Assistant Professor of Music Education, Instrumental Focus

Shenandoah Conservatory is accepting applications for an Assistant Professor of Music Education, Instrumental Focus. This is a full-time benefited position located on our main campus in Winchester, Virginia.

Shenandoah Conservatory is home to exceptional artists and scholars who are strongly oriented towards collaboration, mentorship, and innovative approaches to the career preparation of students. The Conservatory’s ShenCoLAB is one example of the Conservatory’s nation-leading embrace of innovation and collaboration; a (first-in-the-country) week-long stoppage of all classes and rehearsals across all programs with the school turned over to students for student-led (and faculty mentored) collaborative projects. Shenandoah Conservatory has an extraordinary legacy of shaping music and the performing arts in Virginia and beyond, located at the head of the historic Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia, 70 miles west of Washington, D.C., the Conservatory is now home to over 700 students from across the nation and globe enrolled in baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral curricula in the areas of music, theater, and dance, and includes a distinguished faculty of over 130, half of whom are full-time. In the area of music, Shenandoah Conservatory is fortunate to attract performance- oriented students not only through its music performance degrees, but also through offered degrees in Music Education, Music Therapy, and Music Production and Recording Technology. The Conservatory is one of the Mid- Atlantic’s leading centers of new music performance, with premier master artists (ranging from composers to ensembles) distributed throughout each performance season.

About the Music Education Program: From its origins in 1875 as a school to support the training of music teachers, Shenandoah Conservatory has long served as a leader in music education and is proud to advance its role as Virginia’s premiere and progressive center of music education training. The Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Master of Music Education degrees are recognized as innovative and forward- oriented and are continually updated to meet the needs of music classrooms of the future. Undergraduates begin music education coursework in their first semester and have opportunities for hands-on teaching experiences throughout the program. Students may select an instrumental (classical or jazz) or a choral/general music track for the program and subsequent Virginia licensure. Students have the opportunity to teach for two semesters in the on-campus home school music program. The Master of Music Education degree is designed for the practicing music educator. The degree is uniquely designed to increase students’ skills as reflective musician teachers. A research teaching project provides a practical capstone document.

Responsibilities:

The Music Education faculty seeks a dynamic and collaborative instrumental musician, teacher, and scholar; someone excited by the work of training future music teachers positioned to succeed in diverse ever- changing classrooms. The chosen candidate will further strengthen Shenandoah Conservatory's profile and reputation as Virginia’s premiere, inclusive and innovative place of study where musicians from diverse backgrounds develop into dynamic and inspiring music teachers. Teaching

responsibilities will include:

1. instrumental methods courses with a lab band
2. field experience courses (middle school and high school)
3. student teacher supervision for secondary instrumental music placements

Other possible teaching assignments such as student teaching seminar or conducting are dependent on department or Conservatory needs and candidate qualifications. Collaborative work with instrumental ensembles may be possible depending on candidate experience. Contributions to program recruitment as well as Conservatory-wide collaboration are expected.

Beyond having experience with traditional instrumental literature and pedagogies, the chosen candidate will have experience in strings, jazz, and/or popular styles and be a champion for collaboration and artistic excellence across instrumental genres and styles. Required qualifications and skills, beyond those listed above, include:

1. An earned doctorate in Music Education, or related terminal degree preferred (ABD considered).
2. Three or more years successful American public-school experience that includes middle and/or high school instrumental ensemble teaching.
3. Exhibited commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as well as skills to model and teach culturally responsive pedagogy.
4. Knowledge of the teacher certification process and strong skills in organization and data management.
5. An interest to collaborate with the Conservatory’s ensemble directors and applied faculty as well as PK-12 music educators in the region.

Preferred qualifications and skills include:

1. Successful collegiate teaching experience.
2. Demonstrated scholarship in the field of music education.

How to Apply:

The complete application will include a cover letter, Curriculum Vitae, and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be reviewed immediately and continue until a qualified candidate is selected.

Shenandoah University is committed to enriching its educational experience and culture through its faculty, administration, and staff diversity. All candidates are strongly encouraged to include a statement in their cover letters addressing how they can contribute to that commitment.

**Note: A pre-employment background check will be required, and a satisfactory driving record may be required as a condition of hire. 

Shenandoah University values individuals and communities' unique and diverse perspectives locally and globally. It seeks to foster mutual understanding in an inviting community where individuals are welcome and respected. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran’s status, or on any other basis protected under applicable law.