Part 1: Getting the Academic Musician Job
WRITTEN MATERIALS, Interviews and Offer Negotiation
During my doctoral program, I was fortunate to have excellent mentorship about the academic job application process. I had a trusted network of professors and colleagues who helped me craft the strongest application possible and sharpen my interview skills to the point where I was invited to interview for tenure-track positions while still a student, and received a tenure-track job offer out of my first campus visit. Unfortunately, after chairing and serving on numerous search committees, I’ve learned that not everyone receives the same guidance and many applicants are applying for jobs without a clear understanding of what search committees are looking for.
Applications for academic jobs in music are exactly like auditions: while there’s no guaranteed way to ensure you win, meticulous preparation will maximize your chances of success. Drawing on my career as a full-time faculty member (department sub-chair since 2021; tenured since 2024), my experience chairing and serving on numerous search committees and my own journeys on the job market (including multiple offers), my goal is to help you present your artistry, pedagogy and personality in the best way possible.
Applications for academic jobs in music are also like auditions in that you want feedback from multiple people. When I won my first orchestral audition, mock auditions were essential to my preparation. Even if you are fortunate enough to have proper mentorship in your doctoral program, I am your extra set of eyes and ears to give you other things to consider as you pour your heart and soul into each application.
While there are several resources out there devoted to the academic job hunt, shockingly few are from actual musicians. Stop worrying about translating advice from the humanities and STEM fields to the arts, and work with a real musician who understands you’ve put countless hours into both the practice room and your application. You’ll get practical guidance toward pursuing your academic dreams, and I get to do one of my favorite things: help others actualize their limitless potential.
“David is extremely knowledgeable about the application and interview process. He was able to assist me in preparing for Zoom and finalist interviews by not only giving me examples of questions that would be asked, but also approaches to effectively answer such questions. I have no doubt that David’s help played a factor in the securing of my full time position!”
“David’s extensive experience in academia was very helpful during my job negotiation process. His deep understanding of academic etiquette and culture, coupled with his strategic insights into various negotiation options, helped me navigate the complexities with confidence. I highly recommend David to anyone seeking guidance on academic career matters, as his expertise provides a clear advantage in understanding and managing the nuances of the academic world.”
I’ve worked with MUSICIANS to improve their:
COVER letter
How to decode job descriptions to help you align your letter with the position and institutional values
Where to repeat information already in your CV (and where not to!)
Why you need to explain your interest in the job (even though it might seem obvious to you!)
What to mention that will hook the search committee into reading the rest of your portfolio
curriculum vitae
What you need to include (and what you can leave out!)
Why you can’t use the same CV for every application
Where you need to brag about yourself even more!
How to format your CV for consistency and clarity of presentation
written statements
How to craft a compelling teaching statement that goes beyond the usual platitudes
What you can draw on from your own experiences to create a meaningful (not performative) diversity statement
Where and why you need to repeat yourself from your cover letter
How to make your personality come through your writing
interview preparation
What are the different points you should address when speaking with faculty and administrators
How to survive the gauntlet that is the campus interview
Why you need to approach the teaching demonstration differently than an individual lesson
What pitfalls to avoid during your recital
offer negotiation
What to ask for during your negotiation (and YES, you can ask for things!)
Why and how to justify your salary request
When you need to prioritize your requests, and how you do it
How you handle multiple offers in hand from different institutions
Part 2: KEEPING the Academic Musician Job
Tenure & Promotion MATERIALS
So you were fortunate enough to land a tenure-track job: AWESOME! The fun was just beginning, wasn’t it?
Document revision and editing is a not-so-hidden passion of mine, because I believe every written statement is a chance for you to tell your story and craft your narrative. I spent countless hours preparing my dossier and while parts of it were onerous, it was an intangible sort of joy to weave a through line across the summary of my work. I was thrilled to exceed the criteria for tenure and promotion to associate professor at my current institution, receiving extensive praise for the thoroughness and level of detail evident in my portfolio.
While there are several resources out there devoted to tenure and promotion materials, very little of it is written from the perspective of an actual musician. We don’t contend with grant sizes, journal impact factors and the like. We work in a largely subjective and fluid art subject to interpretation. One of the challenges for us as musicians as contextualizing our work outside of our department; when your portfolio goes up for review in the hands of a biologist, mathematician or historian, you have to explain it as though it were in their discipline. With great experience in this component of tenure and promotion materials, including receiving my institution’s award for research and artistic achievement, we can work together to make sure anyone understands why your artistry matters.
If you want to make sure you leave no doubt about your worthiness for tenure and/or promotion, let me help guide you as an editor and reviewer to make your materials worthy of what you know you deserve!
WORK WITH ME TO PRESENT YOUR BEST IMAGE IN:
TEACHING
Present the efficacy of your teaching in multiple modalities and over time
Craft a narrative corroborated by student and faculty input
Contextualize student evaluations of teaching in a realistic and constructive way
Illustrate your own professional development and reflection on teaching
Explain the value and impact of your work to faculty from other disciplines
Validate external reviews of your work in any medium
Learn key metrics to illustrate for your performances via peer review
Prioritize the proper stature of activities, and make a case for why you did what you did
RESEARCH, SCHOLARSHIP and ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE
SERVICE
Explain the direct impact your service had on the institution
Select meaningful and practical methods to illustrate service outcomes
Connect service to your larger role as a mentor
Contextualize service within the scope of your institutional duties
To land (and keep) a music job in academia, you have to be a great musician and teacher… but that’s just the beginning, not the end of the process. Whether you’re seeking your first job offer or looking to change institutions, we can work together to find out how to best present yourself in every stage of the application and interview process.
My first step with each client is a free 15-minute video call to learn more about you and discuss your needs. From there, we’ll chat about what you can afford and what mode of communication works best in your schedule. Depending on what you are looking for, I offer asynchronous, cloud-based consultation, online video calls to follow up on written feedback of documents and interview practice, and email-based services.
Discounted rates are available for students, recent graduates and people of color.
Questions? Fill out the form below, or email me at davidycook1@gmail.com.