composition 2016–2017 (4 years ago)
See also: Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
RECENT ACTIVITY on the Music Theory/Composition Wiki[]
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Theory Only[]
Ashland University (open until filled, posted 4/28) Adjunct Instructor of Music Theory and Aural Skills
- 6/8 Invitation for phone conversation
- 7/7 Position accepted
Baylor University (deadline 4/30, priority date 4/5) Lecturer, Non-Tenure Track, Music Theory
- 6/8 Position filled
Berklee College of Music (open until filled, posted 3/2) Chair of Ear Training
Berklee College of Music (open until filled, posted 7/8) Part Time Faculty, Ear Training
Cape Code Community College (review begins immediately, posted 6/1) Instructor, Music Theory (part-time)
College of William and Mary (deadline 7/12) Adjunct Lecturer of Music
- "The Department of Music at William & Mary is currently recruiting for an Instructor for Tonal Theory Lab (MUSC 201L) and Voice (MUSC V10-40)."
Dean College (open until filled, posted 8/11) Adjunct Faculty - Fundamentals of Music (Fall 2021)
Drake University (deadline 7/1) Visiting Assistant Professor, Music
- Posted 5/25. If this is supposed to start late August as stated, I have a hard time believing that they'll really wait until July 1 to start reviewing applications.
- 7/26 Request for Zoom interview. (x2)
- 8/9 Rejection received; position filled
East Tennessee State University (open until filled, posted 5/4) Lecturer, Theory and Aural Skills
- "The department of Music is seeking applications for a Lecturer – Theory and Aural Skills. The successful candidate will oversee the theory/aural skills area and teach music theory/aural skills classes. Each section is a combined theory/aural skills class for four days a week, 4 credits. The candidate may perform other departmental duties as assigned by the chair."
- Salary: $30,000.00
- 5/27 On-campus interview scheduled
- 6/11 offer accepted by Neal Endicott (DMA Michigan State)
Florida Gulf Coast University (deadline 11/30) Assistant Professor, Music
- N.B. https://www.fgcu.edu/about/ "Unlike most universities, we do not have a tenure system so faculty members work on multi-year contracts."
- 12/30 any updates here?
- 2/4 Checked my candidate profile on the employment website. Status listed as "Approved for Interview" but have heard nothing from FGCU. (x3)
- 2/6: Check your Spam folder! I had an interview request go there once... If nothing there, I think it's perfectly appropriate to contact the department and inquire if there was a missed communication somewhere.
- 2/14: Despite the approved status, still haven't heard anything, including voicemail and spam folder. Anyone know who we should contact to ask? There's no specific email address on the application.
- 2/15: I contacted the director of the music department via email. He reassured me that I did not miss any messages. (No further updates, though.)
- 2/15 (2): Couldn't that ("Approved for Interview") just mean that HR has verified that you meet the minimum requirements?
- 2/15 (3): This is probably the case. It's also possible that the department has made a short list, but either 1) hasn't got around to scheduling interviews yet, or 2) is only interviewing a subset of that list at this time.
- 2/18: References contacted
- 2/18 (x4): Invitation for a Zoom interview
- 3/22: Any updates?
- 3/22 No word
- 3/31 Campus visit scheduled (x2)
- 4/29 Offer accepted by Jennifer Salamone (PhD University of Kentucky; VAP at Oberlin Conservatory)
Fresno City College (deadline 05/27) Music Theory Instructor Full-Time
- 5/28 Received rejection email (less than 24 hours after submitting application).
- 6/8 request to schedule a 2-hour interview for week of 6/14 (x2)
- 6/17 Rejection received
Georgetown University (deadline 4/15) Assistant Teaching Professor of Practice, Music Theory (1-year)
- 4/26 Invitation for Zoom interview (x2)
- 5/24 Offer accepted by Fred Hosken (PhD Northwestern University)
Grove City College (open until filled, posted 3/10) Music Instructor – Aural Skills 1 and 2 (part-time)
- "Please send ... a letter of interest that 1) explains how your Christian faith represents a strong fit with Grove City College’s unique mission as a Christian college"
Heidelburg University (review begins immediately, posted 7/13) Adjunct Instructor of Theory and Aural Skills
Hochschule für Künste Bremen (deadline 9/30) Professor, Early Music Theory
Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (deadline 1/15) Assistant Professor of Music (Music Theory)
- 1/27 Request for materials + Zoom interview x2
- 2/17 Invitation for virtual campus visit
- 3/13 Any results here? (x2)
- Virtual campus interviews are underway
- 3/29 Any updates here?
- 4/3 Finalists have already given on-campus interviews/colloquia.
- 4/6 Rejection received
- 4/6 Any idea who accepted the job offer?
- 4/7 Anyone else not receive a rejection?
- 4/14 I didn't receive a rejection either - I sent materials & did a preliminary interview but not a campus 'visit.' In my experience, some schools will only inform you if you were a rejected finalist.
- 5/3 Offer accepted by Michèle Duguay (The Graduate Center, CUNY) and Orit Hilewicz (Eastman, PhD Columbia 2017)
James Madison University (review begins 12/28) Assistant Professor, Music Theory
- 1/7 Invite for Zoom interview
- 2/1 Anyone hear anything since Zoom interviews took place?
- 2/1 Brief follow-up Zoom interview (not virtual campus visit) scheduled
- 2/17 Virtual campus visit scheduled
- 3/13 Any results here? (x2)
- 4/7 Rejection received
- 4/19 Offer accepted by Judith Ofcarcik (Ph.D. Florida State; Assistant Professor, Fort Hays State University)
Miami University (deadline 1/7) Assistant Professor of Music Theory
- 1/30 request for materials
- 2/12 Request for short Zoom interview (x2)
- Any updates here?
- 2/28 Not a word since Zoom interviews (x3)
- 3/6 Invitation for a virtual campus visit
- 3/28 Any updates?
- 5/7 Offer accepted by Sam Reenan (PhD Eastman; Lecturer, Hamilton College)
McGill University (deadline 5/7) Research Assistant (summer, part-time)
Mott Community College (open until filled, posted 6/7/21) Music Instructor, Music Theory/Aural Skills (part-time)
- 6/30 Invite for a zoom interview
New England Conservatory (deadline 2/1) Music Theory Faculty
- N.B. NEC does not offer tenure.
- 2/26 rejection received (x4)
- 3/1 request for additional materials
NYU (open until filled, posted 6/28) Adjunct Faculty - Music Theory
- "The NYU Steinhardt Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions (MPAP) Music Theory program seeks qualified candidates to teach undergraduate Music Theory 1 and Aural Comprehension 1. Courses meet on campus twice a week, Monday – Thursday, 8:00–9:15am, starting September, 2021."
Northern Vermont University (none listed, posted 5/4) Adjunct Instructor for MUS-1085: Elements of Music (online)
Northwestern University (deadline 3/12) One-Year Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Cognition
- (3/29) Any updates here?
- 3/31 Request for additional materials
- 5/10 Offer made
Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University) (open until filled, posted 3/19) Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory
- 4/20 notification from the committee: "We are currently reviewing applications and will begin moving forward with the process shortly." (x3)
- 5/7 Invitation for a Zoom interview
Purdue University Fort Wayne (deadline 9/30) Lecturer in Music Theory
- Begins Spring 2021
- Duties: Coordinate music theory curriculum with other instructors. Teach assigned music theory courses. Advise and mentor undergraduate majors and supervise tutoring program with university personnel. Actively participate in the work of the School of Music and other duties as assigned by the director.
- 10/19 Invitation for a Zoom meeting
- 11/02 Campus Interviews are underway
Royal Military School of Music (deadline 8/26) Professor of Harmony and Aural (Academic Professor of Music), part-time
- "The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system."
SAE Institute Chicago (no deadline listed) Music Theory - Adjunct Instructor
San Francisco Conservatory of Music (open until filled, posted 5/14) Musicianship Instructor (Pre-College division, part-time)
Shenandoah University (deadline 6/21) Adjunct Instructor of Music Theory
- 6/29 Offer made
Smith College (deadline 10/15) Assistant Professor of Music (Music Theory)
- Deadline appears to have been extended to Oct 26, 2020 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
- (11/25) Any updates on this search?
- 11/30 Request for materials + Zoom interview (x3)
- 2/7 Any updates here?
- 2/7 Campus interviews are underway
- 3/4 Rejection received
- 3/13 Any results here?
- Position accepted by Maeve Sterbenz (PhD Columbia, VAP Wellesley College)
Spelman College (deadline 7/15) Part-time Lecturer, Theory and Aural Skills
SUNY Ulster (deadline 8/20) Adjunct Faculty – Music Theory I, Music Theory III, Aural Skills I, and Aural Skills III
Syracuse University (posted 11/5) Part-time faculty, Diatonic Harmony II (Spring 2021)
Syracuse University (posted 12/8) Part-Time Faculty: MTC 646.1 Advanced Tonal Analysis (Spring 2021)
University of Arkansas (deadline 4/22, but review begins immediately) Instructor of Music Theory (3-year position)
- 6/10 rejection
University of Calgary (deadline 3/30) Sessional Instructor, Introduction to Music Theory for Non-majors (Spring/Summer 2021)
University of Connecticut (review begins immediately, posted 1/8/21; preferred deadline 3/8) Assistant Professor of Music Theory
- 2/18 The posting on SMT Jobs listing says "Evaluation of applicants will begin immediately. PREFERRED APPLICATION DEADLINE March 8, 2021."
- 2/19 I have limited experience being on search committees. Can someone provide some insight into a job that's posted in mid-January with a note that says "evaluation begins immediately," and then is re-announced in mid-February with a "preferred application deadline" of early March? (And the preferred application deadline is the day the online application system appears to stop accepting applications.) Why announce that you're beginning reviews immediately if the deadline isn't for two months?
- 3/3 They're probably trying to encourage folks not to apply right at the deadline. They announced back in the fall that they would likely be hiring, presumably so that interested people could start getting their materials together. They were probably handed the March 8 deadline from above, since you're required to have the job posted for a certain amount of time, but March 8 gives them VERY little time to look through applications and go through all the stages of the hiring process. So my guess is that in encouraging people to apply early, they're hoping to avoid having 40+ applications all come in on the last day, which will ease the burden on the SC.
- 3/24 Any updates?
- 3/24b Invitation for a video interview (x3)
- 5/1 Any updates?
- 5/21 Offer accepted: Stefanie Acevedo (Ph.D. Yale; Assistant Professor, University of Dayton)
University of Dayton (deadline 8/1) Visiting Assistant Professor specializing in Music Theory
- 8/3 Round 1 Zoom interview
- 8/5 On-campus interviews scheduled
- 8/13 Offer made and accepted, Danielle Sofer, PhD 2016 University of Music and Performing Arts Graz
University of Denver (deadline 6/28) Adjunct Faculty, Music Theory
University of Dortmund (deadline 8/19) Professor (W2) in Music Theory
- 7/20 The announcement is unclear, but I believe this is actually for Fall 2020, not 2021. European job searches are often done much closer to the start of the job than in the US.
- 7/21 Ad only says "as soon as possible." I believe the German "fall semester" normally begins October 1 and the "spring semester" April 1. An August 19 deadline seems incredibly late for an October 1 start date (unless the outcome is pre-determined), but I'm used to the US hiring system so I suppose it's possible!
- 7/24 A variety of things might be lost in translation here (not necessarily linguistic---there's obviously differences in academic cultures). According to Wikipedia's article on academic ranks in the UK, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_ranks_in_the_United_Kingdom the W2 rank is equivalent to US associate professor (or higher). The German equivalent of this page, "Liste akademische Grade (Deutschland)" lists degrees, not professorship ranks--"Dr. habil." reminds us of the extra hoop of Habilitation there. SMT's job listings list this job as "Full Professor," which may have to do with how the position was submitted to the SMT or with how it was interpreted by the organization. I am very happy to stand corrected if any of the information that I wrote here is incorrect (like probably most users of this wiki, I am much more familiar with US academia).
University of Durham (UK) (deadline 2/26) Assistant Professor in Music Analysis
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- 15/1 Is this the same search from last year? Was that search cancelled? From the website, it doesn't look like anyone new joined the department.
- 16/1a It is the same search. Last year it was cancelled because "we are strongly committed to increasing the diversity of our Department and in this respect, we regrettably observed that our advertisement had not attracted a sufficiently diverse pool of applicants. For instance, only 16% of the applicants were female, whereas the benchmark in this sector (UK Music Departments) is 37%". I believe they are looking for a woman.
- 16/1b Is this information verified by someone in the department? After that statement was posted last year, they extended the deadline and invited folks to interview. Women were certainly rejected.
- 3/11 Any updates?
- 3/18 Rejection received (x4)
- 3/19 Notification of long-listing.
- 3/28 Any updates?
