Join The Team

Neighborhood Choir Program Choir Director

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 Neighborhood Choir Program for Older Adults & Adults with Disabilities has been recognized for supporting older adults quality of life – decreasing loneliness and increasing engagement with life. Choirs currently run at fifteen senior centers throughout San Francisco.

Purpose:
Direct a Community Choir of older adults at the Tel Hi Neighborhood Center to sing songs in Cantonese, and potentially other languages. 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 Cantonese/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 April 2025

Location and Hours: Tel Hi Neighborhood Center in North Beach.

Days/Times to be confirmed, one two hour  session/week on a weekday early afternoon: Pilot Project for 2025 with a  possible renewal of residency after the pilot.

Compensation: $72/hour (this includes contact time and prep time). Additional opportunities are available for compensated performances and meetings, free practice room and studio rental as available.

About Community Music Center (CMC): Community Music Center’s mission is to make high quality music accessible to people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, regardless of financial means. We’re committed to centering equity and inclusion in our programs and across all aspects of our organization. We are a nonprofit institution founded in 1921 with branches in the Mission District, Richmond Districts, and at partnership sites throughout San Francisco serving 3,400 students annually. 

Application Process: Email a resume and cover letter to: cmcfacultyopenings@sfcmc.org. Please include “CMC Neighborhood Choir Director Position” in the subject of your email. In the cover letter, please share what styles of music you are most rooted in/familiar with and what language(s) you speak.  Only those being considered will be contacted. No phone calls, please. CMC is an equal opportunity employer.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

The faculty of Community Music Center share the belief that the joy and satisfaction of learning to make music should be available to everyone, regardless of age, talent or means. Community Music Center seeks instructors with experience teaching a variety of styles, including western classical, jazz, rock, blues, Latin, flamenco, middle eastern and Chinese music.

Community Music Center expects faculty to provide well-rounded, quality music instruction: 

• encourage creativity, originality and personal expression 
• establish consistency in attendance and progress
• demonstrate the value of proper practice habits
• exercise flexibility and sensitivity in response to the student
• tailor teaching to the individual needs, abilities, and goals of each student
• teach a full palette of fundamental musical skills
• turn momentary failures into positive lessons
• review previously learned material to establish continuity
• answer the students’ questions and encourage follow-up inquiry and research
• inspire students through passion, talents and love for teaching which in turn will foster their musical and personal growth