Title: Early Learning Musicianship Teacher
Department: OrchKids
Reports to: OrchKids Early Learning Manager
Classification: Full-Time
Location:  Baltimore, MD
Job term: Monday, August 19, 2024 – Friday, June 13, 2025
Estimated Teaching dates: Tuesday, September 3 – Friday, June 6

• These dates are estimates and specific dates are contingent on the Baltimore City Public School calendar

THE BALTIMORE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and ORCHKIDS

For over a century, the BSO has been recognized as one of America’s leading orchestras and one of Maryland’s most significant cultural institutions. As the largest cultural institution in Maryland, the BSO is internationally recognized and locally admired for its innovation, performances and recordings, and educational community initiatives including OrchKids. 

OrchKids uses music as a vehicle for students to develop 21st century skills (creativity, collaboration, leadership, etc.) that are transferable to all areas of their lives. Marin Alsop, Music Director Laureate of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and OrchKids Founding Director, shaped OrchKids into the cornerstone of the BSO’s community engagement efforts across the city with her artistic leadership and direction. OrchKids was founded in 2008 with 30 students at one elementary school with seed funding from Marin Alsop and Founding Donors Rheda Becker and Robert E. Meyerhoff.

OrchKids now works with seven schools in Baltimore City, serving over 1,800 children from Pre-K through 12th grade during school, after school, and in weeklong workshops. 

In collaboration with several community partners OrchKids provides music education, instruments, academic assistance, meals, mental health resources, connection to social services, as well as performance and mentorship opportunities at no cost to students and families. OrchKids is an acknowledged leader in the El Sistema and social-change through music movement throughout the world.

JOB SUMMARY

The Musicianship Teaching Artist is a dynamic educator and classroom leader who teaches early childhood music and movement classes to students in elementary school, primarily Pre-K through 2nd grade (typically in classes of 15-25 students). Musicianship classes incorporate materials, practices, repertoire, and activities drawing from methods including Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze, Gordon, and incorporating diverse and progressive repertoire. Our Exploratory Musicianship classes also provide students with access to orchestral instruments for exploratory beginner instrumental learning.

In addition to teaching responsibilities, the full-time musicianship teaching artist will play an integral role in day-to-day site coordination, relationship building with school partners, and will work closely with the Early Learning Manager in the development and implementation of the musicianship scope and sequence.

The OrchKids educational philosophy focuses on student-centered and experiential learning, evidence-based teaching practices relevant to our students’ lives, creation and improvisation, inclusion, student voice and agency, and ensemble music-making. This methodology aims to promote synchronicity and community as well as simultaneously cultivating high artistic instrumental skills (i.e. technique, learning challenging repertoire) and fostering creativity (e.g. improvisation and composition). 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Teaching Responsibilities (75%)

• Teach twenty musicianship group classes weekly in accordance with OrchKids culturally responsive curriculum and trauma-informed educational philosophy
• Serve as a consistent and compassionate mentor to OrchKids students
• Hold students to high artistic standards, cultivating both their technical and ensemble skills
• Embrace OrchKids’ mission, goals, and guiding principles
• Actively incorporate into classes the perspectives, strategies, language, routines, and other pedagogical tools conveyed through the OrchKids professional development sessions
• Plan outside of class time (additional time included in salary)
• Submit monthly content goals in provided scope & sequence template
• Creating substitute plans if there is a necessary absence 
• Attend required concerts, meetings, events and professional development sessions
• Select & rehearse appropriate repertoire to prepare students for 2-3 annual showcases 

Site-Based and Administrative Responsibilities (25%)

• Maintain professional, prompt lines of communication with OrchKids staff — respond to emails within 48 hours.
• Serve as a primary representative and point of contact for OrchKids, work with the admin team to cultivate a strong, positive culture around OrchKids programming, and strong lines of communication at assigned site (principal, teachers, staff, etc.) 
  • Coordinate regular check-in meetings with school partners and OrchKids staff
  • Identify and present any challenges that need to be rectified proactively in collaboration with Early Childhood Education Manager & OrchKids Directors
  • Communicate any scheduling changes from the school with the Early Learning Manager in order to keep the operations calendar up to date.

• Perform administrative duties essential to running one’s own classroom, including photocopying, room setup/breakdown, lesson planning, etc. 