- 5/13 Offer accepted by Daniel Walden (Junior Research Fellow, Queen's College Oxford; PhD Harvard)
University of Hartford (deadline 8/23) Adjunct Faculty: Musicianship for Music Theatre
University of Michigan (deadline 5/3) Aural Skills Coordinator (1-year, renewable)
University of Michigan (deadline 8/7) Music Theory Department, Lecturer I
University of Missouri (Columbia) (deadline 4/9) Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory
- 4/22 Virtual campus visit scheduled
- 6/6: Offer accepted by Bonnie McClarty (DMA, University of Kansas)
University of Missouri-Kansas City (deadline 4/2) Assistant Professor of Music Theory
- 4/5 Request for additional materials
- 4/12 Zoom interview scheduled (x2)
- 4/20 Campus visit scheduled
- 5/13 Offer made and accepted (Noel Torres-Rivera, PhD CUNY)
University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz (deadline 1/22/21) University Professorship for Harmony and Counterpoint (begins summer 2022)
- Scroll down for posting in English
University of North Texas (deadline 7/30/21) Journal of Schenkerian Studies, Editor/Co-Editors
- "The University of North Texas (UNT) is seeking applications for a new editor or editorial team for the Journal of Schenkerian Studies. Editor(s) will serve a 3-year term, beginning (tentatively) no later than January 2022. We hope that the new editor(s) will help rejuvenate the journal, redefine it in light of the current state of music theory as a field, and restructure and rebrand it to promote its long term viability."
- 5/20 Discussion moved to Talk page.
- 5/25: I don't see the talk page to which you refer. Could you link to it from here, or else point out where on this page it's listed?
- Talk:Music Theory/Composition 2020-21
- Why is the talk page being censored? Why are people blocked from commenting and their comments being erased? Are you so afraid of certain opinions that you must remove any evidence of them? Only in Mainland China and the Music Theory Talk page do we have such erasure of comments unpleasant to those in power.
- 5/28: This is factually inaccurate and rhetorically reprehensible. Further, it does not belong here. Moderator, please move this to the Talk page (along with this response to it.)
- Personal attacks will be deleted - please see the wiki-wide Rules page linked above. Anyone can comment on the Talk page but users must have an established account. -5120j
University of Oklahoma (review begins immediately, posted 5/19) Lecturer of Music Theory (full-time NTT, one year)
- 6/14 Position filled
University of Texas at Dallas (deadline 7/16) Assistant/Associate Professor of Instruction-Music Theory
- (7/21) Invitation for a Teams interview
- 8/9 Rejection received
Victoria Conservatory of Music (deadline 5/31) Instructor, Tonal Harmony I and II
Wesleyan University (deadline 3/30) Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Theory
- "The field of specialization is open, with a preference for music theoretical research grounded in historical or ethnographic methods. Interests that cross disciplinary boundaries are welcome, as are additional fields of expertise. Teaching will include undergraduate courses in both theory and music history and an introductory graduate research seminar."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- 4/28 Zoom interview scheduled (x3)
West Virginia University (Review begins 11/30) Teaching Assistant Professor of Music Theory
- 2/16 Any updates here?
- 2/28a I logged into the application portal and saw the message, "The job is no longer available." Does this mean that it is a canceled search? Or that the position has been filled?
- 2/28b: Not necessarily. After logging in, did you click on the "My Jobpage" tab? It should include your submission as opposed to the posting.
- 2/28c: Aha, there it is. Many thanks!
- 3/1a: Don't mention it. Apparently the job is still "Active" and "Accepting submissions," even though it's no longer available. It may be worth reaching out to someone at WVU for an update. <-- 3/1b: Emailed the department. Was told that the search is still ongoing.
- 4/12: rejection received (x3)
Wilfrid Laurier University (deadline 4/14) MU264 - Theory III and IV, Spring 2021 (May 10 – July 5) (to be taught remotely)
Wilfrid Laurier University (deadline 7/27) Part-time Contract Teaching Faculty (CTF) Fall 2021 (Remote)
Theory/Performance, etc.[]
Albion College (review begins immediately, posted 3/15) Visiting Assistant Professor of Jazz & Popular Music
- "Seeking a candidate to direct Albion College Jazz Collective and teach courses in jazz and popular music. Other teaching according to the background and abilities of the candidate and the needs of the department, including one or more of the following: songwriting, music production, music technology, game music, arts management & entrepreneurship, applied lessons."
Bard College (no deadline listed, posted 12/4) Instructor in Chinese Music Theory and Performance
Bellarmine University (Open until filled, posted 10/29) Instructor, Music; Piano and Theory Emphasis
- "This is a non-tenure track, 24 hour course load position. This faculty member will teach: Applied piano to all Piano majors; Collaborative Performance and Accompanying; Instrumental Pedagogy I and II; Theory I, II, and III as needed; Theory IV; Counterpoint, Form and Analysis; Choral Writing and Arranging, occasionally as needed. ... While the position carries a 24 hour load, all full-time faculty members are expected to engage in scholarship and service."
- Update 6/10: Position filled (Louis Hehman, DMA University of South Carolina)
Brandeis University Visiting Assistant Professor of Music (deadline 4/15)
- "The successful candidate will join a small, active department and will have a 3-2 teaching load, which, depending on the candidate’s area of expertise, could include the following: a music fundamentals class for non-majors, a course in our music history sequence, a half-credit music ensemble course, and one or two graduate seminars of interest to our musicology students and/or our composition students. ... Candidates should preferably hold a Ph.D. in Musicology, Ethnomusicology, or Music Theory by the time of appointment but advanced ABDs will be considered."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- From musicology wiki: 4/23 - Request for additional materials and interview
- From musicology wiki: 5/21 - Notified that the department has been approved for a second position. Request for additional materials and brief interview.
- From musicology wiki: 6/1 - Notified that department has hired two individuals.
Bushnell University (no deadline listed, posted 3/16) Faculty Position: Music and Performing Arts (Rank Open)
- "The appointee will be responsible for routine teaching in the general music curriculum (e.g., theory, music appreciation, music technology, performance) and in areas of personal expertise. ... Candidate must be a member of and actively engaged in a Christian congregation. Must also be able to identify with and support the Bushnell Theological Context for Community statement."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
California State University, Fresno (deadline 11/2) Assistant Professor of Flute
- Primary teaching responsibilities and scholarly activities will be in the area of Flute instruction and Flute ensemble, with a secondary focus such as, but not limited to; Music Theory, Ear Training, Music History, Music Appreciation, Music Technology, World Music, or another area of expertise.
California State University, Monterey Bay (deadline 1/31) Assistant Professor of Music
- "The ideal candidate will have expertise in the scholarship and performance of one or more Chicanx/Latinx musical traditions... Preferred Qualifications: Basic fluency in concepts and vocabulary of music technology (particularly those involving audio engineering); Experience in, or evidence of potential for, teaching in a lower-division music theory and musicianship core sequence ..."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- From musicology wiki: 2/12: Request for more materials (x2)
- From musicology wiki: 2/16: Request for Zoom interview (x2)
- From musicology wiki: 3/19: Invitation for (virtual) on-campus interview
- From musicology wiki: 5/20: Email stating a candidate has accepted the position
College of the Atlantic (Review begins immediately, posted 1/7) Full Time Faculty Member in Music
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- 2/24: Any updates here?
- From musicology wiki: 3/1 Email received to schedule interview
- 3/21: Rejection received (x4)
College of William and Mary (deadline 7/12) Visiting Instructor / Visiting Asst Professor of Music in Choral Conducting
- "Experience teaching college level courses in music history or music theory and composition is desirable"
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
Columbia College (Sonora, CA) (deadline 5/30) Instructor of Music, Full-Time-Temporary One Year 2021-22
- "Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Teaching lower division college courses in Music such as the following: general education, music theory, and instrumental/vocal music performance groups; Implementing effective strategies to teach music theory..."
Cypress College (deadline 2/10) Vocal Jazz & Theory Instructor
Davidson College (deadline 10/18) Assistant Professor of Music
- "We seek a specialist in African diasporic musics who has the ability to teach courses such as but not limited to, jazz history & theory, hip hop theory and practice, musical ethnography, improvisation, and transcription. The ability to direct student performances related to their area of expertise is highly desirable."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
Doane University (review begins immediately, posted 3/30) Assistant Professor of Music (Piano/Theory)
- "Responsibilities include teaching music theory and ear training, teaching piano lessons, and overseeing all piano instruction and accompanists in a thriving department."
- Also posted at Piano 2020-21
- 5/14: Rejection received
Eastern Oklahoma State College (review begins immediately, posted 9/22) Instructor of Music/Director of Music and Choral Ensembles
- "The successful candidate will teach courses in music theory, including harmony, ear training, and sight- singing and vocal and instrumental performance classes"
- 11/5 Received an email saying the position has been closed
Eastern Oregon University (deadline 9/15) Full-time Instructor of Jazz and Contemporary Music
- "Teaching responsibilities include ensemble instruction for small instrumental groups. The successful candidate would also teach music theory, individualized lessons for woodwinds and classes in improvisation as needed."
- "Internal EOU candidates only"
Eckerd College (deadline 4/5) Assistant Professor of Music
- "Teach seven courses per academic year (3-1-3) including a rotation of traditional and pop music theory, music history and culture courses, Rock Lab, a co-taught Introduction to Interdisciplinary Arts course, and upper-level electives. Expertise in music production and music technology is a plus."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- 4/21 Rejection received (x2)
Elon University (deadline 11/29) Musical Director/Conductor in Music Theatre
- "Elon University’s Department of Performing Arts invites applications for a Musical Director/Conductor in Music Theatre full-time lecturer or tenure-track position depending on professional experiences and educational qualifications"
- "Primary responsibilities include musical directing and conducting mainstage productions and teaching Music Theatre History, Music Theatre Literature, and Music Theory/Sight-Singing all from a global perspective. Strong keyboard, programming, and sound design experience as well as secondary area in vocal coaching and writing for music theatre is desired."
Fort Lewis College (deadline 5/23) Visiting Instructor of Music (Music Theory and Upper Strings)
- Salary is $39,000
Guilford Technical Community College (deadline 7/2) Instructor, Music
- "Under general supervision, this individual will develop, prepare and teach courses designed for transfer and in support of career technical programs to include music and entertainment technology courses. These could include fundamentals of music, electronic music, music appreciation, history of rock, music theory, aural skills, music ensemble and other music courses as needed."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
Hamilton College (deadline 3/15) Visiting Assistant Professor of Music
- "We seek candidates to teach music theory and Western music history with an emphasis on the period from 1750-1900. ... The teaching load for this position is five courses, including music theory, music history, and an introductory listening course that encompasses a diverse range of musics and approaches."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- From musicology wiki: 3/19: Zoom interview request (x3)
- From musicology wiki: 3/26 Invitation for virtual "on-campus" interview
- From musicology wiki: 4/15 offer made and accepted
Hochschule für Musik Freiburg (deadline 1/17) W3 Professorship for Music Theory with focus on Jazz/Pop/Arrangement
- 3/28 Any updates?
Illinois College (deadline 4/18)
- "Responsibilities include directing choral ensembles, teaching courses in music theory and music history, and offering general education courses in areas such as Western Art Music, World Music, and Popular Music. Additionally, the successful candidate will offer private lessons in voice and piano."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
James Madison University (review begins immediately, posted 7/1) Adjunct Instructor (Aural Skills) and Media Specialist
- "The James Madison University School of Music is currently hiring for two part-time positions, which will ideally be filled by one candidate: (1) adjunct instructor of aural skills and (2) media specialist. The combined position is funded for three years with the possibility that the media specialist portion may become full time. The position’s duties include: teaching two sections of aural skills each semester; running the audio/video streaming system for the concert halls; and updating and maintaining the School of Music website, social media, and events calendars. "
Judson College (Review begins immediately, posted 9/23) Assistant Professor of Music: Piano & Theory
- "Founded in 1838, Judson College, a woman’s college affiliated with the Alabama Baptist Convention, employs faculty who profess faith in Jesus Christ and who are dedicated to teaching and service as they model the principles of the Christian faith. Candidates considering the application process should have a serious Christian commitment that is reflected in their scholarship, teaching, and mentoring of undergraduate students."
- Also posted at Piano 2020-21
- 5/6 https://www.wbrc.com/2021/05/06/report-judson-college-board-trustees-vote-close-school/
Lee University (deadline 1/10) Assistant/Associate Professor of Music (Trumpet/Music Theory)
- "Qualifications of the ideal candidate include the following: an earned doctorate in trumpet performance or music theory and graduate-level training in the other of the two discipline ... Candidates must have a commitment to Christian higher education and the integration of faith with teaching/learning."
LeMoyne-Owen College (no deadline listed, posted 6/25) Assistant Professor in Music
- "The faculty member in music will teach 12 hours of course work each semester in music theory, aural theory, music history and other courses that may be related to music technology and production as well as other areas of expertise dependent on the qualifications of the applicant and needs of the department each semester. Additionally, the successful candidate will assist in the refinement of the concentration in music technology and production."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
Lincoln University of Pennsylvania (Open until filled, posted 2/2) Adjunct – Music Department
- "The department of Visual & Performing Arts seeks applications for adjunct professors to teach courses in the following areas: music composition, arranging, music production, and woodwind performance. "
Marywood University (deadline 1/19) Assistant Professor of Music Theory & Guitar
- 3/15 Rejection received
Middle Tennessee State University (deadline 5/20) Music (Bassoon and Academic Studies), Full-Time Lecturer
- "Teach applied bassoon to undergraduate and graduate students ... Teach core undergraduate required courses in music theory or closely related subjects."
