Thornton School of Music

Part-Time Lecturer / Popular Music - Songwriting

Position

The University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music invites applicants for an appointment as Part-Time Lecturer in Popular Music - Songwriting to begin on January 8, 2024.  This appointment is for a period of one semester, and may be renewed in subsequent years based on the needs of the department.

Combining the benefits of a world-class conservatory and a leading research university, the USC Thornton School of Music offers students the opportunity to pursue a thorough music education in a real-world context. Thornton offers students a full range of musical disciplines across a demanding innovative curriculum, and the opportunity to work with a faculty of national and international renown.   For more information, please visit us at http://music.usc.edu/. 

With a student cohort that is largely BIPOC, gender expansive, and with a wide range of ages and experience, the applicant must be adept at teaching, communicating and empathizing with an extraordinarily diverse student population. The University’s commitment to building an academic environment hospitable to this wide range of diversity is full and complete. To that end, we encourage applications from candidates who identify with groups that are historically underrepresented in the academy.

Duties

Principal duties will include offering classroom instruction in Songwriting I, II, or III for majors and non-majors.  Additional duties – such as private songwriting instruction, occasional masterclasses and coaching sessions in various forums to students in the Popular Music Program, and participating in department activities, including juries, showcases, auditions and meetings – may be assigned based on the needs of the department and the qualifications of the candidate.

Qualifications 

The ideal candidate will possess a combination, not necessarily all, of the following experiences:

• Preferred Education: Bachelor's/Master's degree in music

• Several years of successful teaching experience at the college level

• An experiential knowledge of current music industry trends particularly as it pertains to songwriting

• Documented professional success as a songwriter and/or producer

• An established track record as an active performer as a singer-songwriter

• An understanding and application of historic songwriting traditions, styles, and trends

• A fluency and proficiency across multiple instruments and singing

• Significant collaborative experience with other songwriters, producers, and musicians

• Knowledge and fluency in global and international songwriting trends and styles

Review of applications will commence immediately and the position will remain open until filled.

The salary hiring range for this position is $4,800 to $5,400 per 2-unit course section, per semester. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

To Apply

Interested candidates must apply through the USC online system.  Candidates are asked to provide a curriculum vitae and email addresses for three references.  Do not send recordings and other supporting materials unless requested.  Materials will not be returned.

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About University of Southern California (USC)

USC is the leading private research university in Los Angeles—a global center for arts, technology and international business. With more than 47,500 students, we are located primarily in Los Angeles but also in various US and global satellite locations. As the largest private employer in Los Angeles, responsible for $8 billion annually in economic activity in the region, we offer the opportunity to work in a dynamic and diverse environment, in careers that span a broad spectrum of talents and skills across a variety of academic and professional schools and administrative units. As a USC employee and member of the Trojan Family—the faculty, staff, students, and alumni who make USC a great place to work—you will enjoy excellent benefits, including a variety of well-being programs designed to help individuals achieve work-life balance.

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