• Work with Artistic and Program Operations Manager, Early Childhood Education Manager to maintain site instrument inventory, equipment, and supplies at site
• Organize 2-3 annual showcases with support from the Early Learning Manager & the OrchKids team 
• Participate in all team meetings, curriculum meetings and teacher meetings as appropriate/as teaching responsibilities allow
  • Weekly check-ins with Early Learning Manager 
• Support with planning & implementation of musicianship specific PDs, department meetings, and orientation sessions

QUALIFICATIONS AND CAPABILITIES

• Passion for working with youth and desire to serve as a positive role model to students
• Experience working with groups of young children (pre-k through 3rd grade) in educational activities involving music, movement, and singing
• Familiarity with a wide range of early childhood music pedagogical methods including Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze, Gordon, etc. 
• High level of musicianship and comfortability with singing
• Comfort with an accompaniment instrument (piano, guitar, ukulele, etc.)
• Training in early childhood music 
• Strong classroom management and student group-leading skills
• Willingness to jump in and embrace OrchKids’ practices of music-making through creative composition, improvisation and incorporating a variety of musical genres
• Flexibility and ability to work collaboratively within the OrchKids team and Musicianship department
• Punctuality, professionalism and excellent interpersonal skills
• Personal commitment to social justice, restorative educational and anti-racist practices, as well as trauma-informed philosophies

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Health insurance: two options to choose from; both at low cost to the employee
• Dental, Life, and Long-Term Disability Insurance, paid entirely by the BSO
• Generous paid time off, including personal, holidays, and sick leave
  • 10 sick days
  • 3 personal days
  • Holidays and leave in accordance with the BCPSS school calendar
• 403(b) plan
• Health Savings Account, employer contributes portion
• Flexible Spending Accounts, including Medical and Dependent Care
• Employee Assistance Program
• Free and/or discounted tickets to BSO concerts

**Note: This position will follow the Baltimore City Public Schools calendar, with school holidays and summers off. A salary for 10 months of work will be distributed over the full 12 month calendar year. Additional paid opportunities for summer work may be available. 

The statements contained in this job description reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions of this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required and the scope of responsibility. It should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned, including work in other functional areas to cover absences of relief, to equalize peak work periods, or otherwise to balance the workload.

HOW TO APPLY 

Please submit a cover letter and resume to OrchKids@bsomusic.org.

OUR CULTURE AS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and OrchKids use the BSO mission and shared values (Appendices) to govern decisions, actions, and behaviors. These values guide how we conduct our work and professional relationships: Creativity, Respect, Excellence, Education/Engagement, and Diversity. We are focused on a people-first culture for our patrons and our entire BSO family. 

The BSO is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, differing physical abilities, genetic information, age, parental status, military service, other non-merit factors. 

The BSO is committed to improving and protecting the health of our musicians, staff, and our communities. We comply fully with the COVID-19 requirements of the state of Maryland and the city of Baltimore. It is required that employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination as a condition of employment. 

APPENDIX I:  ORCHKIDS MISSION

OrchKids provides Baltimore youth with equitable access to community-based, high-quality music instruction and programming that teaches musical and social skills transferable to all areas of their lives.

_________________________ 

APPENDIX II:  BSO SHARED VALUES

In October 2021, the BSO Board of Directors approved the following shared values, or “BSO Creed”: 

CREATIVITY

• We believe the BSO is first and foremost an artistic institution that is dedicated to the finest creative musical expression.   
• We seek to facilitate opportunities for creative approaches that allow musicians, staff, board, and partners to collaborate to serve our mission.    
• We strive to inform all decisions with our commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.

RESPECT   

• We believe the BSO should value, appreciate, and treat all individuals – patrons, staff, musicians, guest artists, and volunteers with compassion, respect, and dignity.    
• We seek to create a welcoming, safe, and enjoyable environment for all.   
• We strive to embrace all human differences and commit to caring and civility towards all with whom we work and serve. 

EXCELLENCE   

• We believe it is an honor to present great music to stir and nurture the soul.   
• We seek to attract, develop, and retain the best talent in all musicians, staff, board, and volunteers. Everyone who works at the BSO has an important role to play in our success.        
• We strive to act with uncompromising integrity and transparency.  

ENGAGEMENT / EDUCATION   

• We believe deep connections to the diverse communities we serve are essential to our mission.   
• We seek to inspire and educate with powerful and meaningful musical experiences for audiences of all ages.    
• We strive to nurture the talents of musicians of all ages with accessible educational initiatives and programs.     
• We strive to create a culture where musicians, staff, board, and volunteers communicate, collaborate, understand, and appreciate each other’s work.   

DIVERSITY

• We believe diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging – with respect to race, gender, and personal identity – are cultural and strategic imperatives.    
• We seek to create a culture of excellence that ensures access and inclusion of diverse voices in all that we do.  
• We strive to use the universal language of music to bring people together and embrace our multicultural society.