North Dakota State University (deadline 6/18, but review begins immediately) Assist Professor of Practice
- "The Challey School of Music at North Dakota State University seeks a full-time professor of practice who will teach composition, teach in the music theory/music history sequence, contribute to methods courses in double reeds, teach and articulate with other areas of NDSU in entrepreneurship initiatives, and contribute technical and supervisory expertise for hardware and software technology and recording applications and their deployment throughout the Division of Performing Arts."
- "Minimum Qualifications: Doctorate in Music Composition..."
- 5/26 Posting no longer seems to be up. The link leads to the generic Careers page and the opening does not come up when searched for.
- 5/27 Yes, it appears to be gone. So much for "Full consideration of applications guaranteed through June 18, 2021." I wonder if it was a fake search, or if there was an error in the ad. Here are a couple places where you can still see it: https://www.experience.nd.gov/work/jobs/detail.aspx?jobID=7288 or https://www.jobshq.com/job/3857330/assist-professor-of-practice/ -5120j
Northwest Missouri State University (review begins 4/9) Assistant Professor or Term Lecturer, Percussion and Music Theory
Point University (open until filled, posted 3/18) Instructor of Piano and Music Theory
- "Preferred qualifications: Background in church music leadership"
- Also posted at Piano 2020-21
Portland State University (deadline 4/15, but screening begins 3/1) Assistant Professor of Music Theory/Brass
Reedley Community College (deadline 3/16) Music Theory/Instrumental Music Instructor Full-Time
Rose State College (deadline 7/16) Professor, Music
- "Primarily responsible for teaching fifteen (15) credit hours per semester of music courses including but not limited to Introduction to Music Theory, Harmony and Aural Theory. May include hours as accompanist. Teach applied individual and group lessons."
Schoolcraft College (deadline 3/31) Instructor - Music (Full-Time)
- "Provide a broad range of music instruction. Oversee the Music and Theatre departments within the division of Liberal Arts & Sciences. ... Preferred Qualifications: 1. Doctorate in Music Theory or Performance."
- 4/20 Any updates on this search?
- 4/22 Invitation for a Zoom interview
- 5/19 Invitation for a Zoom meeting with the CAO
- 6/7 Rejection received; offer went to an internal candidate
Springfield College (review begins "May 2021") Open Rank Professor of Music & Department Chair
- "The courses taught should fit the experience and expertise of the successful candidate but are likely to land within the categories of basic music theory, music history or music appreciation. A background in choral performance, accompaniment, and/or choral conducting is highly preferred for this position."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
State Fair Community College (no deadline listed, posted 3/29) Adjunct Music Instructor, Aural Skills/Piano
Sterling College (review begins immediately, posted 3/10) Music Faculty Position
- "Teaching responsibilities may include theory and aural skills, elementary music methods, class piano, private lessons, worship classes, and other courses based upon the candidate’s strengths and departmental needs ... All SC employees are expected to integrate a strong Christian faith into every aspect of life and learning."
- The application process requires filling out a "faith questionnaire."
- Also posted at Piano 2020-21
Towson University (deadline 6/10) Lecturer in Cello
- "The College of Fine Arts and Communication, Department of Music, invites applications for a one-year, 10-month Lecturer in Cello with complementary teaching areas in Music Education, Music Theory/Musicianship and/or Music History & Culture."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
Queen's University (deadline 4/19) Theory and/or Composition (2-year term appointment)
University of Alaska Anchorage (deadline 2/14) Term Instructor of Music (Aural Skills/Music Appreciation/Brass Methods/Orchestral Conducting)
- Has to be a targeted/inside hire?
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
University of Central Florida (deadline 3/25) Assistant Professor, Music (Bassoon, Theory)
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (open until filled, posted 3/16) Part-Time Lecturer – Music Theory, Piano, and Staff Accompanist
- "The Department of Music invites applications for Part-time Lecturer (PTL) positions in Piano, Music Theory, and Staff Accompanist (voice studio and university choir)."
- Also posted at Piano 2020-21
University of North Texas (no deadline listed, posted 11/18/20) Assistant/Associate Professor of Jazz
- "Minimum Qualification: Doctorate in music (PhD, DMA, DMus, etc.) in jazz studies, music theory, musicology, ethnomusicology, or music history at the time of appointment"
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- From musicology wiki: 2/23 Skype interviews held a few weeks ago; simultaneous request for materials
- From musicology wki: 3/1 "On-Campus" interviews this week via Zoom
- 4/6: A hire was publicly announced last week
- 4/14: it is Kimberly Hannon Teal (PhD Eastman, currently: University of Arkansas)
University of Plymouth (deadline 6/3) Lecturer in Music
- "You will be expected to teach across the University's undergraduate and postgraduate Music curriculum, including core areas such as performance, composition, and musicology."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (open until filled, posted 5/3) One Year Appointment Lecturer I – Double Reed/Aural Skills
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (open until filled, posted 5/6) One Year Appointment Lecturer I – Applied Music
- "Primary responsibilities include teaching Class Piano, Aural Skills, World Music and Accompanying; and other duties assigned as needed by the School of Music Director. ... There will be multiple positions with teaching assignments in, Piano and Theory."
- Also posted at Piano 2020-21
University of the Ozarks (review begins immediately, posted 4/20) Assistant Professor of Music
- "The desired applicant would have at least a Master of Music degree or a Master of Arts degree in music with professional performing skill and the ability to teach courses in music and music theory. The position has a reduced teaching load in order to support an aggressive growth plan in music, leading to additional faculty hires in July 2023 and July 2024. Preference will be given to those with experience in vocal instruction and/or choral direction, along with knowledge of recruiting opportunities in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas."
University of Würzburg (deadline 1/25) Assistant Professor of Digital Music Philology and Music Theory
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- 3/28 Any updates?
Valley City State University (deadline 7/20) Special Appointment Assistant Professor for Percussion/Music Theory
- "The primary responsibilities of this position include teaching applied and ensemble percussion, percussion methods, and music theory courses in an innovative music program. "
Valparaiso University (deadline 1/6) Residential Postdoctoral Fellowship, Humanities and the Arts
- We offer up to two two-year residential postdoctoral teaching fellowships in all areas of the Humanities and the Arts for 2021-2023 for scholars seriously considering academic careers in church‑related institutions.
Victoria College (Victoria, TX) (open until filled, posted 9/14) Adjunct Instructor - Music
- "Victoria College is hiring Adjunct Instructors to teach music major courses in Sight Singing and Ear Training, Class Piano, and Music Theory."
Wartburg College (no deadline listed, posted 12/17/20) Assistant Professor of Music (History/Theory)
- "Teach undergraduate core music theory and music history courses. Other responsibilities may include an applied area of specialty. Preferred: Proven expertise in piano instruction."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- From musicology wiki: 3/16: Any updates here? I noticed on Chronicle that Wartburg just posted another position, Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, asking for evidence of studio/strings instruction and preferred DMA in orchestral conducting.
- From musicology wiki: 3/17: Applied a while back, but have not heard anything. (x2)
- From musicology wiki: 3/17: Offered a Zoom interview
- 3/23 According to email today from HR, "The Search Committee has been working on narrowing down candidates and plans to schedule interviews within the next week."
- 5/11: Rejection Received
Western Carolina University (posted 9/9) Assistant Professor in Musical Theatre
- "Conducting, sight-reading and piano accompaniment skills. Teaching assignments include a sequential Musicianship I and II for musical theatre students, Song Study, and Ensembles."
- 11/29 Any updates here?
- 2/9 It's been crickets here. Anything to share?
Theory/Composition, etc.[]
American University (deadline 6/28) Full-time Faculty Search in Music Theory/Composition (1 year position)
- 6/29: Request for further materials
- 7/9: Invite for Zoom interview
- 8/10: Rejection received
Colby College (deadline 1/1) Visiting Assistant Professor in Music Theory/Composition (Spring 2021)
- 1/11: Notification saying that I made the short list x3
- 1/20: Email notification that the position was filled
- 1/20: Position filled by Elizabeth Hambleton, UCSB (Ph.D. in Music Theory, 2020)
Geneva College (no deadline listed, posted 10/13) Part Time Musical Composition Instructor
- "Teach applied lessons in composition; Guide students in compositional projects and recitals; Possibly teach courses related to music theory, depending on departmental need; Possibly teach piano related courses, depending on departmental need."
- "Christian Commitment: eligible candidates must be a thoughtful and articulate Christian and an active member of a Protestant evangelical Christian church."
- 11/30 Position has been closed per department chair
Heidelberg University (deadline 2/1, posted 12/17) Assistant Professor of Composition and Theory
- As of 12/21, please note that the linked ad says both "Review of candidates will begin on February 1, 2021 and will continue until the position has been filled" and "Review of candidates will begin immediately and will continue until the position has been filled." Not sure which one is accurate.
- According to someone in university admin I asked, the dual statements *seemingly* could be a way to express that they will only seriously review things until Feb. 1 if they haven't found their candidates yet. This isn't the first or last time this has happened from my years of applying either. Proceed wisely.
- 3/3 Any updates?
- 3/8 Invite for Zoom interview x3
- 3/28 Any updates?
- 3/29 Invite for on-campus interview (x2)
- 5/3 Offer Accepted (Matthew Kennedy, DMA The Hartt School, Research Instructor USF)
Meredith College (no deadline listed, posted 1/26) Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition
- Despite the title, this is a one-year (renewable) position.
- 2/19 Generic email saying "review will begin soon, make sure your application is complete" (x4)
- 2/26 Invite for phone interview
- 3/11 Any updates?
- 3/11 Virtual campus visit scheduled
- 3/28 Any updates?
- 3/31 Invite to visit campus
- 4/6 Administration cancelled the search.
- 4/28 Did this search really get cancelled? If so, the rejection I just received seems extra: "After a thorough search and much thought, we have selected an individual we feel most closely meets the needs for the position." (x5)
- 6/27 The rejection letter seems par for the course with the department trying to save face with a search being canceled. The college’s budget is alway tight with the preference to not change an adjunct position back to a full-time position. Looked at the website, their go-to adjunct (who is at retirement age) is still listed as the theory professor. Either the search was canceled due to budget issues and kept the position for the adjunct, or they decided to hire the adjunct as the full-time contract position and canceled the search to go with the colleague that they knew. Who knows?
Midlands State University (deadline 2/12) Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor/Professor of Music Theory/Composition/Piano (Harare campus)
Syracuse University (deadline 2/15, but review begins immediately) Assistant Teaching Professor, Composition and Theory
- Does Syracuse still offer tenure?
- Syracuse is advertising jobs in other departments that are tenure-track, so yes I think they still have a tenure system.
- 2/25 Request for additional materials (x4)
- 3/5 Request for zoom interview
- 4/15 rejection received (x2)
Queen's University (deadline 4/19) Keyboard Musicianship (1-year term appointment)
- Posted at SMT 3/11
- Also posted at Piano 2020-21
Universidad EAFIT (deadline 3/15) Assistant/Associate Professor in Theory/Composition
- 1/27 Added link to posting
- 3/25 Invitation for Teams interview x3 scheduled.
- 4/28 Offer made and accepted.
UCLA (deadline 9/17) Part-Time Lecturer in Musicianship
- The responsibilities will include teaching sections of first-year musicianship to students in the three departments within the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music (Ethnomusicology, Music and Musicology). Content to include: ear training, sight singing and keyboard skills. Methods to include: keyboard and vocal improvisation, composition exercises, use of technology as a teaching tool, notated and recorded homework assignments.
University of Iowa (deadline 5/14) Visiting Assistant Professor of Music - Composition/Theory
- N.B. Must have doctorate in composition.
- 6/4 Request for zoom interview
University of Kentucky (review begins immediately, posted 7/7) Visiting Lecturer of Music Theory and Composition
- 7/19 Any updates? (Normally I'd wait a bit longer before asking but, given their Fall term begins in 5 weeks, I would imagine they're fast-tracking this.)
- 7/24 Request for Zoom interview.
- 8/3 Applied yesterday, then informed by a faculty member (not on the committee) that an offer had already been made and accepted, though the position is still listed as open on UK's site
- 11/5 Received email from HR that the position was filled
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (review starts 2/23) Assistant Professor, Music Composition & Theory
- "This position requires a doctoral degree in composition from a regionally accredited college or university and a minimum of 10 years of teaching experience at the college level."
- 2/16 The listing has disappeared. Perhaps the position has been filled?
- It was also deleted off HigherEdJobs on 2/16 - https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/details.cfm?JobCode=177403589
- I think it's more likely that the search was cancelled than the position was filled (since review doesn't even start until Feb 23rd). Darn, I was going to apply. Did anyone who has already applied receive any communication?
- 2/17 I applied, and I had confirmation they received my application. The liaison reached out to me to tell me I did something wrong (turns my head in shame)
- Thanks 2/17, please let us know if you hear anything else!
- 2/18 I emailed a faculty member asking about it and and saying I was planning to apply before the Feb 23rd deadline. Here is what he responded: "I was informed that because of the volume of applications submitted, the search was closed. This is a search that began in February 2020 and was frozen in April 2020 and then reopened some weeks ago. I don't have any control over that system, so it seems that for the moment it's not possible to apply. I'm sorry about this inconvenience." Thus, it looks like the search is not canceled (yay!). However, I am very annoyed (not at the prof, at HR or whomever), that the ad said applications would be given full consideration if received by Feb. 23rd and that was a lie.
