Job Description

Job Description

Job Description

The mission of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Inc. (“JALC”) is to entertain, enrich and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy. From college students to young stars, from working professionals to celebrated masters, we present quality jazz for an ever-increasing audience in an unprecedented range of activities and a variety of venues. We are dedicated to lifting audiences and bringing people together with substance and with integrity. JALC has created a dynamic platform where our key constituents – jazz artists (beginner to grizzled veteran), fans (casual listeners to advanced scholars), educators (local band leaders to leading artist-educators) and advocates (local community advocates to important national promoters) – can meet, engage, learn, and work towards common objectives.

Jazz at Lincoln Center seeks a dynamic, highly skilled, creative and organized jazz educator to join the Youth Programs faculty as Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Middle School/High School Jazz Academy Band Director.

The Youth Program course of study includes a series of music lessons, ensemble rehearsals and performances and broader youth development activities including attending Jazz at Lincoln Center concerts. The Youth Program curriculum combines skills-based learning with aesthetic education, emphasizing self and group discovery, creativity, open questions, and guided reflection. The Band Director will be responsible for delivering three of the four core components of the Youth Program curriculum; Ensemble, Jazz Masters, and Jazz Language.

Jazz Language

During Jazz Language sessions students will learn to embody a variety of skills necessary to the process of learning and performing jazz music. Faculty will guide the students through improvisation techniques as learned through melody, harmony, and form. Students will better understand jazz repertoire and how to acquire new jazz concepts on their own through these interactive lessons.

Ensemble

The core of Youth Program is a large ensemble (big band); all students participate in this format. The big band is led by the Band Director and will introduce students to iconic jazz music through seminal composers and arrangers as Duke Ellington, Benny Carter, and Frank Foster, among others. The Band Director will coordinate repertoire and faculty instruction. The Band Director will select and coordinate all repertoire in conjunction with the Vice President of Education.

Jazz Masters

These sessions highlight the musical achievements of Jazz Masters while connecting to the students’ own personal experience. Each session includes focused listening, guided dialogue, and musical reflection.

The Band Director will be responsible for coordinating with Youth Program faculty in delivering the Youth Program curriculum on a weekly basis and work with Youth Programs staff and faculty to coordinate repertoire and performances throughout the year (minimum three performances). The Band Director is a member of the Youth Programs faculty and responsible for cooperating with faculty and staff across the Youth Programs. As a member of the Youth Programs faculty, the Band Director will be required to attend regular strategic meetings with all Youth Program faculty leaders.

LOCATION: All classes and rehearsals for MSJA take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center, a Brooklyn Site (TBA), or a Bronx Site (TBA) for the 2024-2025 school year.

The Youth Program Band Director basic responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Overall Curriculum and Repertoire

• Coordinate curriculum, implementation strategy, and show written evidence of preparation as required
• Submit lesson plans and evaluations for all Saturday or Sunday classes and rehearsals to program manager
• Coordinate repertoire of all performances in cooperation with faculty; 3 performances per year

Student Assignments and Activities

• Design content activities and identify education materials to ensure curriculum standards are met
• Plan and use appropriate instructional and learning strategies, activities, and equipment that reflect understanding of the learning styles and needs of the students
• Review syllabi and lesson plans, discuss curriculum with appropriate faculty and onsite staff
• Work with Assistant Band Director and Academy Assistant to ensure weekly logistics for all classes; including music preparation, setting up and tear down of rehearsal space, etc.

Assessment

• Participate in assessment of student learning and engagement, pre- and post-program
• Work with the JALC administration to assess program success and appropriate metrics
• Coordinate with administrative manager, who oversees the program structure

Recruitment and Planning

• Participate in audition process and recruitment
• Required to attend at least 75% of weekday planning meetings
• Other duties as assigned by the program manage or VP of Education

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in music education or performance from an accredited 4-year institution.
• Experience in jazz performance.
• Skilled educator with demonstrated success middle school students
• Open to collaboration and discovering and refining new ways of teaching jazz
• Extensive knowledge of rhythmic foundations of jazz and experienced instrumentalist in jazz
• Organized, enthusiastic and must be team player and support the goals and vision of JALC
• Committed to youth development and the use of jazz to enrich their lives

DESIRED SKILLS:

• Teaching certificate, fingerprinted
• Energetic jazz educator with more than 5 years of experience
• Experience teaching middle school aged instrumental musicians
• Interest in remaining apprised of new theories and techniques in the field

REQUIRED SCHEDULE COMMITMENT: Up to 8 hours per week, October-May. Spring recruitment and auditions, summer planning, 4-6 hours/week for 22-26 weeks during year, 4-5 hours on Saturdays, possible faculty meetings, and planning time. 2 performances per year.

SALARY: Commensurate with experience and skills. Position is part-time.

EVALUATION : Performance is to be evaluated annually by the Vice President of Education.

APPLICATION : Interested applicants should send a Cover Letter and CV/Resume to careers@jazz.org

While it is a flexible work environment, it is not a remote work environment. All staff work together as a team, Monday through Friday at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s administrative offices at 3 Columbus Circle and at Frederick P. Rose Hall, The House of Swing.

Those who are offered a position with Jazz at Lincoln Center will be required to provide written confirmation of a completed COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of employment. To assist any individual who is unable to be vaccinated because of a medical condition or who objects to being vaccinated on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs and practices, JALC will engage in an interactive process to determine if a reasonable accommodation can be provided, so long as it does not create an undue hardship for the JALC and/or does not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others in the workplace and/or to the employee. To request accommodation, please notify JALC Human Resources in writing at HR@jazz.org.

Jazz at Lincoln Center is an equal opportunity employer that affords equal opportunities to all applicants, employees, contractors, and other covered persons, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to 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. Jazz at Lincoln Center is committed to creating an inclusive, open, and respectful culture that reflects and embraces diversity.

Job Tags

Part time, For contractors, Summer work, Casual work, Local area, Flexible hours, Weekend work, Sunday, Saturday, Weekday work, Monday to Friday,

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