Job description

Fort Worth, TX

Application Deadline:

Open until filled. Review of applications begins February 1, 2025

Position Details:

This full-time faculty position is on-campus and in-person.

Assistant Director of Bands / Director of Athletic Bands

The School of Music in the College of Fine Arts at Texas Christian University invites applications for the position of Assistant Director of Bands / Director of Athletic Bands at the rank of Assistant Professor of Professional Practice. This person will direct the Horned Frog Marching Band and serve as Director of Athletic Bands at TCU. Additional responsibilities may include conducting concert ensembles, teaching music education courses, or other duties based on the needs of the School of Music coupled with the faculty member’s qualifications. This non-tenure track faculty position is an 11-month contract and is full-time and in-person. The position start date is in summer 2025.

Position Responsibilities
The Assistant Director of Bands / Director of Athletic Bands will:

• Direct the Horned Frog Marching Band
• Coordinate and manage the TCU Athletic Bands including recruiting, inventory, and marketing
• Teach other courses based on the candidate’s expertise
• Coordinate with Band faculty and contribute to the mission and vision of the TCU Band Program

Position Qualifications
Required:

• MM in music
• Minimum of three years teaching band at the secondary level or equivalent professional experience
• Knowledge of and expertise in creating marching band drill and program design/production
• Knowledge of and expertise in teaching concert band rehearsal technique and pedagogy
• Evidence of success in program administration

Preferred:

• DMA or PhD (ABD considered) in Conducting or Music Education
• Experience teaching band at the university level with demonstrated program success
• Knowledge of modern practices in the marching arts
• Experience in fundraising initiatives and development of donor relations
• Evidence of success in fiscal/inventory management
• Success in recruiting and retention, large group logistics, and event planning
• Demonstrated experience in cross-institutional collaboration
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience in arranging for athletic bands

Department Details:

The TCU School of Music is a nationally recognized, award-winning institution that allows students to excel and grow as artists in an environment large enough for world-class musical opportunities, yet small enough to ensure a personalized musical experience.

The School of Music, accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) since 1949, offers world-class musical opportunities to prepare the educators, conductors, performers, scholars and composers of tomorrow. Approximately 350 students are pursuing BA, BM, BME, MM, MME, and DMA degrees or Artist Diploma Certificates. In addition to the 250 performances presented each year, the symphony orchestra, concert chorale, wind symphony, symphonic and jazz bands, percussion orchestra, marching band, mariachi, and other ensembles perform at major conferences and venues nationally and internationally. Along with the focus on performance, the School of Music prepares future educators through nationally recognized piano pedagogy and music education programs, resulting in highly successful job placement post-graduation. Music education students are prepared for certification in winds and percussion, vocal, strings, elementary, and Mariachi education. Students benefit from community partnerships with organizations such as the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Opera, Cliburn in the Classroom, and local school districts. Music majors as well as students from other disciplines across the university work with 50 full-time and 27 part-time faculty who actively compose, publish, perform, adjudicate, and give master classes on and off the TCU campus. Festivals and events such as PianoTexas, the Latin American Music Festival, and the Jazz Festival, that bring nationally and internationally acclaimed musicians to work with TCU students. In addition to being the first All-Steinway School in Texas, the new TCU Music Center features the 717-seat state-of-the-art Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU, enhancing the School of Music presence on the campus and the entire Fort Worth community.

For more on the School of Music, please visit https://finearts.tcu.edu/music/

School/College Description:

The TCU College of Fine Arts is home to six academic units: the School of Art, the School for Classical & Contemporary Dance, the School of Music, the Department of Design, the Department of Fashion Merchandising, and the Department of Theatre. We offer 33 undergraduate degree programs and 24 advanced degree programs to prepare the next generation of creative leaders in the arts. Students in the College of Fine Arts study with renowned professors and guest artists, annually present more than 350 public performances, and regularly present art, design, and research in juried exhibitions and competitions.

University & Fort Worth Description:

ABOUT TCU

Founded in 1873, Texas Christian University sits on 302 acres nestled in a primarily residential part of Fort Worth, just minutes away from downtown. The University includes seven schools and colleges, in addition to the John V. Roach Honors College and the Burnett School of Medicine.

