Little Notes: Early Childhood Music Teacher and Program Coordinator

Little Notes: Early Childhood Music Teacher and Program Coordinator

Community Music School of Springfield is dedicated to providing an equitable and inclusive center of excellence in music education that empowers individuals, inspires creative passion, and promotes well-being in our greater community. We seek to build a diverse staff that reflects the community we serve, and encourage Latinx and Black individuals to apply. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Job Description:

CMSS’ Early Childhood Music Program, Little Notes, is a joyful and interactive class for children from birth to three years old and their caregivers that nurtures a love of music and helps build foundational musical skills for a lifetime of musical connection with others. Little Notes classes include rhymes, songs, movement and music from a variety of cultures, with a focus on teaching caregivers how to musically interact with their children at home. Supporting recordings are provided to share with other family members. Our primary goal is to create a safe and affirming space for child and caregiver to explore and enjoy music together. Through exploration of song, movement, and various percussive and tonal instruments, Little Notes supports children’s cognitive development, fine and gross motor skill development, and social emotional empowerment.

CMSS faculty members are responsible for providing high quality music instruction grounded in CMSS’ mission to provide an equitable and inclusive center of excellence in music education that empowers individuals, inspires creative passion, and promotes well-being in our greater community. Teachers at CMSS are expected to be knowledgeable in the literature, technique and pedagogy of their instruments or disciplines.  CMSS faculty must have sensitivity and responsiveness to the individual needs of their students, and an awareness of their overall impact on students’ musical and personal growth. Professional development and continued learning and growth is encouraged and supported for CMSS faculty. This is a part time position.

Responsibilities:

1. Planning and teaching regular weekly Little Notes classes during the school year (Late August/Early September to Mid June) and/or the summer term.
2. Plan and implement student recruitment activities, such as sample classes at local libraries and community centers
3. Facilitating professional, high quality virtual instruction for all teaching responsibilities when CMSS indicates virtual instruction is necessary (due to pandemic surges).
4. Maintaining weekly contact with students and their families for scheduling changes, makeup lessons, CMSS news, events, and other important communications.
5. Responding promptly and effectively to email, phone or in-person requests from admin staff or other faculty
   1. Designate your preferred method(s) for communication (email, phone call, text message) with CMSS staff.
   2. Check your @communitymusicschool.com email at least weekly to be aware of news from the school
6. Demonstrating mastery and capability in these key ASAP responsibilities (training provided):
   1. Recording timely and accurate attendance for all teaching responsibilities (private lessons, ensembles, classes, makeup lessons, unscheduled lessons)
   2. Confirming your attendance has been successfully recorded in ASAP before the end of the payroll period
   3. Finding contact information for your students
   4. Completing your availability for the upcoming term (fall/summer) in a timely manner
   5. Knowing when new students have enrolled in your class by checking your schedule regularly
   6. Rescheduling makeup classes
   7. Maintaining the accuracy of your Artist Bio and contact information in ASAP
7. Attending all required meetings, discussion groups, trainings and events
   1. If you cannot attend, written notification must be given to Eileen or Sierra prior to the meeting time. You are still accountable for information discussed in these meetings – reach out to staff for recordings or notes from the meeting.
8. Taking care of studio and recital rooms and equipment
9. Abiding by all Employee Handbook policies and procedures

Required Qualifications:

1. Experience teaching music to children age birth to 3 years old
2. Ability to demonstrate effective teaching and engagement techniques
3. Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusivity, which are foundational to CMSS’ mission
4. Effective communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

1. References from members of our community or faculty
2. Skills in multiple different musical styles and genres
3. Experience performing and/or teaching in the Greater Springfield area
4. Experience tailoring lessons/content to be culturally relevant to the student
5. Experience teaching students with different learning styles
6. Higher education in music and/or education

Compensation:

$50 per hour for class instruction. $30 per hour for prep/program admin/staff meetings/professional development workshops.

Benefits:

Employee discounts, dental and vision insurance, professional development, flexible schedule within school hours

To apply, please send your resume or CV to Sierra Simmons, Associate Director, at ssimmons@communitymusicschool.comcreate new email. Please indicate the position you are applying for in the subject of your email. If you have relevant experience or qualifications that are not explicit on your resume, please explain these in your email.