Band Associate Conductor, Sistema Ravinia Austin (Chicago, IL) - Ravinia : Job Details

• Part-time

Ravinia is both North America's longest-running music festival and its most artistically diverse. Over 100 different events by a mix of classical, rock, pop, jazz, R&B, indie, and country performers make up a typical summer season on our two open-air and two indoor stages. Each year the Chicago Symphony Orchestra is featured in six weeks of concerts, many with Chief Conductor Marin Alsop. During the same summer months, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute provides young professional classical and jazz musicians with career-advancing training and concert settings. Offstage and year-round, Ravinia's Reach Teach Play education programs engage 75,000 children and adults—in schools with little to no music curriculum, in our Chicagoland communities, and at our 36-acre park—in our mission to make music equitably accessible to all.

This role is a part-time, hourly instructional employee position that averages 6-8 hours per week. Sistema Ravinia programming runs throughout the school year and 3-4 weeks during the summer.

The Band Associate Conductor will lead the social and musical development for multiple levels of beginning bands consisting of elementary and middle school students participating in the Sistema Ravinia Austin nucleo (located at Catalyst Circle Rock in Chicago's Austin neighborhood). Sistema Ravinia uses a collaborative leadership approach that solicits input from instructors, students, artistic and administrative leadership to provide a comprehensive music education program for our students. The Band Associate Conductor reports to the Program Manager and will be part of a team of instructors that will inspire all participating students and be responsible for maintaining a standard of excellence for Sistema Ravinia.

Duties and Responsibilities

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Education and Experience

Working after school on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons at Catalyst Circle Rock (5608 W Washington Blvd., Chicago, IL 60644) with some evenings and weekends required for concerts and special activities (Hours: 2:45 pm – 5:15 pm).

Participation in professional learning seminars (average of 12-15 hours per academic year).

Interaction with young students, parents, and administrators where the safety of the students is paramount.

Sistema Ravinia instructors are expected to adhere to COVID protocols as defined by Ravinia, the state, and schools in which programming is held.

Compensation: $60 per hour for instructional time and $25 per hour for non-instructional time (meetings, professional learning, and curriculum development).

Please submit the following to apply:

About the program

Sistema Ravinia is an intensive orchestral music education program that provides daily music training for students at two schools in the Lawndale community. Participating students meet daily throughout the year at their nucleo (program site) and are taught in sectionals and full orchestra. Shaped by the philosophy of the noted El Sistema model, Ravinia has embraced the notion of transforming groups of children into communities of musicians who in turn transform their communities. Students receive mentorship from teachers and administrators that make them feel loved and valued as an asset to their nucleo community.

Sistema Ravinia launched in 2012 and Catalyst Circle Rock was the first school to join the initiative. In 2019, the Sistema Ravinia Austin Nucleo expanded to include George Rogers Clark Elementary. Students from Catalyst Circle Rock learn to play wind, brass, and/or percussion instruments and students from George Rogers Clark study string instruments. Students meet at their individual schools two to four days per week and join together at Catalyst Circle Rock to rehearse as a full symphony orchestra. Circle Rock recently completed their state of the art Kehrein Center for the Arts which serves as the home for the Sistema Ravinia Austin nucleo orchestras.

Ravinia is an Equal Opportunity Employer

As an equal opportunity employer, Ravinia strongly believes that diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives is essential to our success and we strive to create and sustain an equitable and inclusive environment for all our employees. Ravinia does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status under federal, state, or local law. We encourage individuals of all identities and abilities to apply.