Director, Vocal Studies

Department

HUM Staff: Music SP Student Performance

About the Department

For over 90 years, the University of Chicago Department of Music has been a leader in the academic study as well as in the creation of serious music. With leading scholars in the relevant fields, the Department offers graduate degrees in Composition, Ethnomusicology, Music History, and Music Theory, as well as an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree in music. Beyond the classroom, the Music Department hosts a thriving co-curricular Performance Program that encompasses four choirs, two orchestras, a wind ensemble, two jazz ensembles, a percussion ensemble, as well as a South Asian, a Middle East, Early Music, and Afro-Cuban ensemble, plus specialized programs in chamber music, piano, and vocal studies. Open to all undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students at the University as well as faculty, staff, and community members, this wide-ranging Performance Program involves some 750+ musicians and offers an exceptional environment for artistic inspiration and musical growth. For students in the Music Department, it serves as a meaningful complement to their academic studies in music.

Job Summary

This position is designed with two goals: to help develop the technical and artistic skills of individual student singers, and to support the various choral ensembles within the Department of Music Performance Program. The Director of Vocal Studies is expected to provide individual and/or small group instruction, coachings, and workshops for student musicians accepted into the Vocal Studies program; prepare repertoire suggestions and supplemental activities to promote the development of each student’s musical skills and understanding; schedule additional workshops, master classes, and performance opportunities as appropriate; develop and offer a series of workshops on basic principles of proper singing, appropriate for singers in the University Chorus, Motet Choir, and Women’s Ensemble who have not had previous instruction in voice; be available to coach occasional rehearsals of those large choral ensembles, as requested; and arrange supplemental activities to promote a sense of camaraderie within the Vocal Studies program, and to encourage students’ further study and involvement in the musical arts.

This position is part-time, non-benefits eligible.

Responsibilities

• Plans and executes auditions, workshops, masterclasses, performances, and other relevant activities for students interested in developing their vocal skills.
• Clearly outlines expectations for participation in the Vocal Studies Program, with two available tracks: regular participation, characterized by casual involvement with no formal transcript recognition; and advanced participation, with a specific set of requirements that must be fulfilled in order to earn per-quarter transcript recognition for the student’s involvement in the program.
• Conducts auditions at the start of the academic year to evaluate the abilities of interested student musicians. Accepts an appropriate number of musicians into the formal program in Vocal Studies. The average number of musicians in recent years has been 15-20 students registered for transcript recognition, with close contact; and an additional 15-20 students as regular participants, with less frequent contact.
• Recommends or assigns repertoire appropriate to the current skills and artistic preferences of those individual students, with the concurrent goal of promoting their technical skills and expanding their musical horizons.
• Sets up a schedule for individual coaching sessions, available to all interested vocalists in the Program, and establishes clear procedures for students to sign up for such sessions.
• Provides group coaching sessions or studio classes on a regular basis throughout the academic year. Arrange for additional vocal coaches as needed, on an ad hoc basis, if student demand for coaching sessions exceeds the expected number of coaching hours in the director’s job profile.
• Arranges a variety of recital opportunities and showcase concerts for Vocal Studies student musicians, in conjunction with the regular offerings of the Department of Music Performance Program, such as Tea Time Concert Series, special showcase concerts, community engagement performances at Montgomery Place, etc. Schedules individual students and/or small groups to perform on concert dates as reserved.
• Develops and offers a series of workshops on basic principles of proper singing, appropriate for singers in the University Chorus, Motet Choir, and Women’s Ensemble who have not had previous instruction in voice. Works closely with the directors of the choral ensembles to create, schedule, and revise these group sessions, which should be offered approximately three times per quarter.
• Leads occasional specialty sessions during rehearsals for the large choral ensembles, as requested by the directors.
• Arranges additional workshops, master classes, and studio classes throughout the academic year, as student interest warrants, approximately two times per quarter. Engages guest clinicians as needed, in accordance with Performance Program guidelines.
• Advises student performers on planning and scheduling individual recitals, supplemental performances, community engagement activities, and advanced musical study, as requested.
• Available to teach private lessons to individual student musicians as arranged and approved, as an additional supplemental role, outside the scope of principal employment as Director of Vocal Studies. The number of private students can be determined in accordance with the interests and availability of the Director of Vocal Studies, subject to the approval of the Director of Performance Programs.
• Tracks student attendance and engagement for those students who opt for transcript recognition; submits grades (pass/fail) to the Registrar at the end of each academic quarter via the Faculty Access portal, in accordance with specified deadlines.
• Follows all specified steps and format for working with the Music Department’s Director of Communications, Graphic Designer, and other Performance Program staff members in submitting concert information, program materials, personnel lists, etc., in accordance with stated deadlines.
• Works within a modest operating budget available for the Vocal Studies program. Follows all specified steps for working with the appropriate Performance Program staff member to request music purchases, musician refreshments and/or concert receptions, and the like.
• Follows all specified steps for reserving dates, times, and spaces for ensemble rehearsals, sectionals, and special activities with the appropriate Performance Program staff member. Submits stage diagrams, equipment requests, and additional requirements for concert performances and other events, in accordance with the required deadlines.
• Works with the Director of Performance Programs to develop joint performances, special projects, and other innovative activities for the Vocal Studies program. Contributes ideas and feedback for the ongoing development and improvement of the Vocal Studies Program and the Performance Program as a whole.
• Assists teachers with all aspects of the academic program. Instructs and provides counseling to students as well as giving them feedback.
• Work with small groups of students to help them improve in the subject area and hold office hours to speak individually with students.
• Has a moderate/high level of authority to participate in staff meetings, individual planning meetings, and parent-student staffings.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• MA or MM.
• Advanced degree in vocal performance from an accredited conservatory.

Experience:

• Significant performance experience as a solo and choral singer in a variety of settings, such as solo recitals, small ensemble performances, and/or major choral organizations.
• A minimum of three years experience teaching private voice lessons, preferably in a college or university setting.
• Leading vocal studio classes and/or group coaching sessions.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Broad knowledge of solo vocal repertoire, from Baroque through contemporary.
• Knowledge of various pedagogical approaches for teaching private vocal students.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Work successfully with students at various technical and musical levels.
• Strong organizational skills.

Working Conditions

• Make regular weekly commitment to on-campus teaching and coaching during the regular academic year, which consists of three nine-week quarters, October through May.
• This is a part-time, non-benefits eligible position requiring approximately 15 hours per week.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV, that includes list of major solo repertoire performed in public (required)
• Cover Letter, including your interest in this position (required)
• Links to a minimum of two recent, within the past 2 years, solo vocal performances by the candidate (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Academic Affairs

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

15

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$18,000.00 - $19,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

This position is not eligible for benefits.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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