Suzuki Violin Instructor | Suzuki Cello Instructor

Position Description

The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (BKCM) seeks part-time instructors in cello and violin with a growth mindset and eagerness to learn to join BKCM’s Suzuki team of 25 faculty in our robust program. 

BKCM Suzuki comprises 230 students across six instruments and 35 students in our Suzuki Early Childhood Education classes. 

The successful violin teaching candidate will be offered a weekly teaching position of 3–6 hours on Sundays, as well as 3–4 hours on one or more weekdays for the 2024-2025 academic calendar (September–June). 

The successful cello teaching candidate will be offered a weekly teaching position of 3–6 hours on Sundays, and possibly 3–4 hours on one or more weekdays for the 2024-2025 academic calendar (September–June). 

For either role, it will be possible to expand the schedule in subsequent school years, as well as to add summer teaching hours. Leadership positions within the Suzuki program and other job growth opportunities may become available. 

Salary

The base pay rate in 2023-2024 was $53.00/hour for private lessons, $60/hour for group/theory classes, and $40/hour for meetings and prep time. Updated rates for 2024-25 will become available in June. 

About the BKCM Suzuki Program

BKCM is located in beautiful Park Slope, Brooklyn where we have a committed community of supportive and involved Suzuki parents and caregivers. 

In our Suzuki program, students attend weekly group and theory classes in addition to their weekly private lessons. Parents of beginners and transfer students attend 15 hours of parent class during their first year, in addition to attending the first six weeks of classes with their own full-size instruments before students begin in November. Beginners are typically ages four to five but can be younger or older. We offer ongoing professional development for faculty, community-building events, myriad performing opportunities for students per year, opportunities to be involved in chamber and string orchestras, and summer camps.

We are a short walk from the subway: B/Q to 7th Avenue & 2/3 Grand Army Plaza. 

Expectations and Scope of Work

• Teach private lessons and group and theory classes for children ages 3.5 to 18, depending on the schedule assigned. 
• Most new teachers will teach pre-twinkle beginners ages 3.5–5 and will also teach students who have studied for any length of time in our program. 
• Teachers are asked to teach group classes that incorporate music theory (Music Mind Games familiarity is a plus).
• Most of our faculty teach to some degree during July and/or August.
• Plan and prepare curricula and materials for classes and lessons.
• Prepare students for and attend two recitals and two group class performances per school year.
• Use flexibility and creativity when working with different types of learners. 
• Attend paid faculty meetings.
• Submit timesheet data every week.
• Maintain timely communication with administration, faculty, and families.
• Offer reasonable support to families in your studio both in and outside of class time.
• Approach teaching as a lifelong learner, committed to self-education about best practices and professional growth.
• Support colleagues both in and outside of your department and expect support.
• Commit to DEI frameworks and self-education, including interest in repertoire outside the canon, teaching a plurality of learners, working with all types of families, and elevating fundraising campaigns for financial aid. 

Qualifications

Candidates should have a Bachelor of Music degree or similar, be an active member of the SAA, and have at least units 1–4 registered with the SAA. Ideally, the candidate will have also taken SPA and Practicum or will have plans to do so soon. However, the best candidate may not yet have met all of these qualifications. 

All candidates must demonstrate a love of teaching children of all ages, fine attention to technical and musical detail in their teaching approach, and a warmth and understanding of all children and families. Experience with, or an interest in teaching music theory, including the Music Mind Games curriculum, is a plus. 

How to Apply

To apply, email a letter of interest, a current resume, and a writing sample that addresses your teaching philosophy to Suzuki Program Director Nora Friedman at hiring@bkcm.org. Please include “Suzuki [Instrument] Faculty” in the subject line. 

We invite you to send a link to one or several 5–20 minute videos of yourself teaching a representative private and/or group class, but this is not a requirement for a first-round interview.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. 

Website: www.bkcm.org

About the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music

Founded in 1897 as a formal music conservatory serving 200 students, the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music now serves more than 15,000 individuals annually and collaborates with more than 50 organizations including schools, youth, social service, and senior centers, as well as other arts and culture organizations and city agencies, to provide music instruction, music therapy, and performances in Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan.

Mission: The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music: transforming lives and building community through the expressive, educational, and therapeutic powers of music.

Core Values: BKCM is committed to providing a nurturing environment that promotes and personifies excellence, collaboration, and community for individuals engaged in performing and music study. 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: BKCM is committed to building and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and culture. We believe that our staff and faculty should reflect the members of our student and client community to provide the most accessible music education and therapy services to our constituencies. We are working towards making BKCM’s team fully reflective of Brooklyn’s diverse communities and widening our points of view. We strongly encourage BIPOC, AAPI, Hispanic/Latinx, LGBTQIA+, and all applicants of non-dominant racial, cultural, and experiential backgrounds to apply.

We are doing our part to dismantle racism, white supremacy, and all forms of hegemony within the Western classical music frame through continued learning and implementation, and we are looking for candidates who are also committed to such pursuits.

BKCM is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate due to age, sex, religion, race, color, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other factor prohibited by law.