Music Instructor
Are you passionate about music, education, and kids? Do you love sharing your joy and understanding of music with others? Are you a skilled musician and experienced teacher on one or more of the following instruments: guitar, piano, bass, ukulele, violin, voice, or mandolin? Do you believe that all kids should have the power of music in their lives, regardless of their family’s ability to pay for lessons? Come join our organization!
Organizational Summary
Our Mission: To provide outstanding rock, pop, and country music education for youth by offering tuition assistance, instrument rentals, and exceptional, state-of-the-art performance opportunities.
Our Vision: Children’s lives are transformed through the power of music.
Who we are: Youth Music Project (YMP) is a band of inspired, engaged and encouraging educators, musicians, administrators, board members and volunteers who believe that every student deserves access to exceptional music education, regardless of family income level. YMP provides music instruction to thousands of children every year via year-round after-school group classes, private lessons, early childhood classes, field trips, partnerships, and summer camps. Over 40% of annual enrollments are made possible thanks to our donor supported tuition assistance fund, providing access to hundreds of children and families each year who otherwise could not afford it.
Equity: Youth Music Project celebrates the chorus of perspectives, experiences, and unique essence of each person. A soloist is beautiful on its own, but a band, choir, or ensemble has vibrancy and energy made more beautiful with unique instruments and voices included together in co-creation. Modeled by our YMP board, staff and leadership, YMP uses the study of music to empower students to appreciate and respect differences, encourage critical thinking, listen deeply, and make space for and include all voices and perspectives.
As we continue our journey of equity and inclusion, we are focused on the following goals:
- Ensuring a diverse board, staff, student and family community by creating a culture that is welcoming to all, regardless of: ethnicity, race, culture, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, class, nationality, ability or age.
- Commitment to inclusion in thought, language, experience, and leadership.
- Continuously evaluating our efforts to increase the diversity of our organization at all levels.
Practice is at the heart of mastery, and a core tenet of music education. The YMP team recognizes that we must constantly practice in order to achieve our goals. In practice – we learn from our mistakes, we encourage each other to be vulnerable, we hold each other accountable, we support, we teach, we step up to the mic when it’s our turn, and step back when it’s time for someone else to sing. We know that our efforts and our attitudes affect everyone around us.
A chord in music is the sounding of two or more notes at the same time. Equity and our work toward change is, essentially, the harmonization of a chord. We recognize that we will always have opportunities to include more notes and different perspectives at YMP, and we are committed to welcome, create, and celebrate this rich harmony that makes our song whole. We make music. Together.
Position Summary
Youth Music Project Substitute instructors share musical skills and knowledge with kids and teens aged 1-18 that enable students to grow their musicianship and social and emotional skills.
Things you’ll get to do:
- Substitute teach private music lessons and small group classes, with potential opportunities to teach at summer camps, workshops, and field trips
- Support teen interns as classroom assistants
- Collaborate with other instructors on teaching strategies and youth development best practices
- Create materials for engaging music lessons
- Prepare students and classes for performances each term.
- Set student and classroom goals and map out the steps to succeed.
- Participate in professional development exploring topics such as classroom management; social and emotional learning; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; student safety; and program improvement.
Education and Experience
Qualifications you’ll need
- Advanced proficiency and literacy in one or more instruments offered at Youth Music Project (Guitar, Bass Guitar, Ukulele, Mandolin, Violin, Piano, Drums, Voice, Rock Bands) Proficiency with multiple instruments preferred.
- Experience in providing music education to youth
- The ability to problem solve, think quickly, and adjust lesson plans as needed
- Willingness to learn about differential instruction to foster the best learning environment for individual students
- Positive outlook and collaborative disposition
- Availability to work during program hours: Monday – Friday from 2:15 – 7:30 PM; and Saturdays from 9:45 AM – 3:00 PM
- Punctuality – ability to be at work on-time and give adequate notice for any absences
- Ability to promptly respond to work email/text correspondence
- Commitment to positive youth development practices
- Must be at least 18 years old to apply and pass a criminal background check
Other knowledge, skills & abilities we’d like you to have:
- Experience working with both children and their families
- Experience working with adult students
- Bilingual in English and Spanish
Where you’ll get to work: Youth Music Project calls home a vibrant, ADA-accessible, state-of-the-art facility renovated specifically for music education and performance. We are located in the historic Willamette District of West Linn, OR. The majority of music lessons are provided on site; however, some lessons may be provided virtually, and or at our programs offered in Lake Oswego through our contract with Lake Oswego Park and Rec Dept.
Who you’ll report to: Program Director
Your position type: Hourly, Non-Exempt
Your wage: Starts at $26 per hour, PTO, Paid Prep Time, Retirement Plan with annual 4% match
Desired Start Date: Rolling
Where to apply: https://www.youthmusicproject.org/careers
Physical demands: This job is primarily performed in a classroom environment, that involves stationary (sitting) work approximately 50 percent of the time and requires ambulating the remainder of the time; regular and frequent musical instrument work and work with other office equipment; frequent communication with staff, students, and the public, and occasional lifting and/or moving of up to 40-45 pounds.
Youth Music Project is an equal opportunity employer. We value, honor and promote equity, diversity and inclusion in our employment and educational processes. Applicants from diverse backgrounds are enthusiastically encouraged to apply.
