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

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 

• Lead engaging band rehearsals with high expectations for musical excellence

• Lead woodwind, brass, and/or percussion sectionals

• Ensure curricular alignment in large ensemble rehearsals

• Facilitate with a team of teachers daily transitions on site including student movement between snack time, rehearsals, and dismissal

• Communicate student behavioral, musical, and social challenges with administration

• Foster student empowerment and facilitate the holistic education of each child

• Engage students through the development of creative lesson plans that promote social and musical growth

• Active participation in faculty professional and curriculum development sessions.

• Conduct regular informal and formal assessments of student musical growth

• Collaborate with the Sistema Ravinia administration, full orchestra conductor, other associate conductors, and instructors to select appropriate repertoire for the orchestras, create and implement shared ideals, and develop innovative curriculum and pedagogy.

• Lead full orchestra in the event of an absence of the full orchestra conductor

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Outstanding understanding of beginning and intermediate level wind, brass, and percussion pedagogy

• Strong conducting skills 

• Enthusiasm for El Sistema and its philosophy of social change through music

• Interest and ability to be a motivational mentor and role model for students

• Ability to develop strong relationships with students, parents, school partners, and outside community members

• Superior interpersonal skills

Education and Experience

• Strong background in conducting, band repertoire, curriculum, pedagogy, and music education at the 4th-8th grade level
• Experience working with young children, youth orchestras or in the El Sistema music education model
• Bachelor’s degree in music or 2-3 years related work experience

Work Environment

• 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:

• Cover letter and Resume
• Provide a sample video conducting an ensemble (preferably youth) 
  • If a public video link is not available, please upload the video to Youtube privately and include the link in the cover letter.

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.