Date: July 12, 2024
Title: Education and Ensemble Coordinator
Department: OrchKids
Reports to: Director of Education
Classification: Full-Time
Location: Baltimore, MD
Job Start Date: August/September 2024
Salary range: $40,000-42,000
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 OrchKids Education and Ensemble Coordinator plays a critical role in supporting and coordinating curricular and ensemble initiatives for OrchKids students. The Education Coordinator works in collaboration with the Director of Education to ensure pedagogical and artistic quality, support teacher training and development, and is responsible for critical oversight of all instrumental program assessments. This position also serves as a liaison on behalf of the program’s Teaching Artists, supporting their learning practices as well as designing and broadening infrastructure around teacher development program-wide. Working closely with the Director of Education and Ensemble Directors, the Education Coordinator will also be a key figure in contributing to both short-term and long-term strategic plans for education development including ensemble repertoire, community partnerships, teacher professional development, and student assessment processes. The position is a part of the education team at OrchKids but regularly interacts/collaborates with all OrchKids team members..
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- 40 hours/week
- Occasional evening and weekend hours for concerts/events will be required
- Critical part of the education department and active participant in all matters related to educational initiatives
- Participant in all weekly team meetings and quarterly strategic planning meetings, curriculum meetings, professional development meetings, and teacher meetings as needed
- Regularly support and with all program teams, ensemble directors, and teaching artists
ENSEMBLE COORDINATION:
- Logistics and communication support
- Weekly set-up needs at ensemble site
- Coordinate and facilitate monthly ensemble leaders meetings
- With the Director of Education, plan the necessary intensive ensemble rehearsals, and student assessment schedule for both current and upcoming semesters. Contribute to artistic planning of this cross-site ensemble performances as requested
- Guest Artists support
- Artistic Quality Control
TEACHER SUPPORT
- Work collaboratively to assist in the OrchKids Fellowship and teaching artist selection process
- Instrumental substitute coordinator when planned or last-minute substitute teaching needs are requested
- Support the logistics of teacher observations and feedback sessions in collaboration with Director of Education and Director of Programs
- Office duty such as printing, copying, distributing educational and ensemble materials
PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT
- Communication with strategic institutional partnerships that involve OrchKids educational initiatives
- Oversee internship and volunteer opportunities and recruitment with institutional partnerships
CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT/RESEARCH
- In collaboration with the Education team, regularly review the OrchKids teaching tools, curriculum and resources to ensure effective systems for teaching artists and students
ASSESSMENTS & DATA COLLECTION
- With the Director of Education, support the implementation of OrchKids’ in-house assessment system, OrchOlympics, for all instrumental students
QUALIFICATIONS AND CAPABILITIES
- Interpersonal skills
- Managing information and schedules with teaching artists
- Communication
- Problem solving in real-time/immediate needs
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Planning ahead, anticipating needs
- Passion for and experience in the field of music education, tools, systems, and pedagogy
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
- Salary: $40,000 – 42,000
- Health insurance: two options to choose from; all 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
- 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
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
No phone calls. Applications are currently being received on a rolling basis and candidates will be contacted based on openings and qualifications. Finalists will be asked to demonstrate teaching and rehearsal skills at an interview. Should a position no longer be available at the time of the candidate’s interview, they may be asked to be listed on the OrchKids substitute teacher list.
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, and other non-merit factors.
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.
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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.