Scott Price currently serves as Professor of Piano and Piano Pedagogy, Head of the Piano Area, and Coordinator of Group Piano at the University of South Carolina School of Music. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma (DMA), Cleveland Institute of Music (MM) and Bowling Green State University in Ohio (BM). Dr. Price is creator and editor-in-chief of the on-line piano pedagogy journal "Piano Pedagogy Forum" which is the recipient of the 2008 MTNA Frances Clark Keyboard Pedagogy Award. He has recorded 31 compact discs of educational piano music for Alfred Publishing Company, and has published educational compositions with Alfred Publishing Company and the FJH Music Company. Special teaching interests of Scott Price include teaching students with autism and associated disabilities, very young children, and teaching keyboard improvisation to piano students ranging from beginning to advanced levels. His work with autistic students has been featured on national television (Dateline NBC) and at the national conventions of the Music Teachers National Association and the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy. Dr. Price has performed, presented masterclasses and lectures throughout the United States and in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.
Scott Price
School of Music
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
803.777.1870
sprice@mozart.sc.edu
In the past seven years, we have mounted approximately 15 searches for new colleagues here at the University of South Carolina School of Music. Not all of those positions were filled the first time they were searched, so one can imagine the number of committees that have been formed, the number of candidate files that have been reviewed, and the number of people who have visited our campus. In that time, we have hired a group of superb colleagues, with all of them building impressive careers on a national scale.
During our searches to fill piano performance positions, we have routinely received a minimum of 140 applications with approximately 70 percent of them being very well qualified as performers. While a lower percentage can prove interest and experience in teaching, the applicant pools have still been very strong.
During our searches to fill piano pedagogy positions, we have generally received between 30 to 60 application files. Many of these applicants are performance-emphasis people, but the majority are all well-qualified applicants with degrees, background, and experience in teaching at all levels.
The number of qualified applicants continues to remain high (or is growing), but the number of positions is not what it was a decade or so in the past. The market is more competitive, and I find myself spending more and more time discussing professional development with my students. Professional meetings sponsored by The Music Teachers National Association, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and the National Group Piano/Piano Pedagogy Forum conference do wonderful work in aiding all of us to maintain consistent standards in education and practice among our degree programs, but it still remains a question as to why several applicants are identified as excellent prospects when the applicant pool is very large and strong, and why one of three or four people interviewed stand out as excellent when each of the finalists is equally strong.
At the end of the process, two points seem to generally emerge in each case we review across all disciplines in the School of Music:
In essence, personal growth and development is just as important as professional development. The interview process is central in helping us determine answers to these questions, and successful candidates seem to navigate certain procedures in the process which I would like to summarize and make available for anyone who may find them useful. I should add that none of the information contained in this article is reflective of any one individual person or application that has been received at the USC School of Music, or of any individual who may have interviewed at our school. The specific points are only generalizations and should be viewed as such by readers.
As is already known, once a school determines a position opening and the necessary university procedures have been followed and the commencement of a search has been approved and a committee formed, a call for applications is advertised. The announcement usually appears in the College Music Society Vacancy List, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and advertisements may be sent to NASM-accredited institutions. The piano world is very small and interested applicants may know through teachers and colleagues where and when a job may become available. I, personally, will often send a note to colleagues asking them to recommend people for application.
Each school and search committee has its own peculiarities regarding search procedures - some of these are mandated by individual State law, and some are peculiar to individual institutions. The general procedure that occurs after the job announcement has been posted is:
If a particular student is interested in pursuing a career in academia, I usually tell them all very early in their time with me that the interview process actually begins while they are completing their terminal degree (or earlier). Now is the time to start developing a professional career and to be active outside of the school environment. Now is also the time to start thinking about issues concerning curriculum, practices and implementation, personal and professional philosophies, and other issues from the "top down" or faculty perspective. This type of thinking and preparation will help make a prospective applicant ready to face the rigors of an interview, and to "hit the ground running" once they are hired.
I am very frank with my students in telling them that college is not school. It is a professional training program. Yesterday was the time to start preparing and serving the profession. The students who begin thinking in this manner are often the most successful in their endeavors, and almost 100 percent of our graduate students have been successful in securing employment before or upon graduation.
One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given came from an undergraduate professor. When I began obtaining performance and teaching work outside of the school, my professor told me "you remember to always be the regular guy and you'll get asked back". What was meant was to keep ego and self-confidence in check, to always be on time, never complain and make demands, and to always go out of my way to get along and to get the job done in the best manner that it could be done, respond positively to the requests of my colleagues and the situation at hand, and to always, always be polite and respectful. It was also a warning to not fall into the attitude of "well, I'll just be what I need to be for as long as I need to be that to get what I want from these people". Personal growth and self-examination were both things my professor found important in our line of work. Have I, personally, always been the regular guy? No. But my professor's particular advice will get one very far in life and in a career, and in the application, interview, and professional development process.
