Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music Education (Tenure-track Appointment)

Wayne State University•Detroit, MI

33d•Onsite

About The Position

Wayne State University is seeking a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music Education in the Department of Music, beginning in August 2027. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience. The successful candidate will excel in research, teaching, and service. In the area of research, the candidate will produce a significant level of peer-reviewed scholarly activity. In the area of teaching, the candidate will teach instrumental music education and instrumental techniques courses, and place and supervise student teachers and coordinate other fieldwork experiences. In the area of service, the candidate will steward relationships with local and state music teachers, participate in department committees, participate in audition and recruiting activities, and perform other service assignments as appropriate. The university is investing heavily in the Department of Music and the performing arts, having recently completed a $65 million complex that houses the Hilberry Gateway, the Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center, and our own underground jazz club, Dee Dee Bridgewater’s. The university has a long-standing relationship with the Detroit Jazz Festival (300,000+ in-person attendees) with students and faculty on full display for the annual Labor Day weekend festivity, while our various student and professional concert series attract diverse audience members from around the region. The Department of Music also participates in innovative community programming such as workshops for K-12 students and educators. When compared to other higher education institutions, Wayne State has a distinct competitive advantage: There is no other public research university in the country positioned in the middle of a city, serving the city, creating and continuing to shape American culture as its core identity. Through our everyday activities and interactions, creative and scholarly practices, curricular design and teaching, and service and community engagement, the university seeks to create an inclusive institutional atmosphere that recognizes and celebrates the inherent value of a diverse campus community. We are a university of access and opportunity, and we have a responsibility to demonstrate a commitment to our mission of providing access to an excellent and affordable college education. We are here to make our students’ lives and futures better. The Department of Music is one of four departments in the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts; the other constituent units are the Department of Communication, the Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, and the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art, Art History, and Design. The college offers undergraduate, graduate, and graduate certificate programs. It is home to today’s aspiring artists, performers, scholars, dancers, debaters, entrepreneurs and communication professionals who all represent the college’s legacy of excellence in our respective fields. From debate to dance, jazz to journalism, and fashion design to center stage, our students create captivating performances, inspire artistic and academic excellence, and conduct innovative research on behalf of our Detroit community. The college’s alumni include a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and winners of and nominees for the Grammy, Emmy, Tony, Golden Globe, Obie, Screen Actors Guild and Caldecott awards. Wayne State University is a Carnegie Tier 1 Research (R1) university enrolling 24,000 students in 350 undergraduate and graduate programs offered through the University’s 13 schools and colleges. Wayne State’s immediate neighbors in our Midtown Cultural Center include the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Opera, Detroit Public Library, Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan Science Center, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the Detroit Historical Museum. The vibrant Midtown and Downtown areas are also home to active theatres, galleries, professional sports stadiums, and entertainment venues ranging from the Detroit Artist Market and the Fox and Fisher Theatres.

Requirements

Terminal degree in music education or related field with an emphasis in instrumental music (ABD considered).
Experience with scholarly research in music education.
Teaching experience in an elementary, middle school, or high school environment.
College-level teaching experience (may include graduate-student teaching appointments).

Nice To Haves

A record of peer-reviewed scholarly activity.
Experience supervising student teachers or field placements.
Band, orchestra, and/or jazz conducting experience.
Experience with contemporary pedagogical practices/ensembles and inclusive music education.
Experience teaching in urban and/or culturally diverse public-school settings.

Responsibilities

Produce a significant level of peer-reviewed scholarly activity.
Teach instrumental music education and instrumental techniques courses.
Place and supervise student teachers and coordinate other fieldwork experiences.
Steward relationships with local and state music teachers.
Participate in department committees.
Participate in audition and recruiting activities.
Perform other service assignments as appropriate.