Join The Team

Neighborhood Choir Program Choir Director

The Community Music Center partners with senior and neighborhood centers throughout San Francisco to organize neighborhood choirs. These choirs provide an important musical experience to older adults and adults with disabilities while also promoting quality of life and well-being. CMC’s Award winning Choir Program has been recognized for supporting older adults quality of life – decreasing loneliness and increasing engagement with life. Choirs currently run at seventeen senior centers throughout San Francisco. Learn more about the Neighborhood Choir Program for Older Adults & Adults with Disabilities here.

CMC seeks a Choir Director for two distinct neighborhood choirs in SF at the locations listed below. While the choirs share certain characteristics, each possesses a unique community identity reflected in their musical repertoire. Applicants may apply for one or both of these choirs and this position can be combined with the Neighborhood Choir Accompanist position.

CMC 30th Street Senior Center Choir
Tuesdays, 9:45 – 11:45am, 36 weeks from September – Mid- June (possible 8 week summer session)
Musical Styles: Popular and folk music from Latin America, the US and the Philippines
Location: 30th St. Senior Center, 225 30th Street, San Francisco, CA

CMC Centro Latino de San Francisco Choir
Thursdays: 1:00 – 2:30pm, 36 weeks from September – Mid- June (possible 8 week summer session)
Musical Styles: Songs in Spanish from Mexico and Latin America and songs. El coro canta principalmente canciones latinoamericanas en español. This choir is conducted bi-lingually in Spanish and English.
Location: Centro Latino de SF, 1656 15th St., San Francisco, CA

POSITION OVERVIEW
Direct a community choir of older adults at one or both of the neighborhood sites listed above, reflecting each choir site’s community and musical styles. This position includes developing repertoire, conducting choir rehearsals, coordinating with an accompanist, preparing participants for performances and participating in evaluation. The Choir Director will inspire the participants and set a tone for fun and friendly engagement through music. The position reports to the Program Director and is supported and works with a project team including an accompanist, the Neighborhood Choir Coordinator, and partner sites involved in the program.

Training will be provided on issues related to choir singing and older voices and the methods of this project.

PRINCIPAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop culturally relevant repertoire for a Community Choir(s) for older adults in conjunction with the project team.
• Train, rehearse and direct the Community Choir(s) including vocal/physical warm ups, learning music and preparing for public performance (in person, online and hybrid formats as needed).
• Support opportunities for socializing among choir participants including at rehearsal breaks and potlucks after performances.
• Take attendance at each choir session, ensure choir members sign in and following up with choir members who miss rehearsals.
• Work with CMC Neighborhood Choir Coordinator to coordinate details for the Choir’s public performances
• Work with accompanist to prepare music
• Work with CMC Neighborhood Choir Coordinator to supply written lyrics and music for participants
• Develop positive relationships with the choir and the project team through effective and timely oral and written interpersonal communications
• Arrange for a substitute Choir Director in his or her absence
• Participate in evaluation process of Choir(s)

QUALIFICATIONS

• Choral conducting experience required
• Knowledge of choral music and experience with a variety of musical styles and traditions
• Ability to arrange and transcribe music for chorus, facilitating growth in repertory suited to and reflective of the Choir community
• Ability to develop strong working relationship with an accompanist
• Energetic, with a willingness to learn from the senior community
• Cultural sensitivity and awareness of cultural background(s) of chorus members
• Bi-lingual Spanish/English
• Excellent people skills, good communicator
• Problem solver who is able to kindly and firmly resolve conflict
• Able to work with diverse range of musical abilities and sensitivity to issues related to older voices
• Punctuality

STATUS: Hourly beginning September 2026

COMPENSATION: $50/hour on-site instructional time – includes full class time, plus 30 additional minutes for setup/breakdown and contact time with members and partner site staff
PLUS 1 additional hour off-site prep per session at CMC $47/hr prep rate

Total compensation per session:
30th Street: $172/session (2 hour session)
Centro Latino: $147/session (1.5 hour session)

HOW TO APPLY: Please send your resume and cover letter to cmcfacultyopenings@sfcmc.org. In the cover letter, please share what styles of music you are most rooted in/familiar with and what language(s) you speak.

About Community Music Center
Community Music Center (CMC) is the Bay Area’s oldest community arts organization and San Francisco’s largest provider of free and low-cost music classes and concerts. Founded in 1921, CMC’s mission is dedicated to enhancing the community’s quality of life by making high quality music accessible to people of all ages and musical levels, regardless of their financial status. Students range in age from 3 to 96 years old and enjoy classes in everything from Western classical to Chinese to Latin music. CMC operates from two locations, in the Mission and Richmond Districts of San Francisco, and offers programs throughout the city.