At the current time, it is a "buyers market" in the profession. There are far more qualified people in the application pool than there are positions, and every bit of interaction with the search committee (prior to, during, and after the interview) is part of the process in determining answers to these two questions I posed previously:
The following are some tips for assisting the committee in evaluating your application. Please remember that this is a very busy group of people who are taking time out from their busy teaching and performing careers to review your request to be considered for an open position at their school.
Resume/Curriculum Vitae
Keep it as organized as possible. The committee may not have time to track down information, and an unorganized resume presentation actually may say a lot about the candidate and their working style. If padding must be included, keep it to a minimum. Padding can be spotted immediately and anything suspicious will be investigated if necessary. Be sure to include (as necessary and in reverse chronological order):
Less experienced persons may wish to include:
It is also most helpful for less experienced persons to have reference letters and transcripts filed with your university placement office so that they may be mailed directly in a packet to the hiring institution. Try to keep follow-up work non-existent or to minimum level.
Contacting the Committee
If you have questions regarding the position or the progress of the search, it is generally fine to contact the chair of the committee with a brief question regarding these general questions. More specific questions should probably wait for a phone contact initiated by the committee. Clarification is ok - but be sure you are calling to get clarification and not just to bring yourself to the attention of committee. If you achieved special recognition in any area of your resume after it was sent to the committee, it is generally fine to send an update - especially if it is a significant achievement!
The "Short-List"
After an initial review of files, the committee will determine a list of semifinalists or "short list". It is not uncommon for the chair of the committee (or another member) to contact the semifinalists and ask if they are still interested in the position. It is also not uncommon for this person to ask if they may contact your references and other colleagues, and to ask if there is anyone you specifically do not wish to be contacted. This is done to be sure that sensitive situations are not created between an applicant and their current employer, etc. Applicants may also be asked at this time if they have any questions regarding the position, the process, or the hiring time frame set up by the committee.
Reference Checks
Each school and/or individual committee has its own peculiar process regarding reference checks. Some committees may not contact references, other may contact 1-3, all, or extra references. Questions asked may range from one simple check on reliability, to very specific questionnaires that are asked of each reference. Most of your references will contact you very soon after the committee calls them to tell you that you've gotten an inquiry! Now is the time to start preparing for a possible phone interview.
Unsolicited phone calls from references are also common occurrences and different people have differing opinions on these calls. Busy colleagues will often call each other to bring a particularly gifted applicant to each other's attention. Most of your references will know the process and will give you a glowing reference - deservedly so. If someone is going to make an unsolicited call on your behalf, choose this person carefully. Years ago, I had an unsolicited call regarding an application and was asked specifically "Well, does he have a chance?". That kind of thing generally does not leave a good impression. The people who are referring you sometimes say as much about your application as your resume does.
Phone Interviews
Each school and/or individual committee has its own peculiar process regarding phone interviews. Some committees may have an individual member contact an applicant, others may have pairs of committee members conduct a conference call, or the entire committee may be present for a conference call. Questions asked may range from a few simple questions about you and your work, to very specific questionnaires that are asked of each applicant. These questionnaires may contain questions on a range of varying subjects and applicants will need to be prepared to speak on these subjects, and to think and react quickly to different personalities and lines of thinking, and related issues. Phone interviews are also a chance for the committee to get to know you on a more personal level. Overall, be prepared to talk about larger issues I discussed earlier, and don't be afraid to get to know the committee a little. We want to meet new people and colleagues and have a good time - you should too!
Post-Screening
If you have been invited for an interview, the committee will be in contact with all of the details and specifics regarding your interview and what you will be asked to do. I will still recommend the advice of my undergraduate teacher - "you remember to always be the regular guy and you'll get asked back". I would also recommend the first two questions I posed at the opening of this essay:
In addition, trust yourself, your talents, and your teachers. They should help you navigate this process, and be able to answer questions as they arise. Self-confidence is fine - remember though, that it is a buyers market and there is a fine line between confidence and attitude/arrogance. Overall, get to know the faculty, school, degrees, courses, and programs inside and out. Come prepared with questions and get to know your potential colleagues. Be prompt and organized, and all will go well.
Some Advice Post-Interview
If you were hired for the job, congratulations! If you weren't hired, don't be disappointed or upset, and certainly don't think less of yourself. As a chair or member of many hiring committees, I can honestly say that we work very hard to find two or three absolutely excellent people to invite to campus. We probably thought very highly of you and your work. We probably liked you very much as a person. It just happened that another equally talented and personable candidate was a better "fit" for our position. A successful interview in which you weren't hired for a job can lead to great references and recommendations for other work. Learn from the process and talk with your colleagues and professors. The application and interview process is an excellent opportunity for personal and professional growth, is worth the time and effort, and is another chance to meet a group of new and wonderful colleagues, and a chance for further growth in the profession.
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