Currently, TCU enrolls more than 10,200 undergraduates and 1,700 graduate students. Twenty-eight percent of students self-identify as a member of a minority group, five percent are international students, and forty-five percent are from out-of-state. Our students are supported by more than 2,200 faculty and staff. The University has more than 700 full-time faculty members and is a top 100 National University as classified by US News and World Report and has a Carnegie Classification of R2: Doctoral Universities – High Research Activity.

At TCU, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are an educational imperative directly tied to the University mission, vision, and strategic plan. Fulfilling TCU’s mission to develop ethical leaders and critical thinkers in a global community depends on the University’s ability to attract and retain students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds. A diverse and inclusive campus leads to innovation, broadened perspective, and understanding-values that are foundational aspects of higher education. For the fourth consecutive year, TCU has earned the Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award, which highlights ongoing commitment to build a comprehensive DEI strategy that aligns with core values and creates a campus culture where everyone is respected and included.

ABOUT FORT WORTH

Like TCU, Fort Worth has the approachable, friendly charm of a smaller town, but offers the amenities, cultural activities, diversity and unique personality of a much larger city. Fort Worth, Texas, is the 13th largest city in the United States with an ever-growing population nearing 1 million. Fort Worth and TCU have grown together in a nearly 150-year relationship. You’ll find that many Horned Frogs remain here after graduation, thanks to the region’s thriving job market. Fort Worth is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, the fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States, and the number 1 tourist destination in Texas. In 2018, bizjournals.com ranked Fort Worth the 7th most affordable city to live and work in the United States and U.S. News and World Report named Fort Worth one of the Best Places to Live. Fort Worth, Dallas and Arlington all rank among the top 25 most diverse cities in the country.

Fort Worth is known for its vast array of cultural, educational and entertainment opportunities. The city boasts three world class art museums-the Kimbell Art Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. The Bass Performance Hall is one of the premier performance venues in the country. Concerts, film festivals and other events are held regularly at Sundance Square, Panther Island and Near Southside venues.

TCU definition of PPP
Professors of Professional Practice are individuals with a high degree of applied experience in their teaching discipline. Typically, they have been employed or practicing for many years in the private sector, be it business, science, the arts, health, education or media-related fields. The workload of Professors of Professional Practice is shaped by their own experiences and the needs of the hiring department. A higher emphasis on teaching or service may differentiate them from traditional tenure-track faculty. Professors of Professional Practice are appointed to the faculty but are not eligible for tenure or de facto tenure.

Qualifications for appointment as a Professor of Professional Practice are an earned doctoral or equivalent terminal degree appropriate to the academic discipline. Exceptions to these credentials must conform to the guidelines of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Responsibilities of Professors of Professional Practice will normally include instruction of students, continuing scholarship or creative activities, service to the university through committee memberships, student advising, and attendance at university events. Professors of Professional Practice are also expected to maintain professional knowledge and skill appropriate to their discipline and conduct themselves in accordance with the Statement on Professional Ethics adopted by the Faculty Senate

AA/EEO Statement:

As an AA/EEO employer, TCU recruits, hires, and promotes qualified persons in all job classifications without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ethnic origin, disability, genetic information, covered veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

How to apply

xRequired Application Materials & Application Instructions:

1. Cover letter describing qualifications and experience
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Uploaded videos or links to the following:

• Recent video(s), no more than twenty minutes in total length, of the applicant’s marching ensemble demonstrating instruction and high camera view of the applicant’s drill design
• PDF files of applicant’s drill design (prefer PDF’s of samples submitted in videos above)
• Recent video(s) of concert band rehearsal(s), no more than twenty minutes in total length, of the applicant in a concert band setting demonstrating their ability as a conductor (preferably from the performer’s perspective)
• Recent video(s) of concert band performance(s), no more than twenty minutes in total length, of the applicant in a concert band setting demonstrating their ability as a conductor (preferably from the performer’s perspective)

4. One-page statement of how you as a candidate could contribute to a diverse, equitable and
inclusive culture, both within the School of Music and greater TCU
5. List of three references with contact information for each

After initial review of applications, those who advance in the search process may be asked to submit supporting materials.

All materials are to be submitted online.

Questions regarding the application process may be directed to Human Resources at [email protected] or 817-257-7790. Other questions may be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. Brian A. West, Professor of Percussion, at [email protected].