- 2/18 Shame on UNLV (HR) for closing the search prematurely. Text of the ad is still available here: https://www.academicgates.com/job/assistant-professor-music-composition-theory-unlv-college-of-fine-arts-r0120636/74249/view in case anyone wants to try sending their materials straight to the search chair.
- 4/6 four candidates invited for zoom interviews last week.
- 5/22 Position accepted by Jennifer Bellor (PhD Eastman, Assistant Professor-in-Residence at UNLV)
University of North Carolina Wilmington (deadline 3/25) Visiting Assistant Professor - Music Composition/Theory (2 year position)
- "Responsibilities include: teaching undergraduate upper level theory/aural skills courses, including Orchestration and Arranging, Film and Video Game Scoring, and/or Applied Composition, and other departmental needs as assigned by the chair"
- 4/21 Any updates?
- 5/5 Emailed the Committee Chair on 5/3, no response
- Received invitation for zoom interview in April, haven't received any updates since then, also emailed chair, no response
University of Pittsburgh (no deadline listed, posted 8/26/21) Faculty Instructor - Part-Time
- "The Department of Music at the University of Pittsburgh seeks an instructor with skills and experience in teaching music composition and theory to PhD students. ... The successful candidate must be an internationally recognized composer with extensive background in music theory. Ph.D. or D.M.A. required."
University of Southern California (review begins "as soon as April 26") Part-Time Lecturer, Music Theory and Composition
- "Principal duties will include: Teaching MUCO 132ab (freshman aural skills for music majors) and MUCO 133ab (freshman theory for music majors). Additional courses in theory, composition, orchestration and counterpoint may be assigned, either as courses or individual instruction, as needed by the department."
- The job post was deleted from their website.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (deadline 5/15) Composition and Music Theory Lecturer
- 5/27 Invitation for phone interview
- 7/29 Rejection received
Composition Only[]
Acadia University (deadline 5/19) MUSI Principal and Secondary Applied Composition (Per Course Faculty)
Berklee College of Music (review begins 7/12) Part-Time Faculty, Contemporary Writing & Production (Arranging 1, Fall 2021)
- "Primary responsibilities will include: teach the Arranging 1 core course, and possibly other writing/arranging courses. "
Bilkent University (Ankara, Turkey) (deadline 12/31) Assistant/Associate Professor of Music Composition
- 1/16 Interview scheduled
- 2/8 Virtual Campus visits are underway
Brandon University (deadline 2/26 - extended until 4/15) Assistant Professor – Composition, Tenure-Track
- 2/11 - "In addition, the successful candidate will have deep knowledge of and engagement with Indigenous musical practices, and a keen interest in engaging Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and community members through musical, artistic, and pedagogical endeavours."
- 4/21 Any updates?
Brunel University London (deadline 7/6) Lecturer in Music (Media Composition, .5 FTE)
Cardiff University (deadline 6/10) Lecturer in Composition
- "Candidates must have native or near-native fluency in Mandarin."
Central Washington University (review begins immediately, posted 8/20/21) Lecturer - Music Composition
- "The Department of Music at CWU is accepting applications to fill a part-time, quarterly lecturer appointment to teach studio composition lessons (MUS x20) and Intro to Composition (MUS 120). Other courses/subject areas may become available within the department."
Columbia University (deadline 7/1/21) Wun Tsun Tam Mellon Professor in the Humanities (starts Fall 2022)
- "Candidates should be eminent artist-critics (writers, musician/composers, or visual artists) whose ground-breaking work crosses geographic, generic, and disciplinary boundaries. The holder of this Professorship will be an internationally renowned person with a reputation for intellectual and artistic excellence. Although the chairholder will be tenured in the African American and African Diaspora Studies Department, the chairholder will have created a body of creative and critical work that appeals across disciplines and divisions. We are especially interested in artists whose work explores the histories, cultures and stories of the African Diaspora."
Communication University of Zhejian (no deadline listed, posted 3/23/21) Faculty member in Composition (x2)
Hardin Simmons University (none listed, posted 4/23) Adjunct Faculty - Music Composition Instructor
- "We are looking for a part-time, adjunct faculty member to teach undergraduate music composition classes ... Candidate must profess a Christian Faith, maintain membership in a local congregation, and respect the values and distinctives central to the historically Baptist values of HSU ...Must be a resident of the state of Texas."
Longy School of Music (no deadline listed, posted 13 November 2020) Artist-Teacher of Composition
- 1/25 any updates?
- 2/25 I hadn't checked in awhile but the listing is no longer up. I wonder if the filled it.
[https://mcgill.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/mcgill_careers/job/Strathcona-Music/Course-Lecturer--MUJZ-340-003-_JR0000014636 McGill University (deadline 8/1) Course Lecturer, Jazz Composition 1, Fall 2021
Oberlin Conservatory (deadline 3/1) Visiting Assistant Professor in Composition
- 4/10 Position accepted by Michael Frazier (PhD Eastman [ABD])
- 5/12 Update: position now accepted by Jihyun Kim (DMA Candidate, Cornell)
- 5/19 Anyone know more details on this? Was the offer to MF rescinded? Or did they hire both composers?
- 5/20 According to the "rejection" letter from Oberlin, JK was selected for the position. MF was not mentioned in the letter.
Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University) (open until filled, posted 3/10) Music Composition Instructor (Adjunct)
- "A composer of national/international stature with a significant amount of publicly performed works, as well as proven success in college-level teaching is sought."
- 4/20 invitation for 20-minute Zoom interview
- 5/14 finalist interviews happened last week
- Sky Macklay (DMA Columbia 2018)
Royal College of Music (deadline 6/9) Composition Professor (part-time)
Royal College of Music (deadline 6/9) Composition Professor (Composition for Screen, part-time)
Royal Danish Academy of Music (deadline 6/22) Professor of Composition, part-time
Royal Northern College of Music (deadline 6/25) Tutor in Composition (part-time)
Salem State University (open until filled, posted 6/14) Adjunct Faculty (DAY), Music and Dance (Music), AY 2021-2022
- "Salem State University is seeking part-time applied music instructors in various areas, specifically music composition and bassoon"
- 7/1 Phone Interview Requested (Composition)
UCLA Extension (deadline 9/1, but first review on 6/7) Instructor - Film Scoring (part-time adjunct)
University of Chicago (deadline 10/1) Assistant/Associate Professor of Music Composition
- 10/22 request for additional materials
- 11/11 finalist interviews scheduled
- 4/15 search failed
- 4/19 Just to confirm, is this really for the TT position or the Postdoc below, and what is the source of this information if it's disclosable?
- 4/19a It is definitely the TT search that failed. Grad students in the department were told in an email from the chair.
University of Chicago (deadline 12/7) 2021-2022 Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition Postdoctoral Instructor
- 1/27 Request for 3 confidential letters of recommendation (x2) <-- Was this via email from the CCCC, or a notification through interfolio?
- 1/31 - I see in my Interfolio application that it is now incomplete because a request for 3 confidential letters has been added (but I cannot see when it was added). I am not the OP that posted the comment above.
- 1/31 – An email sent via Interfolio (filtered to Spam folder, fyi). Interfolio application has been updated to include section for Letters (requested by Feb 5)
- 1/31 - My Interfolio application is also marked incomplete because a spot for 3 confidential letters has been added. I can't edit the application to request letters though and I can't find any emails from Interfolio about letters (including in spam folder).
- 1/31 - It seems likely that your recommenders would have received an email, not you the applicant, as CCCC has requested the letters from inside Interfolio. That's just my guess.
- 2/1 – OP here: I, applicant, received an email directly via Interfolio to email inbox (by way of Spam folder), requesting that I initiate letter requests myself. I can actively edit my Interfolio application, which was also newly "Incomplete" until I added requests manually – now "Complete (Pending Letters)." Sorry to be bearer of potentially bad news.
- 3/4 – Any updates after the reference letter submissions?
- 3/4 (OP) – No further activity yet.
- 5/3 (OP) – Still nothing. Did anyone receive invitation to interview? (ETA: Rejection received, noted below).
- 5/3 Rejection received.
- 6/11 – Position accepted by Felipe Tovar-Henao (DMA Indiana? Adjunct Professor, Universidad EAFIT, Medellín, Colombia).
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (deadline 1/15; extended to 2/15) Assistant Professor - Composition
- "The University of Colorado Colorado Springs will not sponsor work visas or permanent resident applications for this position."
- 3/3 Any updates?
- 3/8 Rejection received x6
- 3/8 30-minute Zoom interview scheduled (x4)
- 3/29 request for virtual campus visit (x3)
University of Manchester (deadline 2/22) Lecturer in Composition (.8 FTE)
University of Oxford (deadline 4/26) Associate Professor/Professor of Composition
- 5/21, shortlisted candidates (4) informed
- 6/7, Interviews conducted
University of Sheffield (deadline 1/21) Teaching Associate (Composition), 50% FTE
- "Contract Type: Fixed-term from 25 January 2021 to 31 August 2021. Part-time working pattern: 50% FTE."
University of Sheffield (deadline 7/7) Lecturer in Music Composition
- "The Department of Music is seeking to appoint an innovative and visionary Lecturer in Music Composition, with specialist knowledge and experience of orchestral composition, and instrumental/orchestral composition for film, media and/or games"
University of Southern California (review begins "January 2021") Assistant Professor, Composition
- Request for additional materials on 2/13 (x4)
- Invitation for campus visit (zoom) on 3/15
- 5/24: Position accepted by Camae Dennis (Moor Mother)
Valparaiso University (deadline 6/21) Visiting Assistant Professor of Music
- "This is a full-time, one-year position, which will carry a 24-credit teaching load consisting of first- and second-year musicianship (ear training), introductory level survey of Western music history, and composition studio."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- 6/22 Invitation for a Zoom interview
- 7/7 Rejection received (x2)
- 7/8 (from Musicology wiki): Position accepted by Navid Bargrizan (PhD University of Florida)
Wilfrid Laurier University (deadline 3/12) Tenure-Track (Assistant Professor) Composition
- 05/01 any updates?
- 05/10 Interviews scheduled.
- 07/14 Position accepted by Barbara Assiginaak
Composition/Music Technology[]
The American University in Cairo (deadline 1/31) Professor of Practice in Music Technology
Athens State University (posted 9/15) Adjunct Instructor of Music/Audio Technology
Berklee College of Music (open until filled, posted 7/9) Part-time Faculty, Songwriting Department
- "Primary teaching responsibilities will include teaching DAW for Songwriters, Levels 1 & 2. Additional responsibilities may include teaching Songwriting courses as needed."
Carleton College (deadline 3/15) Visiting Assistant Professor or Instructor in Music - Composition
- (4/9) Rejection received (x4).
Colby College (deadline 1/3) Assistant Professor in Electronic Music, Music Theory, and Composition
- (2/12) Anyone heard any word on this one? (x2)
- (2/12) Rejection received.
- Just confirming, was that for this position or for the VAP position listed above, which has been filled?
- Confirming that yes, this was for the Music Technology job and not the VAP position listed above.
- (2/21) I think we need further clarification from others since here seems to be contradicting news regarding updates from the school. One user received a rejection, another received an invitation to Zoom while most people have not received any correspondence. Anybody want to weigh in?
- (2/22) Was informed that they are working through a list of 11 candidates for zoom interviews for the TT job, which are under way last week + this week. Very sorry to be bearing potentially bad news.
- Have not received a rejection (nor any other correspondence) for the tenure-track listing. (x7)
- Just confirming, was that for this position or for the VAP position listed above, which has been filled?
- (2/15) Invitation to Zoom interview with search committee (x2)
- (3/3) Rejection email (x3)
- (4/1) Just saw the job ad reappear on the Chronicle. Any significance there?
Eastern Oregon University (deadline 9/15) Senior Instructor of Music Technology
- This posting is for "Internal EOU candidates only"
Edinburgh College of Art (deadline 8/16) Tutor in Music (part-time)
- "The Reid School of Music is looking a candidate to conduct tutorials and support students on the Creative Coding for Sound course (Semester 1, 2021/22)."
Georgia Tech (review begins 9/15) Research Scientist, Center for Music Technology
- 9/16 I can't find this job on the Georgia Tech HR site anywhere, just on the InsideHigherEd Careers site (where it was posted 9/15).
Goldsmiths, University of London (deadline 3/26) Lecturer in Music (.5 FTE)
- "Teaching experience should lie in creative practice, with a focus on sonic art/electronic music, or fringe/popular music, and demonstrate a commitment to teaching in HE. Areas of desirable expertise here include cross-genre work, spanning art music and sonic art, or jazz and fringe music, as well as musicology as a scholarly discipline."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
Goldsmiths, University of London (deadline 4/11) Lecturer in Electronic Music & Technology
- "Teaching experience should lie in electronic music and technology and demonstrate a commitment to teaching in HE. Areas of desirable expertise here include creative practice as broadly understood, composition/audio-visual composition (including using Max MSP), cross-genre work spanning art music and sonic art as well as musicology as a scholarly discipline."
- 4/21 Rejection received
Hamilton College (deadline 2/15) Visiting Assistant Professor of Music
- "We seek candidates to teach music composition, technology, and theory."
