Applied Music Instructor

Job Details

About Occidental College
Founded in 1887, Occidental is a nationally recognized, private college of the liberal arts and sciences, dedicated to providing a gifted and diverse group of students with a total educational experience of the highest quality -- one that prepares them for leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent and pluralistic world.
What makes Occidental special? An intellectually rigorous academic environment. Small classroom settings where students collaborate with professors and their peers while pursuing or discovering their passion. A beautiful residential campus that offers students hands-on engagement with the cultural and intellectual resources of Los Angeles. A community open to stimulating conversation and divergent points of view. Some 2,100 students from 46 states and 28 countries choose from 41 majors and minors and participate in one the country’s top undergraduate research programs. Oxy students routinely win top awards and fellowships; its first Rhodes Scholar was named in 1907. Dedicated to excellence and equity, Occidental also is one of the country’s most economically diverse campuses, according to the New York Times. Some 71 percent of Oxy students receive some form of financial aid; 20 percent are Pell Grant recipients; and 19 percent are the first in their family to attend college

Title: Applied Music Instructor

Department: Arts & Humanities

Duration: Indefinite (On Call)

Employment Status: Part-Time, Exempt

Job Summary

Reporting to the Resident Full Professor, the Applied Music Instructor will teach and mentor students in a dynamic, music-focused environment. This role will guide each student through their technical and musical development, fostering a comprehensive understanding of their chosen repertoire. Collaboration with faculty and staff is key, along with ensuring students’ success both in lessons and within the department.

We are seeking Applied Music Instructors for the following positions:

• Vocal Instructor

The Voice Instructor will teach half-hour and hour-long lessons to undergraduate students ranging from beginning to advanced levels, utilizing a broad knowledge of traditional and contemporary repertoire. In addition to core instruction, the role involves adjudicating end-of-semester juries and mentoring Music majors on developing their junior and senior recital programs. Frequent opportunities also exist to collaborate with departmental colleagues through performances in faculty concerts. Applicants should hold a minimum of a Master of Music (MM) in Vocal Performance or a cognate field and demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching within a liberal arts environment.

Job Duties

• 90% - Teach students on their primary instrument(s), focusing on technical development and repertoire. Provide each student with a new syllabus each semester; adhere to all departmental policies regarding lessons, recitals, and juries; attend end-of-semester juries for scholarship students; connect students eligible for an accompanist with the appropriate Music Department coach; track enrollment and establish a consistent teaching schedule. - (Essential)
• 10% - Other duties as assigned. - (Essential)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Music or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Excellent professional-level command of their instrument or instruments.
• Proven track record of teaching students at a variety of skill levels.
• Strong technical skills on their primary instrument, with extensive knowledge and proficiency across multiple styles and genres of music.
• Ability to work with deadlines and help students meet deadlines.
• A commitment to teaching and mentoring musicians at all levels, with the flexibility to adapt to students' individual needs and development.
• Demonstrated ability to be detail-oriented and thorough; skilled at anticipating and preventing potential problems and handling a wide variety of tasks with efficiency and accuracy.
• Strong commitment to a quality work product.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate verbally, in writing and electronically. Effective interpersonal skills as evidenced in the ability to collaborate with a variety of constituencies.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, inclusion & diversity. Demonstrated skill in adapting to and performing work effectively in high-volume, high accountability, confidential environment with multiple and changing priorities.
• Effective organizational, logistical, time management and planning skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks/projects simultaneously, prioritize and fulfill the functions of an office in a timely manner.
• Ability to self-motivate and work independently.
• Ability to provide effective leadership and training, and to work effectively and professionally across functions, disciplines, levels, and with diverse groups.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Music.

EXPECTED HIRING RANGE: $100.00 for a one-hour lesson and $50.00 for a half-hour lesson

Advertised: 16 Apr 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: 05 May 2026 Pacific Daylight Time