What does a music professor do?
Music professor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real music professor resumes:
- Used blackboard online to manage students tests, grade papers and assign materials.
- Experiment with different surface chemistry to improve quality of yields -participate in poster session and presentation to faculty and graduate students.
- Experiment with different surface chemistry to improve quality of yields -participate in poster session and presentation to faculty and graduate students.
Music professor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 42% of Music Professors are proficient in Music Theory, Curriculum Development, and Music History. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Music Professors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Music Theory, 42%
Teach undergraduate music courses including: music theory, secondary piano, keyboard harmony, composition, and seminar in composition.
- Curriculum Development, 14%
Collaborate with the Business Technology Department team concerning plans of study, curriculum development, budgets and stakeholder evaluations.
- Music History, 12%
Lecture) Teaching Sight Singing I-IV Teaching Survey of Music History 1 & 2.
- Jazz Ensemble, 9%
Directed various ensembles including rock ensemble, jazz ensemble and percussionensemble.
- Chorus, 6%
Designed and launched the first International Youth Barbershop Chorus Festival, an event that just completed its eighth year.
- Music Education Courses, 5%
Instructed applied clarinet lessons, music education courses, world music courses and jazz appreciation courses.
Common skills that a music professor uses to do their job include "music theory," "curriculum development," and "music history." You can find details on the most important music professor responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a music professor to have is interpersonal skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "postsecondary teachers need to work well with others for tasks such as instructing students and serving on committees." Music professors often use interpersonal skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "created original syllabus with emphasis on movement experiences to foster intra and interpersonal awareness. "
Speaking skills. Another essential skill to perform music professor duties is speaking skills. Music professors responsibilities require that "postsecondary teachers need good communication skills to present lectures and provide feedback to students." Music professors also use speaking skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "published and presented original research in the field of american music, popular music studies, and experimental art musics. "
Writing skills. music professors are also known for writing skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to music professor responsibilities, because "postsecondary teachers need strong writing ability to publish original research and analysis." A music professor resume example shows how writing skills is used in the workplace: "teach classes in music appreciation, string methods, keyboard harmony, and songwriting. "
The three companies that hire the most music professors are:
- LA State University Continuing1 music professors jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable music professor resume templates
Build a professional music professor resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your music professor resume.
Compare different music professors
Music professor vs. Teaching artist
A Teaching Artist is responsible for teaching knowledge and skills in art, including drawing, painting, lettering, and art history. They also develop, submit, and implement lesson plans.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between music professors and teaching artist. For instance, music professor responsibilities require skills such as "music theory," "counterpoint," "curriculum development," and "music history." Whereas a teaching artist is skilled in "art curriculum," "arts education," "art lessons," and "public schools." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Teaching artists earn the highest salaries when working in the government industry, with an average yearly salary of $42,282. On the other hand, music professors are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $46,124.teaching artists tend to reach lower levels of education than music professors. In fact, teaching artists are 11.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.9% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Music professor vs. Art department head
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, music professor responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "music theory," "counterpoint," "music history," and "fundamental principles." Meanwhile, an art department head has duties that require skills in areas such as "studio art," "fine arts," "photography," and "graphic design." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, art department heads achieve lower levels of education than music professors. They're 17.1% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 4.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Music professor vs. Fine arts teacher
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from music professor resumes include skills like "music theory," "counterpoint," "curriculum development," and "music history," whereas a fine arts teacher is more likely to list skills in "fine arts," "classroom management," "student participation," and "student achievement. "
When it comes to education, fine arts teachers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to music professors. In fact, they're 12.4% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 4.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Music professor vs. Dance instructor/assistant
Types of music professor
Updated January 8, 2025