- (2/19) Invitation to Zoom interview with search committee
- (3/2) Request for additional materials
- (3/26) Rejection received (x2)
Hong Kong Baptist University (open until filled, posted 10/8/20) Augmented Creativity Lab, Chair Professor / Professor of Practice / Professor / Associate Professor
Johns Hopkins University (Peabody Preparatory) (deadline 7/12) Adjunct Computer Music Teacher
Loyola University New Orleans (deadline 4/15) Extraordinary Assistant Professor, Music Technology (One-year renewable appointment, non-tenure track).
MIT (deadline 6/1) Part-time Lecturers, 2021-22
- "The Music and Theater Arts Section at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is seeking temporary part-time lecturers for the academic year 2021-2022 to teach the following courses: Medieval and Renaissance Music (F21); Introduction to Western Music (F21 & Sp22); History of Jazz (F21); Jazz Harmony and Arranging (F21 and/or Sp22); Jazz Composition (F21); Interactive Music Systems (Sp22)"
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
Maynooth University (deadline 5/19) Assistant Professor/Lecturer in Music Technology (Permanent)
- "... we are seeking to appoint a new permanent member of staff in the area who will contribute to the teaching of music technology in the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as become the director of the Music Technology Lab."
Miami University (deadline 5/6) Visiting Assistant Professor/Instructor (Music/Emerging Technology in Business and Design)
- "Courses will likely be in the following areas: music technologies, electronic music, music theory, game studies, interaction design, and art & digital tools."
- This is more a theory/technology job than composition/technology, but we don't have a section for that category.
Montana State University (review begins 6/1) Part-Time Instructor: Computer Music (Max Software)
Newcastle University (Deadline 9/20) Research Associate, RADICAL (‘A Radical New Interdisciplinary Space for Sonification’)
- "You will work on the RADICAL project with a primary focus on the ethnographic/auto-ethnographic and/or practice-as-research aspects of the project. You will likely have a background or demonstrable interest in contemporary technologically-mediated musical or sonic arts practice. Applications are welcomed from theorists, ideally with some practical experience in the relevant fields, or from practitioners who have a demonstrated ability to theorise their work to a high research standard."
North Carolina State University (deadline 11/1) Open-Rank Teaching Assistant/Associate Professor in Music Technology
- "The Department of Music at North Carolina State University invites outstanding applicants for a full-time, nine-month, non-tenure track faculty position in Music Technology."
- 2/23 Any updates?
Northeastern University (deadline 02/12) Assistant Professor of Music and AI
- The Department of Music in the College of Arts, Media and Design and the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University announce a search for a tenure-track appointment in Music Technology and Computer Science, Music and Artificial Intelligence specifically, at the rank of Assistant Professor. The appointment will be 75% in Music and 25% in Computer Science.
- 05/14 Search concluded without a hire.
NYU (deadline 10/15) Postdoctoral Associate, Music and Audio Research Laboratory (Machine Listening)
- "Required Education: A doctoral degree (or all but defense) in CS, EE, music technology or related discipline, by the start date of the position."
- Preferred start date: January, 2021
NYU (open until filled, posted 7/9) Adjunct Faculty - Music Technology
- "The NYU Music Technology Program seeks qualified candidates to teach “Music Literature of the 20th Century: Sound, Music, Technology (1900-Present)"
NYU (open until filled, posted 7/6) Adjunct Faculty - Screen Scoring
- "The NYU Screen Scoring Program seeks qualified candidates to teach one laboratory section of Contemporary Scoring for the Fall 2021 semester."
Osnabrück University (deadline 8/20) Research Assistant/Postdoc, Music and Media Technology Group
Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University) (open until filled, posted 3/12) Interim Computer Music Faculty Position
- 4/15 Any updates?
- 5/7 Request for additional materials
- 5/20, 5/21, 5/24 Interviews
- Sam Pluta (DMA Columbia, Assistant Prof UChicago, hired as Associate Prof)
Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University) (open until filled, posted 4/13) Musical Acoustics (Adjunct Lecturer)
Peabody Institute (Johns Hopkins University) (open until filled, posted 4/12) Sound Design for Video Games Lecturer
Queen's University (deadline 4/19) Electroacoustic Music Composition (1-year term appointment)
Regis University (deadline 5/6) Affiliate Faculty – Music Program (Music Technology), part-time
Royal Northern College of Music (deadline 12/1) Tutor in Sound Art and Composition with Technology (part-time, starts January 2021)
San Jose State University (open until filled, posted 10/10) Assistant Professor - Music - Theory/Technology
- "The candidate will teach and develop courses in music theory, as well as courses in music software and hardware, instrument and device controllers, and programming."
- 11/24 Request for additional materials (x3)
- 2/20 Did anyone ever hear anything after that request? (Should we assume the position has been filled?)
- 2/20 (2) I sent a follow-up email on 1/25 and received a generic "applications are still under review" response.
- 2/28 Position filled
Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki (deadline 4/1) Lecturer in Music Technology, Film and Game music
- 3/12 Interesting that there's an option to submit one's application materials in English or Finnish except the teaching portfolio, which apparently must be in Finnish. Could this be an oversight?
- 3/23 Confirmed with HR that this position requires proficiency in Finnish. Seems to be the case with most permanent positions in Finland.
Springfield College (open until filled, posted 5/16) Adjunct - Music Technology
- "The course to be taught in FA21 will serve as an introduction to music technology, with a particular focus on production and engineering through the use of industry-standard applications such as Ableton, ProTools, and/or Logic."
Southern University of Science and Technology (Shenzhen) (deadline 11/15) Lecturer in SUSTech Arts Center
- "Have a doctoral degree in arts (in one of the following area: music, dramatic art, fine arts, dancing art, new media art, media, intangible cultural heritage and modern and contemporary art)"
Southern Utah University (deadline 3/31) Assistant Professor/Director of Graduate Music Technology
- It should be noted that not only is this position non-tenure-earning (despite its title of Assistant Professor), SUU's music technology programs are really commercial music programs and they are 100% online.
Stevens Institute of Technology (no deadline listed, posted 4/16) Artist in Residence (Temporary Summer Position)
- "We are looking for an artist who works with interactive media who has an interest in this application or an interest in designing sound/music for movement training applications. Alternatively/additionally, the artist may have an interest in visual display of data to help us share our biomechanics metrics and results with the public. ... Candidates with existing and developing skills in interactive sound/music design, data visualizations, and/or body-movement driven interface designs are encouraged to apply."
Tarrant County College (no deadline listed, posted 6/2) Instructor - Music, Full-Time
United States Air Force Academy (posted 6/24) Assistant Professor of Fine Arts (starts June '21)
- "Applicants must hold a terminal degree in one of two categories: 1) Musicology (music appreciation/history); or 2) Creative/Applied Arts with expertise in interactive media, and/or integrated media, with a strong background in digital technology."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- From musicology wiki: 2/8 -- Email rejection (x4)
University of California, Berkeley (deadline 5/12) Lecturer - Digital Sound Creation and Studio Production
- "The Department of Music at the University of California, Berkeley, seeks a composer/performer/producer who is focused on digital sound creation and who works in any blend of music genres from HipHop to EDM to more experimental practices. The ideal applicant is active as a performer and/or producer and is able to teach courses in digital music production, using DAWs, in ways that push the boundaries of sound and style."
University of California, Irvine (deadline 3/1) Composer-Improviser, Assistant Professor (tenure track)
- "We seek an established composer-improviser who will diversify the creative practices explored in the department's PhD program in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT), and who will deepen the department's engagement with African American musics and whose presence (research, creative activity) will foster greater awareness of social justice and/or gender equity issues."
- 4/16 2nd round materials requested
- 5/15 shortlist finalists selected
University of California, Santa Cruz (deadline 12/14) Assistant Professor of Electronic/Electroacoustic Music Composition
- 1/29 Request for informal Zoom interview <-- What does "informal" mean?
- 40-minute interview. Finalists to be contacted about next steps within two weeks.
- 2/23 Rejection received. (x2)
University of Chicago (deadline 8/16) Postdoctoral Instructor in Electronic Music (start date 10/1/21)
- 8/20 Invitation to Zoom interview and request for letters of recommendation
- 9/14 Offer made and accepted (Benjamin D. Whiting, DMA University of Illinois, USF Visiting Instructor)
University of Coventry (deadline 5/3) Lecturer in Game Audio and Media Composition (Music Technology)
- "We are looking to appoint a dynamic and adaptable specialist in music production, sound recording, and sound design to deliver teaching, learning and assessment on our BSc (Hons) Music Technology course. Experience of producing game audio would be particularly welcome. You will be practice-based, passionate about education and employability and committed to developing industry focussed opportunities that enhance the student experience."
University of Edinburgh (deadline 8/2) Lecturer in Sound for Media (starts January 2021)
University of Iowa (deadline 2/1) Grant Wood Fellow in Music
- "Required Qualifications: Demonstrated expertise in hip-hop, popular music, improvisation, and/or electronic music composition. ... Desirable Qualifications: Demonstrated skills in beat making, music production, mobile recording, songwriting, and/or creative musicianship."
- Rejection Received (4/9)
University of Florida (deadline 3/14) Assistant or Associate Professor in AI and the Arts (x2)
- 3/20 Request for 30-min Zoom interview
- 5/5 Offer accepted by Tina Tallon, Harvard Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study (Ph.D. in Composition, UC San Diego '20)
University of Louisville (deadline 3/29) Part-time Lecturer - Music/New Media, Composition, Creative Studies
University of Massachusetts Amherst (deadline 9/10) Lecturer A
- "Part-time temporary Lecturer A appointment to teach Music 586: Midi Studio Tech during the fall 2021 semester, 9/1/21-12/18/21 (Calendar Year appointment). Requirements: Masters of Music in music composition"
- 9/2 Inside hire - they seem to have put the name of the person to be hired in the job title. Not sure if that's an error or on purpose...
- ^I can't believe that. Our field is totally meritocratic.
University of New Haven (deadline 12/15) Adjunct Instructor of Studio Recording (starts January 2021)
University of Oxford (deadline 9/25) Postdoctoral Researcher (starts March 2021)
- "The Faculty of Music proposes to appoint three postdoctoral researchers for 36 months from March 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter to work on the ERC Consolidator Grant Sonorous Cities: Towards a Sonic Urbanism (SONCITIES). ... Postdoc 1 will be a sound artist with experience of creating sound work for public spaces and exhibitions, and collaborating with communities in sound/sound art contexts."
University of Texas, Rio Grande Valley (deadline 1/4/21) Three Year Lecturer I – Music Technology/Composition
- 2/23 Any updates?
- (1/29) Zoom interview with the search committee
- (2/12) Campus visit (Zoom)
- 5/5/22, I'm not kidding: Rejection received
University of the Arts London (London College of Communication) (deadline 6/20) Lecturer in BA Sound Arts
University of Toronto (deadline 4/15) Sessional Lecturer - VPSB88H3 - Sound Art (Summer I)
University of Virginia (deadline 2/15) Assistant Professor in Music - Black Sound Art and/or Black Sound Studies, Tenure Track
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- From musicology wiki: 3/21: Received email saying search was paused, would resume in September.
Ursinus College (deadline 3/29) Interim Lecturer Music Department (1-year, half-time with full benefits)
- "Teaching responsibilities will include two courses in Fall 2021 semester and one course in the Spring 2022 semester (to include a Music Technology course and two courses to be determined)."
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
- 4/2 Invitation for a 15-min. phone interview
- 5/1 Any updates?
- 5/3 Offer made and accepted
Westminster College (no deadline listed, posted 7/14) Music Technology and Composition Director
- Academic staff job, but requires Ph.D. in Music Composition and Technology
- Posted on 7/14/21 with a desired start date of 7/15/21 - likely an inside hire?
Washington University in St. Louis (deadline 12/15) Lecturer – Music Technology
- Request for additional materials
Commercial Music[]
Ambrose University (deadline 4/4) Full-Time Term-Certain Faculty Position in Music Technology/Production
Arizona State University (deadline 4/6) Studio Engineering and Recording, Faculty Rank TBD
Berklee College of Music (open until filled, posted 3/11) Full-time Faculty, Electronic Production and Design
Bournemouth University (deadline 1/4) Lecturer (Academic) in Music and Sound Production
- (01/28) Interview scheduled for 02/02
Brandon University (deadline 6/1) Assistant Professor, Jazz & Contemporary Popular Music, One-Year Term
- "Responsibilities will include teaching studio lessons in the successful candidate’s instrumental area, introductory and advanced improvisation courses, jazz composition and arranging, and jazz & contemporary popular music ensembles. Other responsibilities may include delivering undergraduate/graduate courses in jazz pedagogy, electro-acoustic composition, and topics relevant to the successful candidate’s interests and expertise."
Brigham Young University (deadline 10/1) Full-time continuing faculty in Commercial Music
Buena Vista University (deadline 10/19) Assistant Professor of Music Production
- (12/17) Position filled.
Coastal Carolina University (open until filled, posted 4/27) Visiting Assistant Professor/Commercial Music and Jazz
- "The successful candidate will assist in teaching courses and ensembles in the Commercial Music and Jazz curriculum, which may include: jazz improvisation, commercial music styles, career development, small and large jazz and commercial ensembles, and applied instruction on the candidate’s principle instrument. Applicants with additional experience in audio and recording technology are particularly encouraged to apply."
Cypress College (deadline 2/10) Commercial Music & Composition Instructor (Full-time, tenure-track)
- "Job Description: Teach college-level courses in Music and Commercial Music including, but not limited to, Music Technology, Recording Arts, Composition, Audio Production for Film, Electronic Music, Video Game Audio, Music Notation, and related to a diverse student population."
