It may come as a surprise for you to learn that music education is the most popular music major in the entire country. And for good reason – music education majors enjoy the highest job placement immediately after completion of a Bachelor’s over every other major in music. Some colleges boast a 100% job placement rate from their music education programs in almost every year.
That said, as music education is the most popular music major in the entire country, it is also among the most competitive. When it comes time to for you to attend your first job interview, having a solid foundation in musicianship and a thorough understanding of classroom curricula are obvious requirements. What may not be obvious, however, are a number of “insider” tips that will put you way ahead of the competition in the game of winning jobs in music education, tips that those who have been in the field for years know very, very well.
After having spoken to several music teachers and music education enthusiasts, I decided to put together a list with real insider knowledge to assist the job-seeking music education major, or for those looking into a career in music education. Without further ado, here are my seven tips for getting a great job with a music education degree.
7. Know Exactly How to Handle Any Given Classroom Situation and Stay In Control
It might seem insensitive to say that most pre-college schools are looking more for teachers that can handle students in bad or unpredictable classroom situations rather than for teachers’ musicality and creativity. While musicality and creativity are endlessly important for a successful and rewarding career as a music education teacher, knowing how to handle unique student situations is the key to job placement and retention.
On the day of your interview, you will be probably be asked how to handle students in a variety of different situations. According to this Michigan State University music education sample interview, one question that could come up in your interview is “what do you do with a student who resists music?”
Translation: “What do you with a student who does not want to participate in classroom activities?” Basically, how do you, as a teacher, work with unruly and uncooperative students?
Answers to questions like these will help interviewers determine whether you have the necessary skills to work with children and teenagers successfully in a typical, not always idealistic classroom setting. I am not displacing emphasis on the absolutely true necessity of having a creative and genuine mind for music education, however, without having the ability to deal with young students on a basic level of behavioral discipline, you may not be able to get and/or retain the job you want.
6. Learn How to Not Get Fired – Here’s Why
Talk can spread quickly around different schools in a district or city. Getting fired can sometimes be out of your control, but if possible, try not to get fired as many music education teachers at different schools know each other (remember, everyone goes to the same music education conferences). Also, the administration at many different K-12 programs know each other as well.
If you are the bad apple in a crowd of good music teachers, a negative reputation about you in a specific location could become known, and it could be that much harder for you to find a job in the city you want to teach in. I can tell you right now that many music education teachers in locales like New York City, Long Island, Chicago, or suburban Boston all know each other and what the “going-ons” are of their fellow music departments.
5. Choose a College Music Education Program With Connections to Many Local K-12 Programs
This one is not nearly emphasized enough, yet is, in my opinion, one of the most important factors for choosing the best music education program. When a college has established connections to local K-12 academic institutions, the likelihood of a college student’s job placement in those schools is significantly higher than if there were no connection.
I will be publishing a list of the top music education programs in early November, but for today, I can say I am very fond of Northwestern University’s music education program. Their school has ties to over 60 Chicago area public schools, schools that regularly employ graduates of the Northwestern University music education program. Other schools that have strong ties to public K-12 music programs include (but are certainly not limited to) Ithaca College and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Choosing a program with connections already in place can act as a “job placement funnel” for students who wish to teach immediately after graduating with their Bachelor’s.
4. Have Dozens of Answers Prepared Before the Interview
Like any other significant job interview for any field, preparation is key. Of course, presentation and confidence are incredibly important, but having answers prepared for the interview is even more important.
As a potential music education teacher, there are so, so many different questions that you could be asked at your interview that will shed light on your ability to teach music and handle a classroom of pre-college students at a high level. Some things you will have to know about include the National Standards of Music Education, how to teach a beginning clarinet lesson, the essential differences between the Orff, Gordon, and Dalcroze academic philosophies, and what to do if a student throws his instrument at another student.
All of these should have answers not improvised, but rather, made ahead of the interview. For a comprehensive list of questions typically asked at music education job interviews, see this Michigan State University interview questionnaire.
3. If You Want a High Paying Music Education Job, Target Wealthier Public Districts
I am not saying that if you want a music education job, you should target wealthier public districts. I am simply saying that if you would like a well-paying music education job, then targeting a wealthier district could be to your benefit.
There can be a huge emotional satisfaction in being a teacher at an underprivileged school in a poorer district. These schools need great teachers more than any other schools.
The unfortunate economic reality in this situation, however, is that higher demand for higher quality does not typically equate to higher salaries. It’s too bad that the quality-supply and demand economic principle holds true for nearly every economic transaction or job position in the world except public education.
In a wealthier district, the tax paying dollars to fund public music teacher’s salaries can be significantly higher than those in a non-wealthy district. Also, many wealthier districts simply have more resources and money allocated toward high-end music education programs. So, to get the best-paying music education job, get your resume’ into the hands of people at wealthier public schools or even private schools.
2. Learn How to Develop As Many Performance Opportunities As Possible
Finally, a tip that address the more musical side of being a music education teacher. Performance opportunities are the lifeblood of an enthusiastic young and growing musician. Outside of the school’s regular orchestra concerts, teachers can create unique performance opportunities that are exciting to young musicians, performances that can motivate the student to practice and grow as a musician. For example, performing in a professional venue outside of the student’s public school can make a gig that much more memorable and special to a student who has little or no experience playing outside of an academic setting.
Having the ability to develop varied, exciting and memorable performance opportunities can lead to great things for your future in music education and beyond. Be sure to convey your performance development ideas thoroughly at your music educator job interview to show that you care deeply about the livelihood of the school’s student musicians.
1. Keep a Constantly Updated List of Detailed, Qualifying Skills
And I don’t mean that you should just simply have a good resume’. As a music teacher, there are very specific skills and academic methodologies that you have to know the intricacies of in order to succeed.
For example, you may write on a resume’ that you have successfully taught a beginner woodwind lesson, but when the time comes, how will you – in specifics – be able to teach a first-time flute student the art of producing a fundamentally sound tone? It’s actually quite difficult to do, however, a music education major with a solid background should be able to get a student to create a fundamentally consistent tone on his flute within two weeks of starting.
Also, what are the real differences between the Kodaly and Orff academic approaches, or how do you conduct Mars from Holst’s The Planets, which is in the atypical meter of 5/4? Knowing and owning small details like this are critical to your musical success as a teacher to pre-college students, not to mention can help better prepare you for the day you have your very first job interview in music education.
So there you have it, seven insider tips that can make your dreams of attaining a position in music education come true. If you have any other insider tips, feel free to post them in the comments section below.