Bass Instructor, Sistema Ravinia Austin & Lawndale Nucleos (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 2-4 weeks during the summer.

The bass instructor will teach students in small (bass studio) and large (low string sectionals) groups of elementary and middle school students participating in the Sistema Ravinia Austin & Lawndale nucleos. The bass instructor 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 and upholding the values and mission for Sistema Ravinia. The ideal candidate will be an extraordinary teacher, artist, mentor, and model for Sistema Ravinia students. This role is a part-time, hourly instructional seasonal employee position.  

Duties and Responsibilities

• Teach bass studio and low string sectionals (cello/bass)
• Assist with full orchestra rehearsals and large ensembles as needed
• Foster student empowerment and focuses on the holistic education of each child
• Engage students through the development of creative lesson plans that foster social and musical growth
• Active participation and collaboration in faculty development sessions to help create and implement shared ideals, and innovative curriculum and pedagogy that supports each child holistically
• Assess student progress on an ongoing basis

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 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, parents, and community

• Superior interpersonal skills

Education and Experience

• Experience working with groups of children, youth orchestras, or in the El Sistema music education model

• Experience and desire to work with children from diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds

• Bachelor’s degree in music or 2-3 years related work experience 

Work Environment

• Working at GR Clark Elementary school in the Austin community; work sites may also include the Kehrein Center for the Arts (Austin community), Frazier IB Elementary (Lawndale community), and Ravinia (Highland Park)

• Working after school three days per week with some evenings and weekends required for concerts and special activities (anticipated hours: Tuesday from 2:30-5:00pm at Frazier IB Elementary, Wednesdays from 3:30-5:30pm at the Kenrein Center for the Arts, and Thursday afternoons from 2:45-5:15pm at GR Clark Elementary).

• Ability to travel to the Kehrein Center for the Arts (5628 W Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60644) for large orchestra rehearsals combined with the Sistema Ravinia Lawndale nucleo.

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

Compensation

$50 per hour for instructional time and $25 per hour for non-instructional time (meetings, professional learning, and curriculum development)

About the Program

Sistema Ravinia is an intensive orchestral music education program that provides daily music training for students at two schools in the Austin community. Participating students meet after school 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 Circle Rock was the first school to join the initiative.  In 2019, the Sistema Ravinia Austin Nucleo expanded to add GR Clark.  Students from Circle Rock focus on band instruments and students from GR Clark learn string instruments.  Students meet at their individual schools two to three days per week and join together at Circle Rock to rehearse as a full symphony orchestra.  Circle Rock recently completed their state of the art Kehrein Center for the Arts which will serve 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.