Drexel University (deadline 1/24) Assistant Teaching Professor, Music Industry Program & Music Program
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
Drexel University (deadline 8/20, but review begins immediately) Instructor, Music Industry
- "Teach undergraduate courses in the Music Industry Program such as Digital Audio Workstations – Logic and Ableton, Music Production, Survey of Music Production, Songwriting, Introduction to Sound Recording, and Synthesis and Sampling."
Duke University (deadline 1/20) Part-time Instructor (Songwriting)
- "The Department of Music at Duke University is looking for a part-time instructor to teach a course in song writing. This is a non-regular rank position and is only for the 2021 spring semester."
Edinburgh Napier University (deadline 5/18) Lecturer in Music - Permanent (Music Technology/Performance/Music Industry)
Edith Cowan University (deadline 6/29) Lecturer (Contemporary Music)
Full Sail University (no deadline listed, posted 11/20) Course Director (Faculty) - Structure of Music
Grambling State University (no deadline listed, posted 5/26) Coordinator of Commercial Music
Grayson College (no deadline listed, posted 4/12) Music Professor (Regular Full-Time)
- "Teaches lower-division undergraduate sections in music and audio engineering."
- 5/18 Zoom Interview scheduled
Hong Kong Baptist University (deadline 2/28) Assistant Professor / Senior Lecturer / Lecturer I / Lecturer II (two positions) (PR0243/20-21)
- "The Department of Music at Hong Kong Baptist University (http://mus.hkbu.edu.hk) invites outstanding applicants for academic/teaching positions specialising in the field of (a) Scoring for Film, Television and Video Games and (b) Songwriting. ... Preference will be given to those with expertise in two or more of the following areas: Composition and Applied Orchestration for Screen; Techniques of Sound Design; Music Technology and Production; Songwriting; Arranging for Songwriters"
Keele University (deadline 5/24) Fixed Term Lecturer in Music Technology
- "The appointee will teach on and convene modules that include ‘Audio Fundamentals’, ‘Sound for Moving Image’, ‘Sound Recording’, ‘Digital Sampling’, ‘Record Production’, and ‘Commercial Sound Applications’."
Long Island University (review begins immediately, posted 12/15) Instructor/Assistant Professor of Music Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Production
Lipscomb University (open until filled, posted 3/1) Full-Time Commercial Music Faculty / Coordinator of Commercial Ensembles
Manchester Metropolitan University (deadline 7/5) Lecturer/Senior Lecturer – Composition (specialisation in Soundtrack)
- Deadline extended to July 5
Midlands State University (deadline 2/12) Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor/Professor of Music Technology (Harare campus)
Palm Beach Atlantic University (open until filled, posted 4/8) Assistant/Associate Professor of Popular Music
- "According to expertise, courses taught may include: Audio Engineering and Production, Creative Worship Design, Computer Applications in Music, Jazz Pop Theory, Songwriting, Entrepreneurship in the Arts, and American Popular Music."
Purchase College (SUNY) (deadline 6/25) Assistant Professor, Conservatory of Music
- "The qualified candidate will teach courses in the “studio composition” area (part of the Music and Technology Board of Study), such as songwriting and lyrics writing, and courses in the practical aspects of touring and promoting oneself as an independent artist. The faculty member will work with students in private study and master class (small group) environments on developing their work as composers and performers."
Purdue University Fort Wayne (posted 10/14) Clinical Assistant Professor of Popular Music
Purdue University Ft. Wayne (deadline 3/1) Clinical Assistant Professor of Music Recording & Technology
Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design (Review begins immediately, posted 1/13) Subject Matter Expert in Music Business
- "Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design seeks qualified applicants to serve as Subject Matter Expert in music business, audio recording and production, and multimedia production course development for our new Music Production department."
Shenandoah Conservatory (review begins immediately, posted 1/27) Director of Contemporary Music, Assistant/Associate Professor
Shoreline Community College (Shoreline, WA) (deadline 4/23) Music Technology/Music Instructor
South Carolina State University (posted 8/19) Assistant Professor of Music Industry
- The candidate will teach courses in Music Industry to include, but not limited to, the following: digital media, music technology, recording production, contemporary song writing, musical arts administration & funding, and commercial music practices.
- Zoom interview (10/26)
Southern Utah University (deadline 5/6) Assistant Professor of Music Technology/Commercial Music
Southwestern Community College (Creston, IA) (deadline 3/3) Professional Music Instructor
- "Teaching responsibilities include Music Theory, Instrumental and/or Vocal Jazz Ensembles, Vocal and/or Instrumental Arranging, and Recording Studio Production. The ability to compose and arrange for a variety of ensembles; demonstrate competence with live sound and recording studio technology; and play jazz/pop piano, as well as either jazz/pop guitar, drum set, or bass is preferred."
SUNY Broome (deadline 6/18) Assistant Professor - Music - Recording & Production
- “The Assistant Professor of Music must demonstrate preparation to teach all levels of Music Recording and Production. Primary responsibilities include: Instructing, managing the sound studio, advising students, engaging in scholarly activity, assisting the Coordinator of Music, and serving on department and college committees.”
- “Qualifications include expertise in Pro Tools as well as other Digital Audio Workstation software and the ability to teach other music courses desired.”
SUNY Oneonta (no deadline listed, posted 12/14/20) Lecturer - Music Industry / General Music
- Also posted at Musicology/Ethnomusicology 2020-21
Staffordshire University (deadline 7/12) Lecturer in Music Production and Sound Design
Syracuse University (posted 11/5) Part-time faculty, Advanced DAW Production (Spring 2021)
Syracuse University (posted 11/5) Part-time faculty, Songwriting (Spring 2021)
Syracuse University (deadline 2/1) Assistant Teaching Professor, Music Industry
Syracuse University (deadline 2/1) Assistant Teaching Professor - Sound Recording Technology
Trinity College (deadline 4/15) Visiting Lecturer in Music and Director of Recording Arts
- "We expect the candidate to excel in the areas of sound recording and music production, and be able to teach both introductory and advanced courses in those areas. In addition, the successful candidate will oversee our recording studio facilities, providing mentorship and guidance to students through theoretical and hands-on experience in the classroom, the studio, and the field. We also seek a candidate with a creative and artistic mindset, capable of inspiring our students to explore the boundaries of electronic and computer music."
Union University (no deadline listed, posted 3/4) Faculty in Commercial Music: Recording Engineering and Music Technology
- "Successful candidates must be professing Christians who are active members of a local church, enthusiastically support Union University’s Identity, Mission, and Core Values, and articulate a Christian worldview in their work and life."
University of Cincinnati (deadline 2/10) Assistant Professor of Audio/Sound Production (Tenure Track)
University of Coventry (deadline 5/3) Assistant Professor (Academic) in Music/Popular Music
University of Lethbridge (deadline 5/1) Music Producer and Instructor in the Digital Audio Arts
University of Liverpool (deadline 12/3) Lecturer in Film Music Composition
- "Ideally, you will be able to take up the post by 1 January 2020. [sic]" Presumably this is supposed to say January 2021.
University of North Alabama (posted 10/9) Assistant Professor, Entertainment Industry
University of Pittsburgh-Bradford (review begins immediately, posted 11/25) Faculty Instructor Adjunct/Music
- "Music: Instructor (part-time), to teach a course in digital music creation beginning January, 2021."
University of Southern California (review begins 4/15, posted 4/18) Adjunct Instructor, Popular Music Arranging
University of the West of Scotland (deadline 6/13) Lecturer in Commercial Music
- "The UWS music programmes are focused broadly on contemporary popular music, its production, distribution and impact; therefore you will have research, creative practice and teaching interests in some or all of the following: Popular music performance and / or audio production and / or business; Songwriting / composition; The production and distribution of popular music; Music entrepreneurship; Music in the community"
Utah Valley University (deadline 5/14) Lecturer, Non Tenure Track, Commercial Music
York College of Pennsylvania (deadline 11/1) Adjunct Professor of Music Production
York College of Pennselvania (deadline 11/1) Adjunct Professor of Music Production, Graduate Program
School-Specific Discussion[]
- Does anyone know anything about the Vanderbilt position in Music Theory/Composition that was advertised on October 23? It was posted on Interfolio but now it seems to have disappeared. No one had put it on this wiki either. I wonder what happened.
- (12/11) The application for Longy School of Music Artist-Teacher in Composition asks the applicant to state their desired salary, either hourly or annual. Is this a "trick question"? Bid too high and risk seeming arrogant or out-of-touch with reality, bid too low and undersell yourself. I couldn't find information about the average salaries of professors, let alone "artist-teachers," at Longy, but Cambridge, MA has a high cost of living...
- 12/11, I agree that it seems like an inappropriate question for the application! I would probably ask a few friends who work or have worked at different private conservatories in high-cost-of-living cities what professors there are usually paid in order to get an idea of the range and then ask for something in the middle.
- (12/21) Here's what I think: a school like Longy is probably searching for someone who is absolutely awesome, and they are probably willing to pay for it. I'm just conjecturing rather than stating facts. Desperation probably won't get you any points with them. Considering the place it was in the application, it may not be so a big a deal, really. I can't imagine it's one of their top priorities initially. Just using my own experiences and point of view to come to that conclusion.
- (4/24) Just confirming, does anyone know if the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee position is a visiting (one-year?) appointment? Perhaps a sabbatical replacement or similar? The job posting feels a little unclear.
General Discussion[]
- 6/9/21 - 2021-22 Wiki
- I will create next year's page likely sometime within the next month (once there are one or two ads up for Fall 2022 jobs). I plan to make two changes to the format, unless there are comments otherwise:
- 1. I am going to create a separate section for part-time/adjunct jobs, like we do on the musicology page.
- 2. I will omit the Commercial Music jobs unless there is enough overlap in the job duties that they could conceivably go in the Composition/Music Technology section. There are an increasing number of these jobs (popular music performance/recording arts/commercial music), and a lot got posted on the wiki (not all by me), but very few received any updates, so I don't think the people who are getting hired for these jobs are using this wiki. -5120j
- 5/23/21: just a note to say I'm retiring (along with 10 others at my small lib-arts college -- a national trend, bound to continue next year), and my position IS being replaced with a TT theory-only job beginning Fall '22 (Occidental College, Los Angeles), which was, frankly, a big surprise. I think the retirement thing will ramp up next year; that's what I'm hearing from friends. I find the practice of old fac hanging on for dear life unseemly at best and deeply ungenerous at worst. Best of luck, everyone.
- I do not plan to actively post jobs again this year (though I often can't help myself if I see something that should be up and isn't), but I will be keeping an eye on the page in case discussion gets out of hand like it did last year. You can contact me via email at 5120janon at gmail.com if needed. -5120j (musicology page moderator)
- August and not a single TT job yet announced...is this normal? Should we start to worry?
- Unfortunately, no one knows how bad the market is going to be this year and when (/if) frozen lines will start to reemerge. "Should we start to worry?" Worrying is only productive inasmuch as it motivates us to take action, for instance, do a great job on that revise-and-resubmit before the semester starts etc. That famous saying about what you can or can't control.... I hope that everyone stays positive during these difficult times and that the crisis makes us nicer to each other on this online forum. At any rate, August 2 is still on the early side----just as an example, IU's opening last cycle was on "smt-announce digest" on Sep. 4, Princeton's opening was announced to "smt-announce" digest on Aug. 15th. Both of these had early-side deadlines as far as I remember. Good luck to everyone!
- What schools have had retirements recently? Yale has, but anywhere else?
- (8/4) While tracking retirements might be a good indicator of jobs to come, I am skeptical universities will replace these positions with TT lines. From my perspective there are a few reasons.
- For a start, many universities (with the possible exception of schools with large endowments) have taken a serious financial hit last semester, having to refund millions of dollars to students for dorms, meal plans, etc. Many university systems are predicting 100–200 million in lost revenue just from that to say nothing of low enrollments in the fall if classes remain virtual. Because of that uncertainty, I expect the hiring freeze will continue at least through Fall 2020 and quite probably into Spring 2021.
- Second, universities won't know what they need until its too late. Many of us got a crash course in how difficult and time-consuming online teaching was, and administrations won't be able to act fast enough to ease that burden by hiring new faculty--and even if they did, it certainly wouldn't be anything more than an adjunct or lecturer position to lighten the load for their existing faculty.
- Third--and I don't intend to come off as ageist by any means--retirements might ramp up this year if things remain virtual. I can't imagine all faculty jumping at the chance to teach online again, even if it is the safest option from a public health perspective. And if schools stubbornly open despite warnings from public health officials, at-risk individuals regardless of age may be forced to leave their positions (which is deplorable but a real possibility). Whether or not these choices are met by emergency sabbaticals or sudden retirements/resignations is anyone's guess. In either scenario, those classes will be filled by contingent labor (or quite possibly by graduate students who are already at these institutions). And still, I doubt openings such as these would be filled before 2022.
