Assistant Professor of Music, Director of Choral Activities

The successful candidate must demonstrate a history of or the potential for exceptional leadership in Choral Conducting. The candidate must have the skills necessary to recruit and develop talented singers and articulate a recruitment plan for the Hayes School of Music.

The ideal candidate will hold a DMA or Ph.D. in choral conducting, music education, or a related field. Only candidates with an earned doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited institution will be considered. Candidates who are ABD will be considered for the tenure-track position if evidence of a successful defense by July 31 can be verified as the position begins in August 2025.

(Credit toward tenure may be granted to individuals who have held full-time tenure track positions.)

The School of Music seeks applicants with experience in collegiate-level choral conducting and/or pre-college (K-12) choral music education or the equivalent. Recruiting students, collaborating with voice faculty, and serving as a vital resource for the local, regional, and national choral community is critical.

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The Hayes School of Music consists of 423 music students and 54 full-time faculty and offers undergraduate degrees in music education, music therapy, music industry studies and music performance with concentrations in instrumental or vocal performance, music theory/composition and sacred music. Graduate degrees are offered in music therapy and music performance with concentrations in instrumental or vocal performance, music theory/composition and conducting.

The Hayes School of Music prepares young musicians for professional lives as performers, composers, music educators, music therapists, conductors, scholars, and music industry professionals, ensuring the next generation of musical leadership for the state, region, and nation.

The Hayes School of Music is committed to ensuring that its graduates are equipped to succeed in an inclusive, innovative, and multicultural world. Details about department programs and faculty/staff can be found here.

The Hayes School of Music is generously supported by the Hayes Endowment for Musical Excellence. Appalachian State University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music. Additional information is located at www.music.appstate.edu

The Erneston Music Library, located in the Broyhill Music Center, supports the curriculum of the Mariam Cannon Hayes School of Music and the University, and contains books, scores, and recordings. In addition, the Special Collections Research Center in Belk Library contains a growing collection of rare book and manuscript materials relating to classical music. Highlights of the collection include the scores of conductor Hans Schwieger, the original manuscripts of composer Tui St. George Tucker, and the Matanya Ophee Collection, one of the largest collections of 19th-century guitar music in the world.

The Hayes School of Music has been given an endowment, the Peggy Joyce Barber Fellowship, to support a graduate student enrolled in the Master of Music in Performance with a concentration in Conducting and a specialization in Choral Conducting. This will ensure that the Director of Choral Activities has funds for a graduate student assistant each year.

We seek a dynamic Choral Director to lead our choral program and foster a vibrant musical community within our institution. The ideal candidate will possess a deep understanding of choral music, exceptional leadership skills, and a proven track record of recruiting and developing talented singers to pursue undergraduate degrees in music education, music performance, music therapy, music industry studies, and a graduate degree in music performance.

Responsibilities:
1. Choral Program Development: Lead the development and

enhancement of our choral program, crafting a vision that aligns with the values and goals of the Hayes School of Music and supports all degree programs.

2. Conducting: Conduct rehearsals and performances with precision, artistry, and enthusiasm, inspiring students to achieve musical excellence. Teach undergraduate and graduate choral conducting courses and applied lessons.

3. Music Education: Deliver courses in the choral music education

course sequence which may include choral methods, choral conducting and choral literature. Actively participate in the music education program through advising, supervision of practicum and student teaching, knowledge of edTPA licensure practices, and service to the area.

4. Repertoire Selection: Curate a diverse repertoire that challenges and engages students while showcasing the breadth and depth of the choral tradition. Collaborate with faculty and student composers to generate interest and support for creating new repertoire.

5. Recruitment and Retention: Implement innovative strategies to recruit talented singers and retain existing members, fostering a supportive and inclusive choral community.

6. Collaboration: Collaborate with the voice area, other music faculty members, and academic units to promote interdisciplinary learning opportunities and enrich students' musical experiences.

7. Performance Opportunities: Organize and coordinate performances on and off campus, providing students with valuable opportunities to showcase their talents and engage with diverse audiences.

8. Management: Manage the choral area budget and resources,

including the choral library, and represent the choral area on the Dean's Advisory Council. Additional activities include participating in Hayes School of Music entrance auditions and coordinating choral auditions.

9. Community engagement: Serve as a resource for area choral programs. Work to connect community members, future music educators, and professionals in the community. Serve as a representative of the Hayes School of Music to appropriate professional networks such as ACDA and NCMEA.

The choral area at the Hayes School of Music is a vital resource to the school and the community. We seek a dynamic educator and conductor who demonstrates a commitment to building an equitable and diverse scholarly environment, including the programming of diverse repertoire and that of historically underrepresented composers and styles.*

The Hayes School of Music maintains a close-knit community of engaged learners (faculty, staff, and students) who seek to provide a mutually supportive environment to nurture musicians pursuing careers in music education, performance, music therapy, and music industry studies at the undergraduate level and music performance and music therapy at the graduate level.

In the Hayes School of Music, full-time tenure eligible or tenured faculty members are expected to teach 24 full-time equivalent hours (FTEs) per academic year. A faculty member may request up to 6 FTEs annually for extensive scholarly or creative activity.

*We support a candidate with a forward-thinking vision for the role of Director of Choral Activities.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential job duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

ABD with reduction in rank and salary: ABD will be considered for this position. Evidence of successful defense of the dissertation must be received by July 31 for a fall hire or November 30 for a spring hire. If confirmation of defense is not provided by the deadline, the candidate will receive a new one-year fixed-term contract and be hired at the rank of Instructor. The candidate's salary will also be reduced to a lower rate commensurate with other full-time instructors in the same department. However, if degree verification is provided before the end of the one-year fixed-term contract, the candidate will be returned to the rank of assistant professor with commensurate compensation beginning July 1 of the following academic year.

No ABD consideration: Only candidates with an earned doctorate or terminal degree from an accredited institution will be considered for the position. Since ABD will not meet the minimum requirements, ABD will not be considered.

For a complete application, please apply and submit all below-required documents electronically in PDF format through Appalachian State University's job board:

Please note this position is based on enrollment and subject to available funding.

The continued employment of a special faculty member during the term appointment may be made expressly contingent on items such as the continued availability of funding from any source, on enrollment levels, or any other contingency established by the institution.

The continued employment of a special faculty member during the term appointment may be made expressly contingent on items such as the continued availability of funding from any source, on enrollment levels, or any other contingency established by the institution.