Job Description

After reading through the previous blogs, I kept mentioning what a huge job I had at the school. I felt there was no one who could take over at a moment’s notice, which is why I resisted leaving even after my lung biopsy. The resident wanted me to leave but I told him I was functioning and wanted to stay. How very foolish of me. I often wonder if I did permanent damage to myself being in the portable from January to August 2005.

Some things still haunt me.

I look back on this and wonder how I did it all. It was a huge job. In the end, they broke up the position and stopped a lot of the performances and community outreach. Sad. It was such an amazing program. I hear that the head of the school wondered how I did it by myself after I left as others have refused to do it all. I guess I made it look easy but in fact, I was working my brains out.

So here, dear readers, is my Job Description for 2003-2004, which was pretty much the same for the 2004-2005 school year except for what I taught. It will give you a sense of the “largeness” of the job and will explain the minimum of 60 hours a week I put into the school since 2000. I have changed some things in order to keep it anonymous. *** replaces the names of the advanced music program and the name of the school.

Due to the constraints of the blog, the format of the document is reduced to its simplest form. Please excuse the minor problems.

Job Description

Acting Music Coordinator

It is essential that the Acting Music Coordinator have a broad overarching understanding of the educational philosophy of the *** School that is systemically foundational to the development of each student.

The key pillars of principles that must be at the forefront of any discussion of the Acting Music Coordinator’s responsibilities are: Integration and oversight of the diverse elements that constitute the Music Program at ***, Community Outreach/Service Learning, Social and Emotional Understanding, Lifelong Learning.

The main areas of responsibility for the Acting Music Coordinator is accountable include: curriculum design, faculty, performance programs, teaching, parent and alumni relations, financial and fundraising, and ***(Program for top instrumental students), instrumental and competition coordinator.

CURRICULUM DESIGN

· Integrate and oversee the curriculum of the General Music and Choral Programs

· Integrate and emphasize the overarching goals of the General Music Program

Enjoyment, satisfaction and love of music-lifelong learners

Participation in music

Sensitivity of musical sounds and styles

Emphasis on the relationship between music and other curricular areas

Social and Emotional awareness of the relationship between music and life

Musical skills are built upon a gradually enlarging spiral of activities and experiences

· Solo Review

Create schedule for the performance of every instrumental student at *** to be heard by the entire Music Faculty

Oversee the Solo Review process to assess effectiveness of the music teachers and the progress of the students

Ensure that the process addresses the Social and Emotional Understanding issues that arise from this format

· Mini Concerts

Hire musicians from a wide variety of genres to perform for all school events

Hire musicians to integrate music with a level’s thematic unit

Identify parents and other community members through community outreach who are able to present appropriate mini-concerts i.e. Indian music presentation, translation and explanation of Auld Lang Syne, bagpipe demonstration

· Master Classes

Through community outreach, interview and hire local and world-renowned musicians

Liaison between visiting artists and music faculty

Coordinate event to present to the *** community

Ensure that the children are secure and supported in this format

FACULTY

· Hire instrumental, classroom and choral teachers who support *** educational philosophies including lifelong learning and who support the social and emotional needs of the students

· Integrate and oversee the curriculum of the General Music and Choral Programs

· Oversee the integration of the overarching goals of the Music Program

· Mentor the Music Specialists

Oversee continuity of the Music Program

Ensure music basics and theory taught to all levels

Discuss and approve choral music

Oversee the integration of the general music classes with the choral program

Identify songs and listening activities, which integrate each grade level’s thematic unit

Ensure that the students are supported socially and emotionally in choir and general music classes, i.e. to be able to express opinions openly, safe environment to experiment with ideas and voices, questions are answered

Ensure that community outreach continues to bring the *** program to a broader audience and supports the larger community

· Integrate, coordinate and educate the Instrumental Music Faculty

Ensure continuity of the Instrumental Music Program

Educate Music Faculty about the school and the Music Program’s philosophies

Integrate music performed at one venue to another venue, i.e. performance at Student Recital repeated at Assembly, performance in Lunchtime concerts, played in general music class

Integrate and coordinate the music faculty with applicable Student Study Teams

Serve as liaison between Music Faculty, faculty/advisors and parents

Direct Music Faculty Meetings at least three times per year

Oversee the process of student evaluations

Oversee and maintain Music Studio schedules

On-going adjustments to facilitate the changing needs of the students

Create and maintain database of the music lessons for *** administration and faculty