- In my opinion--no doubt a pessimistic one--the job market this year will be a complete wash. We've already seen numbers drop significantly over the past decade, and our current situation will only exacerbate that. My guess is that things start to return to normal in Fall 2021 for jobs that start in Fall 2022. Now, I truly hope I am wrong and some schools do begin opening up opportunities sooner than my predicted timeline, but I can't comment on the odds of that happening. There simply are too many variables (many, many more than what I've mentioned above). Still, I hope everyone can remain optimistic about the field and their chances. I do however echo the comments from previous posts: keep working and allow things to fall into place as best you can. Good luck to everyone. Stay safe and keep washing those hands!
- (8/6) I also expect the prospects to be bleak, likely much worse than what happened following the 2008 crash. Personally, I expect that many departments will drastically cut their faculty lines or otherwise remake their programs to be very different than what they are today. Part of this is due to finances in the post-covid world, assuming there is one, and part of it is the attacks on classical music that we've seen lately from a growing number of voices (i.e., classical music is "white" and therefore "racist" and therefore faculty must be purged). Especially for those who compose music and theorists who adhere to traditional analytical methods, the coming period looks to be very dark, indeed.
- (8/7) The attitude of privilege that one must bring to bear to lament the radical inclusion of non-traditional musics and non-traditional theories into the world of North American music theory—that attitude is the source of the field's problems. No one is arguing that studying Western Classical music is inherently racist. They are arguing that studying and teaching Western Classical music at the exclusion of any other music is an institutionalized form of oppression. So some music theory departments (hardly all) are becoming wise to the trend in the field of music theory towards a plurality of musics, voices, and theories. Does that mean that a smaller percentage of people will study Haydn? Perhaps. Does that mean that you cannot study Haydn? No. Does that mean that you should be prepared to explain how you position your work in an ever-diversifying field of music theory—an explanation that, for decades, a white Western supremacist mindset has seen fit to ignore—to explain how it is original, significant, and worthy of investment? Yes. Moreover, rather than casting about for excuses as to why the job market might be particularly challenging to those who "adhere to traditional analytical methods," perhaps offer advice and guidance on how one might present oneself as a collegial member of a community of scholars, instead of as a spiteful reactionary, a victim of the "purge of faculty" that is quite simply non-existent, a dog whistle and little more.
- It begins.......
- like clockwork!
- (8/7b) This is hilarious. I am picturing a composer writing their cover letter / artist statement right now. "Hello! I am a composer of music that adheres to traditional analytical methods. I hope in my work to craft listening experiences which reflect the rich cultural hegemonies of the glorious common-practice period of supreme western musical history, with the goal of offering my listeners a safe refuse to escape from the cacophonous very dark period. I combine my rigorous training in the foundations of tonality, with special innovative modern techniques, such as 013 sets, and drawing big pretty lines that clearly show how I develop large-scale harmonies. Also, I am very not a racist."
- RefuGe? or Freudian slip?
- Refugue
- Actually, I can think of a couple of departments that would hire a composer who wrote a paragraph like the one above on the spot, without an interview, with automatic tenure. Hell, they would probably give this hypothetical composer an endowed chair.
- 8/8: I really appreciate the fact that I can go to a music theory conference (online or in person, whatever it means right now) and hear a report on a computational study of hip-hop or of a critical study of common-practice music, along with many other approaches to many other musics. It strikes me as a much stronger discipline now than when it was founded. As someone else said above, those who "adhere to traditional analytical methods" can present themselves in a cover letter as collegial and open-minded contributors to an academic department. Trying something out here as an example--acknowledging that others might be able to give far better professionalization ideas than me: "My dissertation deals with Haydn's usage of Type 4.3.7 sonata form, more specifically with how Urlinie's scale-degree 4 goes down to scale-degree 3. I have presented this research at [X,Y,Z] and have an article forthcoming about the dissertation topic in [journal X]. etc. etc." Teaching paragraph contains: "While in graduate school, I taught ______ and I am currently visiting faculty at ______, where I am working with majority first-generation college students.... I have included [diverse musics / analytical approaches / innovative teaching methods / blogging / Spotify playlist shares / public music theory activities / program note writing / etc. etc.] in my teaching..... I have asked my students to share what they were listening to and have included examples from their listening in my teaching, so that I can connect theoretical concepts to my students' musical interests and make music theory more experiential." I am sure that there are many, many other ways to frame this and there are many recent pedagogy resources that would be useful. Despite the urge to just counter-attack, (which is extremely understandable in light of the shocking recent events in the discipline, as well as with the nonsensical cycles of this heaven/cosmos-forsaken wiki itself), I think that we can try to make this a space for useful professionalization ideas--again, others' ideas would be more useful than mine, I just gave it a very quick try in the spirit of brainstorming.
- (8/23) I bet we don't see any job announcements before 9/15...
- (9/16) Here's a bit of anecdotal context that might provide comfort (if cold comfort) to job-seekers. I'm at a flagship state institution in the Midwest, and we had several retirements announced last year immediately prior to the COVID shotdown. This year, we're running searches to fill those slots (none in theory/comp, FYI), but because of budget uncertainty there's a statewide hiring freeze. So, any replacement searches need to be specifically approved by the Chancellor's office before a search committee can even be assembled. This means that there likely be 1-2 jobs announced by our institution in short order, but we can't advertise them yet because they've got an extra several layers of administrative hurdles to clear before the searches happen. Given that budget uncertainty is everywhere, I imagine this is more common than you might think: there are jobs waiting to be announced but delayed in their budgetary approval due to the chaos around COVID.
- (9/17) Much of what was predicted a month or more ago is coming to fruition. Few jobs overall and almost zero jobs for composers. What's left of the field has been filtered into theory positions and all manner of technology, industry, "sonic arts" (whatever that is), and the like. The idea of composers relying on academia for a career is fast becoming or has already become a thing of the past. In any case, don't wait for academia to come to you.
- (9/17a) The fact that you put "sonic arts" in air quotes is a telling sign that you see the academy as a life-support mechanism for a form of composition that is no longer relevant. Composers don't need the academy for a career -- one's career is to be a composer. An academic position in composition provides security, resources and social prestige as a benefit incidental to the musical profession. Academia never "came to anyone", talk about entitlement! I suggest listening to Malcolm Gladwell's recent podcast on nihilist hiring policy as a way to rethink the current job market.
- 9/17c. Some composers of so-called art music are conversant and competent in genres of the music industry, sonic arts, and many diverse fields of creativity and knowledge. The point has been made earlier that one wants to represent oneself as an open-minded potential future colleague, not as an entitled curmudgeon--if you pretend to be open-minded rather than dismissing out of hand fields that you don't care that much about (and perhaps don't know that much about), that might potentially even help your job search and perhaps future collegiality. What "flagship state-school midwestern prof." (9/16) implies, I think, is not that things are great right now for any job seekers in the two disciplines represented here (theory and composition), but that there's a possibility that jobs will pop up later than usual during this cycle (if those chancellors and administrators sign off on those searches, which under previous circumstances would have required fewer approvals). A possibility is just that, a possibility. My hope is that at least the 1-year hiring will be increased, and that things will become better later on (institutions will subsequently be able to convert those lines to tenure-track lines). Of course, this is my hope, not a forecast / prediction / assessment of the situation, the academy and the economy over the next few years, which I'm not in a position to assess. Good luck to everyone--keep up positivity and do whatever you need to do to be happy, find gainful employment in academia or beyond. Just remember: any minute spent on this part of the WIki is a minute not spent applying for a job / composing / theorizing / enjoying life.
- (9/28) When searches ask for "evidence of teaching effectiveness," what does that mean, specifically? A video? A PDF sampling of your best student evaluations over the years? Personal testimonials? (That last one was partially meant in jest, but who knows?) And, assuming that this is a document, how should it be prepared?
- I think that teaching evaluations from a recent course/semester (if one has them) are great, but also things like syllabi that you have designed yourself, assignments that you have designed, anonymized student work with your feedback on it---anything that can give the committee a sense of what students in your class experience. Teaching videos are tricky and obnoxious to create (they were certainly one of the worst parts of my past experiences as a past job applicant)--I'd focus on quality vs. quantity (like a 15-minute interaction that went well during a class session), unless one is requested to submit a teaching video with a whole class on it. I don't know about personal testimonials (from prior students? prior 1-on-1 composition students?) Not sure. Think about the committee evaluating this and about the fact that they are probably not going to spend 5 hours evaluating your teaching, at least not at the initial stages of a search. I wonder what other readers of this wiki think about this.
- (9/28b) Good advice here: theprofessorisin.com/2011/09/23/1610/
- (9/29) Some numbers for you theorists out there, jobs announced on the SMT listserv, beginning the following Fall:
- 2015 July–Sept
11 tt jobs 1 non-tt job - 2016 July–Sept
11 tt 4 ntt - 2017 July–Sept
5 tt - 2018 July–Sept
11 tt 4 ntt - 2019 July–Sept
7 tt 5 ntt - 2020 July–Sept
1 tt 0 ntt
- 2015 July–Sept
- (11/1) We are all so, so screwed.
- (11/1b) Let's keep this a positive place even in such a difficult time. It's possible that some theorists feel only qualified for the "theory only" category, (which is indeed sparse so far, though no longer at "1+0"), while others have skills that qualify them for other categories (or even for jobs on the musicology wiki). If you want an academic career, then accepting a lecturer-track position / non-tenure track position / 1-year position at an undesirable (to you) location might be the way to go, at least temporarily----this was true pre-COVID and post-2008 crash, and most likely even before 2008---you have complete control over when you decide to quit, if you decide to quit. An academic career often means that you don't choose whether you'll end up in Idaho or Alaska or Hawaii, say. Work on what you can control: publish peer-reviewed articles out of grad school, find independent teaching opportunities that don't derail you (and/or frame in your letters why your teaching in grad school was quite independent), improve your job documents, practice your interview skills, take very good care of yourself and your well-being, (which possibly means spending less time on social media or on this part of the wiki). If you've concluded that you are "done" with academia, I am quite sure that others who have made the transition (and who have nice websites on the internet that you can search) would be quite receptive to professionalization e-mails from you ("will you help me with my transition out?")---I can't make any promises on their behalf but am cautiously optimistic that at least some of these people would be nice and helpful and empathetic to somebody in the situation of their prior selves. Karen Kelsky's website (and surely others) have useful information about all sorts of paths that one can take, explaining why as an academic you have many skills that are desirable to employers and that you may not even realize that you possess. Good luck and please be nice to yourselves and others.
- (11/2) An excellent point, 11/1b. Currently, I'm keeping one foot inside the academy and the other outside. I'm thinking about pivoting if nothing comes through for me this year. (I'm almost 40, so time's a wastin'.) An organization that I've found particularly helpful is Beyond the Professoriate. (beyondprof.com). Highly recommend checking that out! And this whole job market thing is so, so, frustrating and depressing. Let's lean on each other for support.
- Thank you for the kind words about my previous comment. I think that what could be useful on this part of the wiki is: 1) Expressions of solidarity (rather than mutual bashing and the like). 2) Concrete information about things to do, e.g., how to write a teaching statement, how to find out about career options, etc. The perspective on the job market might be very different for someone who's ABD and is willing to take on a 1-year gig of any "size" vs. someone who has been adjuncting for an X number of years and is ready to move on (or is just ready to move on for whatever reason). Good luck to everyone.
- Many of us will not get these jobs in the future, but in retrospect, I think it will be be okay. All I have to say, it's a shame that some people prioritize where you went to school and when. As someone who has built a career outside of it as a musician, you learn a lot of things that could help students succeed. Not being in academia for a while is beneficial to a person's research, teaching, and artistry, not the other way around. It increases the relationship between academia and the authentic music industry. And it turned me into more understanding person (than I was already, possibly) with a lot of empathy and gave me a strong desire to treat others better. I am grateful for my time without a tenure track or full time position, and am okay with the way things are. I hope we can change many attitudes in the future. Happy holidays to you all!
- (1/2) A general question about letters of rec: Over the last few years, I've taken the approach of my recommenders writing a general letter for me--i.e. not addressed to any specific institution--and uploading that to Interfolio. That way, I can have the same letter go out to many different institutions, and not have to ask my recommenders (and annoy them) for a new letter every time a new opportunity comes up. Is this okay? Would my letters carry less value if they aren't institution-specific? I mean, let's be honest--most of us are just throwing spaghetti against the wall and seeing which noodles stick, and I'm sure search committees know that. I've had very little luck landing any interviews over the last few years, and I'm wondering if my general letters are the reason.
- (1/5) past SC committee member and frequent LOR writer here. I wouldn't say that general vs. school-specific letters are ever a make-or-break thing, but having a letter tailored to the job definitely helps. I've had students tell me "here are the two or three jobs I REALLY want, and I'm also applying to these other four jobs." For the former category, I'll do a little poking around the school's website and the job announcement, and try hard to customize my letter for that institution. I know my colleagues do the same. I can't speak for everyone, but I don't find it annoying to get a lot of different LOR requests. We want very badly for our students to get jobs! The letters are only one part of your portfolio, but I can say that when I've been on a search committee and I get a letter from a colleague that talks about why the candidate would be a good fit for our department specifically, I definitely give that candidate a close look.
