Bass Instructor

Description

Merit School of Music seeks a Bass Instructor to teach beginning through advanced students in grades 2–12 through the Instrumental and Vocal Music (IVM) program, Private Lesson program, and the Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-Free Conservatory. Teaching takes place at our main campus (38 S. Peoria St., Chicago) as well as through the Merit Music in Communities (MMiC) program, primarily in the Ukrainian Village and Pilsen neighborhoods.

Merit’s string programs are offered at Chicago Public Schools, community sites, and neighboring school districts throughout the Chicagoland area. The Bass Instructor will teach approximately 12–14 hours per week across various sites, with the majority of hours concentrated in Ukrainian Village and Pilsen. Specific school locations will be confirmed prior to the start of the academic year and communicated during the hiring process.

Organization Overview

Merit School of Music is a community music school located in Chicago's West Loop. Our primary goals are to help young people transform their lives and experience personal growth through music by providing access to sustained participation. For more than 40 years, we have been home to a diverse community of talented young musicians and have acted as a springboard for achieving full musical and personal potential. Our 125 passionate and experienced teaching artists provide access to high-quality music education, engaging over 3,000 students annually at our downtown location and in area schools and community centers.

Our students, who reflect Chicago's socioeconomic and ethnic diversity, have the rare opportunity to learn together, dream together, teach each other, and broaden their horizons as they build inspiring lives through music. Merit develops musicians and provides young people with the tools they need to excel in life, with virtually 100 percent of our graduates going to a conservatory or college.

Merit School of Music is committed to building a world where historically underrepresented groups can access quality music education. Simultaneously, Merit is continually working towards becoming an organization that reflects the city's demographics and the students we serve. Merit is dedicated to being an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and anti-racist organization and continually examining our efforts in this area.

Reporting Relationship

The Bass Instructor reports to the Strings, Orchestra, and Chamber Music Program Director.

Essential Duties

Responsibilities of Bass Instructor include, but are not limited to:

Teaching and Instruction – 85%

• Teach weekly group classes and/or private lessons for students in grades 2–12.

• Prepare students for two to three performances each year.

• Follow Merit's established curriculum for bass instruction.

• Support students’ musical and personal growth through Merit's continuum of programming.

Administrative Duties – 15%

• Track student attendance and provide assessments with recommendations for supplemental program offerings.

• Recruit students for Merit programs.

• Assist the Strings Program Manager with instrument and supply distribution and collection in Merit Music in Communities (MMiC) programs.

• Communicate with students and families regarding behavior, attendance, performances, and program updates.

• Attend faculty and departmental meetings.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in music or equivalent experience/training.

• Demonstrated success teaching beginning bass in small group settings (grades 2–8) and private lessons.

• Experience working with intermediate to advanced middle and high school students (grades 7–12).

• Proven ability to retain and recruit students.

• Strong classroom management skills.

• Effective communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with Merit staff, faculty, and partner leadership.

• Professionalism in all settings: punctual, reliable, and collegial.

• Demonstrated commitment to upholding dignity in all interactions

• Ability to travel by car or public transportation to the Ukrainian Village and Pilsen neighborhoods.

Preferred

• Spanish language fluency.

• Experience collaborating with staff liaisons, administration, and fellow teachers to support a strings program.

Schedule

• Approximately 12–14 teaching hours per week at various schools in the Chicagoland area, with the majority in the Ukrainian Village and Pilsen neighborhoods.

• Bass classes are typically one hour in length and meet once or twice weekly during after-school hours (3:00–6:00 pm). Some sites may offer classes during the school day or later in the evening (4:00–7:00 pm).

• Private lessons take place primarily during academic school hours (9:00 am–2:30 pm).

• Conservatory classes are held on Saturdays at Merit's West Loop campus (38 S. Peoria St.).

Compensation and Application

• Hourly base rates are calculated using a proprietary method that considers years of experience, recruitment/retention skills, studio size, education, and established success as a teacher

• Base rates range from $40 to $80 per hour for private lessons, with an additional $2.00 per hour added to the base rate for group classes

• Large ensembles pay 1.5x the group class rate

• Offsite faculty are reimbursed for mileage as calculated from Merit's main campus

• Full-time faculty (780 annual teaching hours) qualify for insurance benefits. 401K eligibility begins at 500 annual teaching hours after one year of employment.

To apply, please upload your resume detailing your relevant experience and qualifications for this role using this link. Please apply before Monday, September 2, 2025. Materials should be compatible with Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF.

ALAANA/BIPOC people, trans and gender nonconforming people, and women are encouraged to apply.

For more information about the Merit School of Music, please visit www.meritmusic.org.

Merit School of Music is committed to enhancing the diversity of our musical community, recognizing that by providing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environment for our students, we are preparing them for personal and professional success in an increasingly multicultural and global society. The Merit community recognizes that it has a responsibility for creating and sustaining a learning and working environment where difference is valued, and where equity and inclusion are practiced.