MightyRecruiterMusic directors work with musical groups to prepare them for concerts. They select pieces to perform and help the musicians attain the right sound for different pieces. They also hold auditions to find new musicians and hire soloists for special events.
Including necessary skills in your music director job description is essential. Many music directors need either a bachelor’s or master’s degree and must be proficient with many instruments. They must understand the nuances of musical scores and be able to conduct a group to match volume and phrasing. Other duties include organizing accompanists and scheduling rehearsals.
Music directors also need to have a good ear to tell when the pitch is incorrect. Additionally, many need to be effective communicators so all of the musicians understand the requirements of a piece. Look at the music director job description template below to understand what you should include in your job posting.
Music Director Job Summary
Do you love working with people from all walks of life and finding common ground through music? If you like to help people achieve their musical best, you may be a good fit for our music director job opening. Our fast-paced environment allows you to work on a variety of musical projects and provides the opportunity to work with professionals on new, exciting pieces of music. You will help implement regional music events and will report to our divisional music director. This is a great position for someone who embraces a creative atmosphere, enjoys collaboration and wants to hold a leadership role in the arts.
Job Responsibilities
- Lead regular music rehearsals, dictating the volume, phrasing and tempo of each piece, and conduct the group during performances throughout the year
- Select music that will be a good fit for the musicians and offer a challenge, as well as appeal to your audience, and transpose music as needed
- Examine musical scores to determine your interpretation and develop a deep understanding of the piece before presenting it to group members
- Choose soloists for special events and coordinate rehearsals so soloists and groups can adequately prepare for concerts
- Oversee staff daily as they copy and arrange music and provide coaching to the musicians
- Record CD tracks so musicians can listen to difficult sections of individual parts
- Schedule performances and arts outreach opportunities, and collaborate with program directors to identify new music events
- Evaluate group members every quarter and provide in-depth feedback so all musicians can work on their craft to achieve higher stages of excellence
Job Skills &Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Bachelor’s degree in a field related to music
- Leadership skills to direct musicians and make decisions for the group
- Creative thinking to bring out the full potential of a piece
Preferred:
- Five years’ experience directing musical groups
- Familiarity with musical instrument digital interfaces and editing software
Music Director Job Responsibilities
Every music director has different background experiences and skill sets. It is a highly specialized profession. To ensure you find the best music director for you, write a tight music director job description that explains precisely what you need. The job responsibilities section, as the meatiest part of the posting, should provide these details to candidates. Are you looking for a music director who can rehearse and help stage musical theater? Or do you want a church music director who organizes and oversees all liturgical worship? There are also orchestra and band directors. Let jobseekers know upfront exactly what kind of music director this position is for.
Think of all the responsibilities associated with the position and list them in short, succinct statements with bullet points. Don’t get too unwieldly. Try to keep it under eight items for an easily read music director job description. If your organization has community outreach initiatives, add those to the list. Many music directors appreciate giving back to the community. Likewise, include any interesting projects in which your music director might participate.
Below is a sampler of music director job responsibilities:
- Audition musicians who will play in the ensemble
- Maintain the orchestra budget and library
- Plan worship music and recruit a choral group
- Conduct music rehearsals and teach actors their vocal parts
Music Director Job Specifications
The job qualifications and skills section of your music director job description is a short but essential part of your posting. Give lots of thought to how much experience you would like your prospective candidate to have and the level of education he or she should have attained. Also consider technical music skills such as repairing instruments or using notation software. Music director positions are so widely varied that you need to be as specific as possible to find the right fit for your organization. If you need suggestions about what to include, talk to your personnel manager.
When you’ve got an applicable list of music director job specifications, organize them with bullet points in descending order of importance. This helps jobseekers see quickly if the position is right for them. If you want to increase your candidate pool, identify some skills and qualifications as preferred rather than required. This further encourages candidates who are a close match to apply.
Take a look at these specifications you can use for your music director job description:
- Training and demonstrated experience as a conductor
- Bachelor’s degree in music with 5 years’ experience
- Experience arranging music
- Proficient in Sibelius or Finale notation software
- Knowledge of stagecraft
- Ability to organize, coordinate, and motivate musicians