PERFORMANCE PROGRAMS

· Performances – Each may include community outreach events, integration with other programs, coordination of performers, space, rehearsals, applicable instrumental teachers, *** faculty, Music Specialists, and/or Tech Crew

Tea on the Green

Halloween Parade

Grandparent’s Day Concert

Lunchtime Concerts – 15 per year

Winter Program

Holiday Sing Along

*** Competition Winners Concert

Instrumental Week – 4 concerts

Choral Night

Music Fund Raiser Concert

Student Recitals – 8 per year

Sing/Assembly – 36 per year

Solo Review

· Community Outreach and Service Learning

Arrange and organize instrumental and choral field trips, which may include service- learning opportunities

*** Avenue Open House – Instrumental Students and Junior Chamber Singers

*** – 6^th grade choir

Senior Center and retirement homes – choir field trips

*** Hospice – volunteer choir

*** Country Club – Junior Chamber Singers

***, INSTRUMENTAL AND COMPETITION COORDINATOR

*** Program Coordinator

Organize and oversee the fall and spring auditions with strong understanding of possible Social and Emotional implications

Create tuition agreements with Business Office

Create and mail acceptance forms to scholars’ families

Accept students into the program with emphasis on a long-term commitment

Create and maintain parent volunteer schedule

Attend parent/teacher conferences of each *** Scholar twice per year

Counsel individual students with their progress throughout the program

Create performance opportunities through integration and community outreach

Choose and supervise *** parent chairpersons with Fundraiser Concert

Order and present awards for the end of year ceremony

Coordinate three *** Luncheons per year for the Scholars

· Tech Crew

Assemble, organize and teach

Oversee a rotation, which includes a mentoring between new and returning members

Integrate into the *** community by providing staffing for school wide events, i.e. Parent Association community events, individual instrumental studio recitals, Book Faire speakers, Alumni speakers, Music Program events

*** Competition

Community Outreach is the basis of this program as it brings *** Music Program to a larger community

Design *** Competition database for the mailings of the application

Create Application

Hire judges

Create and maintain all data received by the competitors and music teachers

Run the competition

Coordinate the responses to all participants with judges’ notes and certificates

Coordinate parent volunteers

Social and Emotional precepts are successfully included into the competition

Integrates the Winners with the*** community through the Winner’s Concert

· Admissions

Assess the proficiency levels of potential incoming students in a very supportive and positive manner

TEACHING

Exploring Jazz class in music block with 7/8 graders first semester and 7^th grade the second semester

Academy (2 hours on Fridays) featuring a musical review of Broadway Showtunes culminating in an assembly performance

Instrumental students for holiday music on ***Avenue as community outreach

Lunchtime musical theatre workshop

Lunchtime Concerts

Directly teach performance skills and expectations of an audience

Tie individual pieces of music or instrument to the larger musical context

Speech class for the 7 and 8 graders

Opera a la Carte

Select students with an understanding of the Social and Emotional implications

Arrange rehearsal schedule

Run10-15 rehearsals to teach lines and blocking

Serve as liaison between the school and the opera company

Integrate the upcoming performance into the general music class by presenting the synopsis of the opera to PreK-8 grade students

How to run the lighting and sound equipment for the Tech Crew

Substitute teach for the Music Specialists and the large ensembles

Assist the Music Specialists with choirs

Sing/Assembly

Choose instrumental soloist and group music each week

PARENT, ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS

· Educate parents about the *** Music Program via phone, e-mail and articles in the School newspaper

· Guide the parents through the process of beginning and maintaining music lessons

· School Newspaper

Keep the *** community apprised of the Music Program events and enrichment opportunities

Parent education – articles about enrichment opportunities, ***philosophy and music program

· Create and maintain professional relationships with the area’s elementary, secondary and university communities and music program heads, Boards of Directors, classroom music teachers and instrumental teachers.

· Alumni Relations

Maintain contact with former *** students

Offer continued performance opportunities within the *** school events, i.e. assembly, evening Student Recitals, Music Department Fundraiser concert, 35^th Anniversary concert, 25^th Anniversary concert

FINANCIAL AND FUNDRAISING

Financial Administration

Contracts – create, develop and send to instrumental teachers

Oversee budgets

Approve purchases of classroom instruments, choral and recorded music

Negotiate ***salaries and fees

Coordinate with the Business Office the monthly paychecks for the ***teachers and choir piano accompanists

Identify families who are willing to underwrite mini-concerts

Oversee the music department fundraiser, which includes the funding of all school mini-concerts, classroom instruments, choral music