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Music teacher skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Michael Mapp,

J. Anthony Allen

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical music teacher skills. We ranked the top skills for music teachers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 22.8% of music teacher resumes contained classroom management as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a music teacher needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 music teacher skills for your resume and career

1. Classroom Management

Here's how music teachers use classroom management:

Implemented various classroom management techniques for maintaining student attention, involvement and discipline, specifically differentiation.
Worked one-on-one with teacher mentor and other teachers to develop pedagogical and classroom management skills.

2. Professional Development

Professional development means to have the essential training certification or education with the purpose of earning and having a successful career. Every job requires a different set of skills. However, new skills may be needed in the future. Professional development, in this regard, helps people to develop and polish the skills and become efficient workers.

Here's how music teachers use professional development:

Attended monthly professional development/education programs.
Participated in professional development and collaborated with faculty on inter-disciplinary projects.

3. Music Education

Here's how music teachers use music education:

Coordinated with the University of Washington Music Education Department, providing university students access to teaching experiences in the classroom.
Developed and managed music education curriculum for students ages 6-13 and performing student concerts at locally sponsored venues.

4. Kindergarten

Kindergarten is an early form of education that begins when a child is about five years old. During kindergarten, children learn the basic elements of reading, writing, and mathematics in addition to colors, telling time, sharing, and similar principles. Kindergarten classes are typically overseen by a single teacher who lectures on all of the subjects listed.

Here's how music teachers use kindergarten:

Prepared children for kindergarten by introducing concepts which they further explore in kindergarten and elementary school.
Maintained and prepared lesson planning and activities in general education for kindergarten and preschool music programming.

5. Music Program

A music program refers to a musical rendition. It could be either created just for the sake of expression and to discover how music triggers feelings and emotions or to represent an idea, a story, or anything else via music.

Here's how music teachers use music program:

Developed the entire music program including the direction and coordination of yearly choral presentations.
Recommended policies and procedures to school administrators to improve the instrumental music program.

6. Student Learning

Here's how music teachers use student learning:

Designed classroom with a positive environment to improve student learning abilities individually.
Develop instructional materials and recognize student learning levels

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7. K-12

K12 is a term that incldues all 12 years of education in the US education system. It includes the education offered at the primary stage, middle stage, and secondary stage. It includes children of ages as young as 5 to 18 years. The grades included in K12 are Kindergarten, the initial 5 stages, grades 6 to 8, and 9 to 12. This system is followed specifically followed in the US and may vary in other countries.

Here's how music teachers use k-12:

Designed and implemented a Spanish Music curriculum for children (K-12) who have English as first language.
Developed and taught instrumental, general, and choral music curriculum for K-12 learners with special needs.

8. Public Schools

Public schools are available for everyone. They are funded and controlled by the government. With state guidance, each school board determines the curricula, finances, and jobs for schools within its borders. The government also decides on academic standards and standardised tests.

Here's how music teachers use public schools:

Helped write instrumental curriculum for Livonia Public Schools.
Selected from competitive pool to join national teacher initiative to teach in public schools for a two-year commitment.

9. K-5

K-5 is a general term used in the United States of America for the education period beginning from kindergarten through the fifth grade of ages 5 -- 10.

Here's how music teachers use k-5:

Teach general vocal music to grades K-5 and Special Education classes; conduct Brown Elementary School Chorus.
Managed and taught K-5 general music (600 students), After-School Honor Choir and All-County Choir.

10. Instructional Materials

Here's how music teachers use instructional materials:

Maintain lesson plans and instructional materials for participants.
Utilized a variety of instructional materials.

11. K-8

Here's how music teachers use k-8:

Developed and delivered comprehensive music curriculum for K-8 students.
Developed and implemented bi-weekly lesson plans for K-8 general music classes, administered standard testing, and analyzed class performance.

12. Pre-K

Pre-K or pre-kindergarten is a classroom-based program for children below the age of five, and it is a voluntary preschool program. It helps the child develop social and emotional development before they are ready to start preschool.

Here's how music teachers use pre-k:

Planned and instructed general music lessons for students ages 3-9 (Pre-K to 4th grade).
Created lesson plans designed around language, geography, and song to children in Pre-K.

