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UUCSJS Searches for new Director of Music
Organization: UUCSJS PO Box 853, Pomona, NJ 08240
Current Membership: 98
Date Posted: January 29th 2021
Starting Date: Flexible, between March and September, 2021
Primary Category: Director of Music/Pianist
Type of Position: Part Time/ 10 hours per week
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
● Ability to play piano required, ability to also play guitar, preferred
● Basic choral directing skills
● Interest and knowledge about technical aspects of worship including sound system and audio visual enhancements.
● Direct knowledge of Unitarian Universalist (UU)Theology and Music preferred. If there is no direct knowledge/experience of UU, potential candidates must be willing to learn.
DESCRIPTION AND DETAILS:
The role of the Director of Music (DoM) is to provide year round leadership, inspiration and practical assistance in coordinating the music program for UUCSJS. The DoM also accompanies hymns and provides preludes, postludes and other music for the worship service.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Salary and benefits: $14,000 – $17,000 – to be negotiated with the Board of Trustees, based on level of experience.
The DoM will be paid ( ) for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the following calendar year, to be paid twice a month. The DoM will be compensated for professional expenses, registration fees and travel for professional development and meetings within constraints of the budget, as approved in advance by the Board of Trustees.
The DoM will receive 6-8 weeks of paid vacation annually. Up to 2 additional Sundays may be taken off for professional development. The DoM will coordinate, in advance, music for services they will miss. Volunteers, paid substitutes, and recordings may be used for the time off.
HOURS AND ACCOUNTABILITY:
The job of DoM is expected to take approximately 10 hours per week, with the understanding that some weeks will require fewer hours and some more hours. The DoM works with the Choir, volunteer musicians, the Director of Religious Education (DRE), and the minister to provide meaningful music that enhances worship services. The DoM is responsible to the Minister.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The DoM serves as choir director, accompanist, and works in conjunction with the minister to provide musical leadership to the congregation. This includes the following responsibilities:
● Partner with the Minister and Worship team to create spiritual and meaningful music experiences for weekly Sunday services.
● Rehearse with the choir regularly (currently choir rehearsals are scheduled for 1 hour prior to Sunday AM worship. Extra rehearsals for special events may also be scheduled)
● Accompany hymns/choir/lead music during Sunday service (2-3 hymns, Prelude/Offertory/Postlude, transition pieces).
● Lead music-centered worship services 1-2 times a year. The nature of the service is open and flexible, not necessarily the “big music” Sunday of many UU congregations.
● Support the DRE in providing musical enrichment to children and youth.
Provide support and opportunities for volunteer musicians to contribute musically to our services.
Provide leadership and expertise in purchase and implementation of new audio visual system
ADMINISTRATIVE:
● Meet with our minister to plan music (usually before or after monthly staff meetings).
● Communicate with the administrator in a timely fashion on music selections for the order of service.
● Prepare monthly reports to the Board of Trustees.
● Meet monthly with the Worship Committee.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT and PUBLIC OUTREACH:
● Establish and maintain communication with other UU musicians through the Association for Unitarian Universalist Music Ministries (AUUMM) and the NJ AUUMM.
● Enhance professional growth by attending webinars, conferences, and reading AUUMM listserve.
● Work with our publicity volunteer to provide press releases about our music events
● Enable musical participation of our congregation in interfaith events.
● Be willing to pursue UU Music Leader Certification (congregation providing financial assistance)
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR VIRTUAL MUSIC DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:
● Prepare a folder in Google Drive by Friday of each week, containing all pre-recorded music for the service. (you will have access to all the music assembled in the last year, as well as recording/mixing your own.)
● Maintain a database of music selections.
● Seek videos that may be legally streamed for worship and are thematically appropriate for the theme of the service.
● Record hymn accompaniments and send them to vocalists and/or instrumentalists.
● Merge accompaniments and vocal tracks
● Work with other instrumentalists (presently flute or guitar) to provide a variety of worship music.
MISCELLANEOUS AND OPTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
● Recruiting and organizing entertainment for the annual Fellowship Dinner.
● Follow your spiritual leanings to create additional events such as Vespers services or Singing Mediation sessions.
Interested candidates, please email resume and references to uucsjsmusic@gmail.com
