St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church is seeking our next part-time Director of Music Ministry. The position is 12 hours/week with initial compensation of $23 – $25/hour, depending on experience and qualifications. The only fixed hours at present are Sunday mornings (9AM – 12PM); additional hours are flexible or TBD based on availability. St. Dunstan’s is a warm, lively and inclusive congregation with both in-person and Zoom (online) worshipping congregations. The Director of Music Ministry supports our worship life by selecting music, playing piano or organ in worship to support congregational song, working with singers and musicians within the congregation to prepare special music, collaborating with the Rector to plan special liturgies, and continuing to develop our practices of shared music-making for all ages. As a staff member involved in liturgical leadership, the Director of Music Ministry contributes to an atmosphere of welcome and warmth in the life of the congregation. Our musical repertoire at St. Dunstan’s includes both the full range of the Episcopal hymnals (from medieval chant though modern hymnody), “paperless” music, and sacred music from various folk traditions and from around the world. We are striving to build a parish musical culture that makes room for everyone from the highly trained to the untrained-but-enthusiastic to participate in music-making. We are looking for someone creative, collaborative, skillful and playful to join us in this work. Our ideal candidate may or may not be a trained church musician, but will be someone collaborative and curious, who will get to know us, learn the music and ways of music-making that are important to us, and help us grow, explore, and build.
Read the full job description here below!
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JOB DESCRIPTION: DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRY
Effective 2/1/23
TITLE: Director of Music Ministry
REPORTS TO: Rector, St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church
HOURS: 12 hours/week: 9AM – 12PM every Sunday; additional 9 hours/week on average of planning, collaboration (possibly including a regular weekly practice time), and communication weekly, on average. Additional compensated hours may be negotiated for other special services, events, or trainings.
COMPENSATION: $23-$25/hour, depending on experience & qualifications.
STATUS: Regular Part-time, Non-exempt
POSITION SUMMARY
Under the supervision of the Rector, the Director of Music Ministry supports the worship life of St. Dunstan’s Church by selecting music, playing piano or organ in worship to support congregational song, working with singers and musicians within the congregation to prepare anthems and other special music, collaborating with the Rector to plan special liturgies, and continuing to develop our practices of shared music-making for all ages. As a staff member involved in liturgical leadership, the Director of Music Ministry contributes to an atmosphere of welcome and warmth in the life of the congregation.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
- I. Plan, Prepare & Lead Music in Worship (40%)
The Director of Music Ministry shall:
- Play the piano and/or organ* for the 10am Sunday service. The service usually includes hymns, service music, a sung or chanted psalm, and sometimes a choral anthem or other special musical offering. Music just before and after the service (sometimes called the prelude and postlude) is welcome but not our highest priority.
- Prepare music for use in Sunday 9AM Zoom worship. This usually consists of one new hymn each Sunday, and one piece of service music that is used for several consecutive weeks. Music can be offered “live” on Zoom or prepared ahead of time as sound files or videos.
- Select hymns, anthems and worship music, in a timely fashion, in consultation with the Rector and others involved in worship planning; and provide all necessary information, including copyright notices, to those preparing bulletins.
- Prepare for and play for these seasonal services: Christmas Eve (2 services), Maundy Thursday, and the Easter Vigil; the 8am service on Easter Sunday; and on Christmas Day only when it falls on a Sunday.
- By mutual agreement with the Rector, and with additional compensation as negotiated, prepare and play for additional special services and events.
- Arrange for a substitute in the event of absence on a Sunday or other occasion.
* A note regarding instruments: The primary instrument used to support congregational singing and smaller ensembles at St. Dunstan’s is a grand piano. We also have a small Allen electric organ and we enjoy hearing its voice now and then, but there is latitude for someone to take some time to learn to play the organ for occasional special pieces and occasions.
II. Work with musicians and ensembles within the congregation to prepare special music (30%)
- Work with singers and instrumentalists to plan and prepare special musical offerings for worship; these may include mixed-age and mixed-ability ensembles of various sizes.
- Schedule and lead in-person rehearsals as needed, and when appropriate, find or prepare practice resources for those who prefer to rehearse at home or asynchronously.
- Collaborate with the Rector to plan a monthly music learning and play session for children. This is not a traditional children’s choir, though preparing music to share in worship is welcome.
- (10) Potentially, convene and lead choir rehearsals to prepare an anthem for Sunday worship, starting on a monthly basis. A possible schedule might include two weeknights per month and one or two Sunday morning 9AM rehearsals per month. We have not had a choir that meets regularly since before the pandemic, but believe there may be sufficient interest at this time to try it out again.
- (11) Coordinate with instrumental musicians in the congregation to share their gifts and enrich the musical life of the parish.
III. Participate in Planning the Musical & Liturgical Life of the Parish (20%)
The Director of Music Ministry shall:
- Work collaboratively as part of a team, including the Rector, other staff, and parish volunteers, to offer seasonal, appropriate, well-presented, well-integrated music and liturgy.
- Meet with the Rector monthly, at a mutually-convenient time, to review and plan the musical and liturgical life of the parish.
IV. Maintain the parish’s Music Library, licenses, and instruments (10%)
The Director of Music Ministry shall be responsible for the following tasks, either as part of their work or in collaboration with volunteers:
- Maintain the music library in an orderly and usable condition.
- Maintain the necessary copyright licenses for our regularly-used music and manage any necessary usage reporting.
- Oversee instrument maintenance, in collaboration with the Office Coordinator.
Note: This description is not intended to include all responsibilities, as additional duties may be assigned and existing duties may be adjusted at any time.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Commitment to building and sustaining community
- Commitment to excellence, beauty, and joy in worship music
- Commitment to engaging with, supporting and empowering music makers of all abilities
- Training (formal and/or experiential) in conducting an ensemble and running a rehearsal
- Caring and responsive; able to give feedback kindly and effectively
- Flexible, resourceful and creative
- Familiar with, or willing to become familiar with, the Episcopal Hymnal and other church music and frequently-used resources
- Familiar with, or willing to become familiar with, the “paperless music” approach
- Willing to follow and support parish Covid policies
- Demonstrated organizational skills, including calendaring, project coordination, and prioritization. Ability to effectively manage workload within compensated hours.
- Effective communication skills, both verbal and written
- Able to plan musical undertakings congruent with musicians’ energy and interests, and to identify musical gifts and skills and look for opportunities to build them into the program.
- Collaborative; able to work well with Rector and volunteers/helpers
- Open to exploring how music-making can be a vital part of the life of a congregation with both in-person and online members
- Committed to helping create a welcoming and inclusive environment, including socioeconomic diversity, neurodiversity, and full welcome of LGBTQ+ people.
Qualifications
Previous experience supporting or leading vocal ensembles
Accompaniment & keyboard skills
Requirements
- Full background check (paid for by the church)
- Completion of Safe Church training within first six months of employment. (This training, authorized by the Episcopal Church, outlines how to recognize warning signs and minimize risks of child sexual abuse.)
References will be required if selected for an interview.