13. Fine Arts

Here's how music teachers use fine arts:

Served on hospitality, fine arts, and discipline/safety committees
Designed and taught courses in the following areas: general music, multicultural fine arts, swing choir, and musical theater

14. Music History

Here's how music teachers use music history:

Developed Music Explorations class covering world music and music history, Medieval through contemporary.
Included basic music theory, music reading, music history, listening, improvisation and composition in a vertically aligned curriculum.

15. State Standards

State Standards refer to the educational standards within each state. These standards are set by the Department of Education of each state and outline what students must learn within each grade and subject. The teachers' training and standardized testing is also based on what the standards outline.

Here's how music teachers use state standards:

Give instruction according to vocal/general music state standards.
Develop and present stimulating lesson plans that cover a wide range of music objectives aligned with the curriculum and state standards.

5 Music Teacher resume examples

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What skills help Music Teachers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on music teacher resumes?

Dr. Michael Mapp

Director of Bands, Professor of Conducting, New Mexico State University

Experience is always taken into consideration. Eager individuals should be seeking out ways to build that experience and increase their skills. This experience can come in the form of volunteering, various teaching opportunities, performing frequently, whether it be self-promoted gigs, auditioned festivals, competitions, or masterclasses, and seeking out leadership positions.

As the pandemic has highlighted, a need to understand technology and apply it within one's individual area will be valuable no matter the job. For musicians, the lack of performance opportunities will also no doubt, create even more competition in the future thus requiring high technical ability.

Additionally, it is also a plus to see applicants that have creative areas of interest outside their field of expertise that only strengthen their critical thinking skills, diverse world views, and work ethic.

What soft skills should all music teachers possess?

J. Anthony Allen

Assistant Professor - Music, Media and Management, Augsburg University

My gut reaction to that is that it depends on the age of the student. You need to have a lot of energy for younger students and keep them interested while also communicating with their parents. For college-age students (the world I am mostly in), you need a direct language with the student that tells them if they are on track, how they are doing, and ways they can improve that are not condescending.

What hard/technical skills are most important for music teachers?

J. Anthony Allen

Assistant Professor - Music, Media and Management, Augsburg University

In addition to the obvious: Being really good on your instrument and teaching it well, the next would be the technology stuff I mentioned above.

What music teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Donald Fisher

Director of Instrumental Studies, Iowa Western Community College

If you're taking a gap year, I always recommend continuing their education in music. Local community colleges offer cheap courses, applied lessons, and other musical avenues to explore. In many cases, scholarship money FAR surpasses the cost of the credit hour, especially at the community college level. Other skills to improve are ones that bring you joy. Find a hobby or other activity you enjoy and dive in. Whether that's something in music or otherwise, it's always good to be reminded of good things in light of so much suffering.

What type of skills will young music teachers need?

Dr. Claire Fedoruk

Professor of Musicology, Azusa Pacific University

In the new environment, recording and mastering skills may be the new requirement for any performer. I'm sure that sound engineers will experience a Renaissance of employment in this post-pandemic world! Young musicians are already much more tech-savvy than those in middle age, so this may not be an issue, and at APU, our music technology courses are first-rate and teach all of these skills through Logic, Pro Tools, etc. Additionally, I believe that writing is a skill that can never harm a musician, especially as they may need extra funding from grants to complete projects or hire additional personnel to handle online recording and performances, COVID compliant initiatives, etc. Flexibility, patience, and perseverance are highly sought-after traits and playing well with others, both literally and figuratively.

What technical skills for a music teacher stand out to employers?

Fred David Romines Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Marywood University

Instructional templates that employ the latest software seamlessly integrated with in-person and remote instruction.

Do you want to know more?

List of music teacher skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a music teacher resume and required skills for a music teacher to have include:

Classroom Management
Professional Development
Music Education
Kindergarten
Music Program
Student Learning
K-12
Public Schools
K-5
Instructional Materials
K-8
Pre-K
Fine Arts
Music History
State Standards
Mathematics
Music Appreciation

Drama
Elementary Music
Vocal Music
K-6
Elementary Schools
Social Studies
Orff
Choral Music
Group Lessons
Music Theory
General Music Classes
School Administration
Musical Performances
Community Events
K-4
Standardized Testing
Musical Instruments

Band Program
Piano Lessons
Songwriting
EAR Training
Concert Band
Public Performances
Student Performance
Voice Lessons
Music Technology
Choral Program
Percussion Instruments
JR
Vocal Technique
Bible
Musical Concepts
Beginning Band

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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Updated January 8, 2025

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