Resume Guide for Music Teaching
Music educators may be hired for a variety of different positions. They may be brought into a school as a general music educator to teach areas of music theory, music arranging, music history, or vocal or instrumental performance. Educators are also hired to coach chamber music groups or to conduct choruses or orchestras. Their duties vary depending on the school and the ages and grades they teach, but for the most part they teach a general music class, introducing students to the different aspects of music, and the varying degrees of skill study.
The information on your resume should always relate to a specific job. That means that most of you should have separate resumes for performance, teaching, and other endeavors.
Your resume is the first thing that a potential employer will see and as such should be free of errors, and should represent you very well.
RESUME FORMAT for MUSIC TEACHERS
YOUR NAME
College: Home:
Your Mailing Address Your Mailing Address
City, State Zip City, State Zip
Phone Phone
Email Address
OBJECTIVE:
In most cases, you would not use an objective for a teaching resume. The primary exception would be if you are trying to break into teaching, having not done it before. Then you might craft an objective: “To combine my passion for music and my commitment to young people, as a private school music teacher”.
EDUCATION:
College, Major/Degree, Graduation date (Month/Year)
Grade Point Average (if it reflects a high percentage, lower averages should not be noted)
Major: Music Education Performance Concentration
Teacher Certification area: Music K-12
Honors
STUDENT TEACHING:
Name of school, city, state. Write a separate description for each of your student teaching experiences, even if they are in the same school district. There is no need to write about lesson plans or other tasks that are known requirements for student teachers. Tell what the principal will not know - quantity, quality, and results. Show how many students you taught, their levels of ability and motivation, whether you had to solve discipline problems, and other variable factors. List your sponsor teacher and date at the end of each paragraph, if the teacher may be known by your potential employer.
TEACHING - RELATED EXPERIENCE:
Position title, employer, city, state, date. It's a good idea to use work you did in schools as part of a college course, for instance your practicum(s). Sometimes it may not be enough to classify as experience, but few other college programs provide this opportunity and it can be important. If you use it, the last line of your description would be, “Part of a college course for credit”. Also include jobs such as camp counselor.
PERFORMING:
Performing background can be shown here. Some schools may feel that a music teacher who also performs in the community adds visibility to their program. Organize your experiences in a way that makes it clear and easy to understand.
Music Activities: If you specify organizations that use acronyms then be sure to spell those out such as Music Educators National Conference (MENC).
Additional Activities (or just “Activities” if you choose not to list Music Activities separately): For teachers it's helpful to include high school activities. These may indicate a second hat you could wear for the school such as yearbook committee.
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE:
You may have other categories of experience under this heading, or you can add headings. If you have any community service, use it (e.g., volunteer director of a community choir, volunteer work for the United Way or a hospital, etc.). It could be a paragraph under ADDITIONAL, or you could carry a COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT title in the left margin if you have two or more experiences to describe.
Foreign Language
Skills
Computer Knowledge: Be sure to list music programs such as MIDI , Finale, Band in a Box.
Special Programs: Include coaching certifications and Child Abuse Workshop.
David Keane
Home address: 2000 Phillips Ave. , Pittsburgh , PA 15217-2122
E-mail address: dk14@andrew.cmu.edu
Phone: (412) 555-2222
EDUCATION Carnegie Mellon University
Masters in Music Education (expected May 2005)
Cumulative GPA: 3.75
Pennsylvania Certification in Music Education
B.F.A. in Music Composition (May 2000)
Cumulative GPA: 3.54
TEACHING Pittsburgh Public Schools Pittsburgh , PA
EXPERIENCE
Centers for the Musically Talented 9/01 — Present
? Teaching music theory to beginning and advanced students from fifth through twelfth grade. Directing and assisting the senior honors band through sight reading and section rehearsals.
Brashear High School (full-time substitute) 10/03 — 6/04
? Taught classes in guitar, piano, percussion, and beginning instrumental music. Adjusted curriculum to meet students' needs at all levels of ability. Introduced curriculum where none had previously existed.
Columbus Traditional Academy Middle School 8/00 — 6/01
? Taught instrumental music in grades six through eight in a multicultural environment. Worked with students with special needs. Integrated curriculum to include beginning and experienced students within the same grade.
Musik Innovations Pittsburgh , PA 9/99 — Present
? Teaching trumpet to middle and high school students, including two adult beginners.
PERFORMANCE Giants of Jazz Ensemble, CMU 5/02 — Present
EXPERIENCE ? Lead trumpet since 2000.
Swissvale Community Choir , Swissvale , PA 9/00 — Present
? Assistant conductor since 2003.
? Experience rehearsing and leading the choir in performances.
? Experience in leading ear training exercises to improve musicianship.
Cut Once, ska ensemble 11/99— Present
? Horn section leader, playing trumpet.
? Experience in writing songs and arranging horn parts.
JCC Orchestra of Greater Pittsburgh 9/99 — 12/03
? Principal trumpet, 2001-2003.
? Assistant conductor, 1999-2000.
PROFESSIONAL Dalcroze Society of America 9/98 — Present
ORGANIZATIONS
Three Rivers Chapter of the DSA 6/98 — Present
? Co-founder and vice president since its inception.
RESUME TIPS
- Keep your resume to one page.
- Use a visual layout that is simple and easy to read. The reader should be able to skim quickly and find what he or she is looking for – or get interested enough to want to know more.
- Good use of white space and effective bolding are your best design tools. If you are trying to show off your design skills, keep it simple and save your flashier stuff for your portfolio. Design should never get in the way of readability.
- The appropriate way to write Carnegie Mellon is “ Carnegie Mellon University ” without a hyphen. “CMU” is an abbreviation used within the university, but it should not be used when writing resumes, cover letters, and other official documents.
- Run spell check AND have someone proof it.
- Only include high school activities and honors if absolutely necessary.
- Organize each section in reverse chronological order.
- Avoid providing personal information (age, height, weight, marital status, etc.).
- Use a heavy-bond white, or off white paper. Always 8 1/2x11.
- Use action verbs instead of “responsible for” phrases………..
Accompanied Drafted Installed Accelerated Eliminated Instructed Achieved Enacted Integrated Acquired Engineered Interpreted Administered Enhanced Launched Analyzed Established Maintained Arranged Evaluated Managed Assembled Exceeded Mastered Assisted Executed Negotiated Budgeted Exhibited Organized Built Expanded Participated Clarified Experienced Perfected Commanded Facilitated Performed Compiled Formed Planned Completed Finalized Prepared Composed Founded Presided Conceived Generated Produced Conducted Governed Proposed Constructed Handled Reorganized Controlled Headed Revamped Converted Helped Reviewed Cooperated Hired Scheduled Coordinated Implemented Solved Created Improved Streamlined Delegated Improvised Supervised Demonstrated Increased Supported Designed Induced Taught Developed Influenced Trained Devised Initiated Utilized Discovered Inspired Wrote Displayed Directed