- 1/17: I have only used Interfolio with a generic (music theory recommendation) letter. I assume that all/most of my references addressed my research, teaching, as well as service/collegiality/work ethic/"other" category---based on the contexts in which they mentored me. I appreciate 1/5's perspective as someone who is surely more experienced than me, but do want to point out the advantage of dealing with multiple deadlines of simply using interfolio (esp. if the receiving end is an e-mail address and you are sending a couple business days in advance, I think that it's a good solution and I think that you're quite safe, though of course it's always better to hit the deadline several days in advance and not have any glitches). The question is not only "bugging" references / your mentors / past colleagues, but also simply a practicality of meeting deadlines and applying widely to any job that you're minimally qualified for (AKA "throwing spaghetti against the wall.") If someone on the market more recently than me wants to chime in on the time that it takes Interfolio to deliver electronically, please do! As always, I'd be happy to stand corrected with perspectives from others, which may well be better-informed than mine! Good luck to everyone.
- 2/6: Is it strange that the UNLV posting is asking for 10 years of experience for an assistant position?
- 2/7: Yes it does seem a little silly to add that stipulation outright. Trying to weed out applicants I suppose but is pretty steep and as you said, 10 years of experience likely doesn't reflect hardly anyone applying for an Assistant position at UNLV.
- 2/7(2): It isn't all that strange, and they will likely get a very strong pool of applicants. There are a lot of highly qualified applicants who have been working as adjuncts while continuing to be active in the field. Remember, we are STILL dealing with the fallout from 2007-2010 when there were very few jobs. I can think of at least 15-20 potential applicants with 10 years of experience, and excellent credentials, that would love a tenure track job but have been unable to secure one (myself included). The other possibility is that they already have someone in mind, but that doesn't negate the fact that it has been a buyers market for the past 13 years.
- 2/9: Adding on to this, many of the major programs have students teaching for the entirety of a doctorate, and in some cases even during a Master's degree. So you can have an applicant finish a doctorate with 7-8 years' experience already under their belt, and then 2-3 more years as a VAP, lecturer, or adjunct somewhere. Perhaps as the previous commenter said, too, they're
throwing a bone toacknowledging people who have been adjuncting for 4-5 years and have had difficulty competing with new grads. - 2/19: "Throwing a bone" is an odd thing to say. Maybe, just maybe, they want(ed) someone who knows how to design a syllabus, is flexible in what they can teach, doesn't need to figure out how to teach, has shown that they can still produce work while carrying a full teaching load, has won grants and other niceties that people seem to value, and has basically proved themselves outside of the academy without any institutional support. There is something about that sort of experience and perseverance that would indicate that a candidate can do what they need to do to make tenure. At any rate, it seems that the position has been cancelled, but it would have been interesting to see whom they would have chosen.
- 2/27: Yes, "throwing a bone" could come across as insulting to a segment of the applicant pool. As an applicant, you have to apply to ALL jobs that you're minimally qualified for. Speculating on whether the search is "rigged for an inside candidate" or "rigged for a specific person with 10 years of teaching" would not help you in any way. I have seen search committees ignore inside candidates (i.e., not invite them for an interview that would be extremely cheap for the institution pre-COVID---maybe the cost of a lunch and a dinner). Too bad if this position has been cancelled (I didn't check this). Good luck to everyone! Please stay nice to yourselves and others!!!
- And the award for slowest developing job market ever goes to...
- 5/19 Not a
- 6/21a checking in on the state of the field, following some dire predictions at the start of the year. Based on my count in the categories of theory/comp and comp only, there were 7 jobs whose titles would imply a tenure-track position in the United States this year. This included 2 big name schools and 5 horrifying ones. Considering this, the hundreds of applicants available for each position, and the fact that some schools are now hiring people for composition positions who appear not to possess music degrees, what future exists for composers in academia? Is this the new normal?
- 6/21b I feel for composers struggling to secure a position in this perennially imbalanced market. It is unfortunate that legitimate complaints (e.g., high cost of enrollment, diminishing arts budgets, deceptive graduate school recruitment, etc.) have to mix in with the above expressions of elitism, gatekeeping, and othering. Is this the new normal?
- 6/27: The market is the worst it’s been in the 10+ years I’ve been following it. It’s definitely worse this year than after the 2008 crash. To answer 6/21a’s question, I do believe what we’re experiencing this year is becoming the new normal, both in terms of decreasing tenure-track lines and also increased hiring of candidates who wouldn’t have been considered before. There are financial reasons for this (universities becoming ever more like businesses), as well as cultural ones (increased insistence on ideology over quality or skills). At some point, things will likely swing back, but it could be a very long time for these financial and/or cultural shifts to take place.
- 6/28: @6/27: I feel for composers in particular this year, for whom the job market does indeed seem to be worse than ever. But "increased insistence on ideology over quality or skills" is a pretty bold claim to make here on an anonymous forum with no evidence presented. Which composers do you feel got hired this year for ideological, rather than qualitative reasons? And were you told this by insiders on the search committee, or how are you coming by this knowledge?
- 7/6: Personally, I think the lack of employment in academia is difficult to understand in our roles as lowly scholars of music. There are no prompt or simple solutions for these problems, which extend far beyond our immediate clique and are even happening internationally. I feel frustrated by how shallow things sometimes are in the arts. People can only get their feet wet with the power of art (or anything else in life) if they refuse to create a personal connection with it. I also dislike how everything feels so connected with looking excellent instead of actually being excellent. I also know that I am accountable for what happens in my life as an artist. For me, empathy is the most effective solution to our problems, but this is a generalization with many complicated elements to it.
- 7/18: In reply to 6/28, I know directly of a case this year where the committee put forward a candidate and was rejected by the Dean because the candidate who was selected was the wrong sex and race (according to the Dean's office). The Department stood its ground, and this led to a failed search. There are an increasing number of cases like this.
- 7/19a: The idea that there are "an increasing number of cases" of institutions of higher ed blatantly violating EEOC policies and opening themselves up to huge lawsuits, then letting that information reach randos who will post about it on the internet, is world-class alarmism. The job market is stressful enough without this type of nonsense.
- 7/19b: In reply to 7/18, in my experience on SCs, communication with the Dean's office follows a specific channel (i.e., SC to SC chair to department/school chair to dean). By knowing "directly," do you mean that you were on the SC or read one of these emails or spoke to the dean? Have you or the SC members reported it to HR? Honestly, this seems like hearsay and conjecture, and there has have been "an increasing number of cases" of this.
- 7/21 (7/18 again): What I wrote is not "nonsense." It's what I was told happened by the person running the search. I also know of a case at another school a couple years back where the committee was told they could only hire a woman. For whatever it's worth, both these searches were for two of the best composition jobs in the country over the past few years (or any years for that matter). Perhaps it's true that I don't have the data to prove there are "an increasing number of cases" (nobody would, in fact), but I know that in my own network I hear cases like these very frequently, and many faculty are not happy.
- 7/21 (7/19a): The most charitable interpretation of this, then, is that two departments committed massive unforced errors even before the searches began that were almost certain to cause failed searches (or worse). What I think is much more likely is that there's a complete misunderstanding on someone's part of what exactly the reasons for hiring the successful candidates were. In any case, I'm in a TT line at an R1 school and our department has run four successful searches in the past four years, resulting in four excellent hires (including, for what it's worth, white men). Never was it mentioned to anyone that there was a requirement to hire a member of an underrepresented group, because -- again -- the EEOC explicitly prohibits any serious institutions from making those sorts of limitations. Even anecdotally, that nullifies the idea that this is common practice among "best" schools. If you're on the market, my advice would be to focus on how to make yourself the most competitive candidate possible, not to wring your hands about how common the type of malfeasance 7/18 describes is.
- 7/23: Perhaps the poster above me is teaching at a very unique institution. In my experience, and in the experience of the dozens of colleagues with whom I regularly speak at all manner of institutions, "diversity" is one of the prime factors that come up in hiring. We are under tremendous pressure to hire "diverse" candidates, and points are awarded for it. Are you saying your institution doesn't "value diversity, equity, and inclusion"? "Diversity" in these cases includes race, sex, and sexual orientation. If you call this malfeasance, then I suppose the entire search process across the country is engaged in malfeasance. I would also encourage younger aspiring scholars to work in making themselves marketable, but I think it's important to deal with facts.
- 7/23 (7/19a): The relevant "facts" are that an institutional commitment to DEI (an unequivocally good thing) can manifest in all sorts of ways in the hiring process, and it is not the same as administration interfering in the hiring of a search committee/department's favored candidate because they were the "wrong gender" or whatever. To pretend otherwise is either disingenuous or extremely cynical, and given that this wiki has bred some really horrifying negativity over the last few years it's downright irresponsible to say it's the norm in hiring practices. It's not, and if a candidate really believes vociferously that the deck is stacked against them because they're a white man, I guarantee that level of entitlement and resentment is not doing them any favors in interviews or campus visits.
- 7/30: With all due respect, I think 7/19a is either living in a very sheltered environment and not aware of the norm over at least the last 5 years or else he or she doesn't want to admit the reality of the hiring process, perhaps for political reasons. It's interesting that colleagues can be more honest in person than on an anonymous wiki. By the way, nothing discussed here involves entitlement or resentment, just a statement of the current reality.
- 8/1: The above comments by 7/18, 7/23, and 7/30 are a form of white cisgender male privilege and represent forces of gatekeeping and violence against historically oppressed and marginalized communities. To allow these words to stand here is to signal the community's support for racism, homophobia, sexism, and religious bigotry, no different from the worship of Confederate Statues in our present day. As a Marginalized Trans Person of Color, I Reclaim this space for all Persons! I will not be silenced! Moderator, please remove these posts immediately and block the offender.
- 9/1: I feel like I need to encapsulate the past few years on this forum, which have been undeniably tumultuous. I recall reading Karen Kelsky's book about getting an academic job. I questioned it, since it felt like the whole thing was basically her opinion. She thought it was best to be what I thought was kind of a jerk in the application materials. She mentioned all the "weepy" materials academics had to read and how boring they were. Ultimately, I go against this, for better or worse. By standing up for the most kind thing I can do, I'm avoiding those who lack this quality. It's tempting to believe that a person should do anything for a job. But for me, I find it more satisfying to gather truth whether or not it leads to a job. Are you a failure if you don't get a job? Not if you stood up for the others who needed you and spread good things around you. Despite what a few have said on here, no one person is inherently superior. Many people are struggling. It's probable that some people on here are even contemplating suicide. I only wish to offer hope beyond this. Many have devoted their entire lives to music only to find that after thousands of dollars of debt they can't find a full time job. The least thing we can do is understand, support, and help them see different perspectives, not condemn.
- 9/25 I appreciate 9/1's comments very much. We should always err on the side of kindness and humility and be nice to each other and to ourselves (rather than harm ourselves or others in any way or be rude on this wiki, or just pretend to know stuff that we don't actually know). My impression from Karen Kelsky's materials (mainly the book, but also through sporadic visits to her website),--is that she is quite committed to DEI and is certainly more conversant and competent in critical discourses (surrounding race and gender, say) than I am, which is quite an understatement. I don't think that she's advocating reckless egotism or "being a jerk"--I read her advice as more geared towards presenting oneself professionally in the best possible light. After securing a tenure-track job and tenure (neither of which, of course, is guaranteed to anyone), a scholar is better-positioned to do a lot of service (e.g., for DEI in a scholarly discipline). So let's say that it's 8-10 years (or so) of job hunting + tenure track, followed by, say, 20 years of a tenured appointment that provides more freedom (in research, teaching, and service)--it's possible that altruistic service contributions will follow the focused ambition of early-career phases, but I don't think that it's a zero-sum game between kindness and professionalization. (As others have suggested on this wiki, search committees are looking for a nice, kind colleague with whom to spend the next 10-15-20 or however many years at work, and if they sense entitlement or hostility or arrogance during the interview, they might not react well). If you look at the NCFDD's materials, they encourage faculty (especially at early stages) to make sure that they do whatever they need to do in order to succeed (whatever their blend of expectations on research and teaching are, with some institutions heavier on the research and others heavier on the teaching), without getting bogged down with service (and often, with teaching), and also without neglecting their personal well-being and life/work balance, which the NCFDD really stresses. Good luck to everyone--please be very kind and nice to yourself and to each other on this forum (and outside of it)!
Wiki Counter[]
- Check all that apply
I will keep this wiki a positive place for discussion and not post negativity: 20
I will respect the anonymity of the wiki and create a safe atmosphere by not trying to find out who posted what: 19
I am a theorist: 13
I am a composer: 19
I am a little of both theorist and composer: 13
I am a music technologist: 3
I am a little of both composer and music technologist: 4
I am a musicologist with strong theoretical leanings: 1
I am currently in a TT position: 7
I am currently in a renewable-track non-TT position: 5
I am currently in a VAP/Postdoctal position: 1
I am currently in a Lecturer/adjunct position: 9
I am a recent (3 years or less) PhD and on the market: 10
I am a recent (3 years or less) DMA and on the market: 5
I am a no-longer-recent PhD and on the market: 1
I am a no-longer-recent DMA and on the market: 3
I was denied tenure and am back on the market:
I am a tenured or tenure-track professor whose position has been cut: 1
I am an adjunct professor whose position has been cut: 1
I am a senior tenured scholar looking for a better position:
I am working outside of the academy: 4
I am ABD and on the market: 8
I am ABD and not yet on the market: 1
I am not on the market but am an interested observer: 7
I am a member of a search committee:
I am so deeply discouraged professionally: 5
I am unsure of whether to keep trying or cut my losses and find a new career: 5
I am leaving academe if nothing comes through for me this year: 1