Assistant Professor of Sound Reinforcement and Design

Shenandoah Conservatory, one of the country’s leading centers for collaborative work across the performing arts, is seeking nominations and applications for an exceptional sound reinforcement audio engineer and sound designer. This full-time and career-contract track position - housed within the Theatre Division but also engaged with the Conservatory’s Music Production & Recording Technology (MPRT) program - begins August 2021.

Responsibilities:

Building on a broad awareness of the industry, bold creativity, and a passion for mentorship, the chosen candidate will help to advance the Conservatory’s reputation as an inclusive and premier place of study; one where audiences can experience transformative performances, and where future sound professionals from diverse backgrounds can actively engage around innovative and collaborative work.

Specifically, the desired candidate will:

Provide overall leadership to the Sound Design and Reinforcement degree (housed within the Theatre Division’s Technical Design & Production area) and support aligned recruitment activities;  Teach courses related to sound reinforcement and design within both the Theatre division and MPRT program; Help oversee theatre productions during the academic year, personally providing (or overseeing student engineers who provide) sound design and sound reinforcement engineering (front of house and/or monitor engineer); Supervise and develop work-study students skilled in sound reinforcement in performance spaces across the Conservatory and University; Be centrally involved in the work of further developing cutting edge undergraduate curriculum, ensuring exceptional industry-oriented programs;  Provide oversight and maintenance of sound equipment inventory in all Conservatory performance spaces (including monitoring equipment, prioritizing new equipment purchases, and integrating new equipment purchases into current multimedia systems); Teach other undergraduate courses in the field of expertise as appropriate.

Qualifications: Required and minimum qualifications include the following:

A record of distinguished sound design and sound reinforcement experience at a national level; A deep understanding of emergent technologies matched by a driving passion for mentorship; An ability to work with others to further strengthen the Conservatory’s cutting-edge undergraduate sound programs; An ability to recruit and develop emerging student talent;  A powerful orientation toward collaborative work; Demonstrable computer skills from an assortment of software applications such as SMAART, FuzzMeasure, Pro Tools, QLab, and Vectorworks or Auto-CAD. Experience with various analog and digital mixing consoles; A graduate degree in theatrical or live sound reinforcement or equivalent professional work; An ability to contribute to the Conservatory’s commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity; and  Eligibility to work in the United States.

How to Apply: 

Application materials should include a resume/curriculum vitae, a letter of intent and contact information for three professional references. The review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a qualified candidate is selected. A pre-employment background check will be required. If the job requires driving for University business, a satisfactory driving record will also be required. 

Shenandoah University is committed to enriching its educational experience and culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration, and staff. All candidates are strongly encouraged to include a statement in their cover letters addressing ways in which they may be able to contribute to that commitment.

Shenandoah University values the unique and diverse perspectives of individuals and communities locally and globally and seeks to foster mutual understanding in an inviting community where individuals are welcome and respected. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran’s status or on any other basis protected under applicable law.

About the Theatre Division:  

Shenandoah Conservatory’s Theatre Division is in an exciting period of development.  Beyond having one of the country’s most distinguished Musical Theatre programs, the Theatre Division – which focuses exclusively on undergraduate BFA training and is uniquely situated within a comprehensive performing arts conservatory - includes an innovative Meisner-based Acting program, and an intensive undergraduate Theatre Design and Production program. The three programs maintain a reputation for excellence in pre-professional training and keep a constant eye on the industry, providing highly individualized education in a rigorous yet supportive environment. The Conservatory maintains multiple performance spaces across campus. Main theatre performance spaces include Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre (a 632 seat proscenium theatre), Glaize Studio Theatre (a flexible black box), as well as Hal Herman Lab Theatre (a uniquely flexible teaching and student performance space that is scheduled for completion in February 2021). Other Conservatory-related performance spaces include Armstrong Concert Hall, Goodson Recital Hall, and Shingleton Black Box. In addition to a robust traditional production calendar, Shenandoah Conservatory also hosts a resident professional summer stock theatre, Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre. As one of the country’s largest campus-based summer musical theatre seasons, SSMT welcomes over 20,000 patrons annually, producing three full-scale musicals, and employing student and professional actors in the company. 

About the Music Production and Recording Technology Program (MPRT): 

The Conservatory is proud to be home to an MPRT program which includes Grammy®-award winning faculty with extensive national and international music production experience (2 full-time and 4 part-time), an extensive array of resources, and a unique focus (as a Bachelor of Music degree) on musicianship. Students in the MPRT BM degree pursue training in a recording studio equipped with a Solid State Logic Duality console, a 9.2.4 immersive audio room, MIDI and Mac labs that are equipped with the latest array of digital audio workstation software, and a DiGiCo SD9 and L’ Acoustic array system in the main theatre. Students work with a wide variety of microphones, digital consoles, and outboard equipment. The MPRT program is the only such program in the country to have received three Apple Distinguished Program awards in a row. MPRT students have an active student chapter of the Audio Engineering Society (AES), and all MPRT faculty are members of the AES.

About Shenandoah Conservatory:

Shenandoah Conservatory was founded in 1875 and has an extraordinary legacy of shaping music and the performing arts in Virginia and beyond. Located at the head of the historic Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, VA, 70 miles west of Washington DC, the Conservatory is now home to over 640 award-winning students from across the nation and globe enrolled in baccalaureate, masters and doctoral curricula in the areas of music, theater, and dance, and includes a distinguished faculty of over 125, half of whom are full-time.

Beyond being a comprehensive performing arts school, Shenandoah Conservatory is home to exceptional artists and scholars who are unusually oriented towards collaboration and innovative approaches to the career preparation of students. The Conservatory’s ShenCoLAB (formerly titled Student Performance Week) is but one example of the Conservatory’s nation-leading embrace of innovation and collaboration: a (first-in-the country) week-long stoppage of all classes and rehearsals across all programs with the school turned over to students for student-led (and faculty-mentored) collaborative projects. The Conservatory’s proximity to Washington, DC and Dulles Airport, ensures easy access to and regular interaction with professionals from around the country and world.  

www.su.edu/conservatory  

About Shenandoah University: Shenandoah University is a diverse institution of approximately 3,800 students enrolled in baccalaureate, masters and doctoral curricula in business, arts and sciences, health professions and performing arts. Shenandoah University is an independent, coeducational institution affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Please visit www.su.edu for more information.