Sonido Musica Teaching Artist – Strings

Sonido Musica Teaching Artist - Strings, Brass, or Woodwinds

Posted September 20, 2021

Community Music School of Springfield seeks a part time strings Teaching Artist for our Sonido Musica Program.

Community Music School of Springfield (CMSS)’s mission is 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. 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.

About Sonido Musica

Sonido Musica is a music partnership program between Community Music School of Springfield and the Springfield Public Schools. Having begun in 2012 in 3 middle schools and 60 students, Sonido Musica, along with offshoots Sonido Holyoke (Holyoke Public Schools) and String Village (charter and parochial schools), now serves over 1,000 elementary, middle and high school students weekly. Students in Sonido Musica participate in weekly hour long classes on their chosen instrument, led by CMSS Faculty.

Sonido Musica aims to reduce high school drop-out rates through student engagement, leadership and performance opportunities. Ensemble music instruction helps children excel academically, socially, and creatively. Students experience increased capacity for positive social interaction and critical thinking, increased self-esteem, and a way to relate in the community in a positive and healthy manner. Sonido Musica participants have demonstrated increased attendance and decreased disciplinary incidents compared to non-participants.

Job Description

Sonido Musica Teaching Artists are responsible for providing high quality music instruction grounded in CMSS’ mission. They are expected to be knowledgeable in the literature, technique and pedagogy of their instruments or disciplines. They must have sensitivity and responsiveness to the individual needs and musical goals of their students, and an awareness of their overall impact on students’ musical and personal growth. Sonido Teaching Artists model with each other, students, school staff and parents/families at all times the respectful communication and responsible behavior we are inviting our students to emulate.  Professional development and continued learning and growth is encouraged and supported for Sonido Teaching Artists.

Responsibilities:

1. Teaching Sonido Musica ensembles during the school year and/or summer workshops
2. Facilitating professional virtual instruction when CMSS indicates virtual instruction is necessary
3. Attending all classes, staff meetings, student performances, trainings/workshops, and other Sonido events unless ill or otherwise unable, and giving advance notice when not able to attend
4. Modeling for our students respectful speech, body language and voice tone
5. Taking time to thoughtfully prepare weekly lessons and plans for each class
6. Responding to all CMSS/Sonido Musica communications and requests for information in a timely manner
7. Filling out all time sheets accurately and on time
8. Providing timely notification of absences, and helping to find a substitute teacher when needed.
9. Assisting with Scheduling, preparing and coordinating performances
10. Abiding by all Employee Handbook policies and procedures

Required Qualifications:

1. Teaching experience – including tailoring lessons to each student’s needs, assessing and giving feedback on students’ progress, helping students prepare for performances, and mentoring young students
2. Professional performance experience
3. Ability to demonstrate effective teaching techniques for your instrument
4. Knowledge of repertoire for all skill levels on your instrument
5. Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusivity, which are foundational to CMSS’ mission
6. Effective communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

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

Compensation:

Sonido Musica Teaching Artists are paid $50 per hour for ensemble music instruction and $30 per hour for preparation, staff meetings, and professional development.

To apply, please send your resume or CV to Sierra Simmons, Human Resources Manager, at [email protected] Please indicate the position you are applying for in the subject of your email.