Position Description

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

BKCM Suzuki comprises 250 students across seven instruments, with an additional 50+ students in our Suzuki Early Childhood Education (SECE) classes. 

The successful violin teaching candidate will be offered a weekly teaching position of 3–6 hours on Sundays, as well as a possible 3–4 hours on one or more weekdays for the 2025-2026 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 2024-25 was $55.50/hour for private lessons, $61.50/hour for group/theory classes, and $40/hour for meetings and prep time. Updated rates for 2025-26 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 7^th 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 and encourage you to additionally 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. Please see our video submission best practice document here.

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

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (BKCM) is hiring Brand Ambassadors for community engagement (“Brand Ambassadors”) for our Open Stages festival on May 10, 2025 from 1-7 pm. Brand Ambassadors are required to help set up festival stages, interact positively with donors, artists, students and concertgoers of all ages and abilities, including special needs populations and all members of the BKCM community.

The ideal candidate has experience making public announcements, engaging in a public-facing role, and being a comfortable multi-tasker. Brand Ambassadors serve as enthusiastic representatives of BKCM’s and are expected to present the Conservatory in a professional and responsible manner in line with its brand and mission. The pay rate is $30 per hour for six hours on May 10, plus an hourlong virtual training, available at either 6 pm on Wednesday, May 7 or 12 pm on Thursday, May 8.

• Promote awareness of our mission, programs, fundraising initiatives, and activities
• Solicit for donations/support of our work
• Make public announcements day-of-festival
• Set up, breakdown, and/or distribution of marketing materials
• Collection of email addresses
• Take photos/videos for social media posting/archival purposes
• Miscellaneous special events tasks

Qualifications and Relevant Experience

• Must be available to work from 1-7 pm on May 10
• Must be available to attend one paid hourlong training, available either from 6-7 pm on Wednesday, May 7 or 12-1 pm on Thursday, May 8.
• Excellent public speaking skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and a friendly, warm personality
• Responsive, punctual, and timely
• Ability to work on a variable schedule
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work independently
• Experience with ticketing platforms and point-of-sale platforms, i.e. Square, Funraise, etc. a plus
• Valid driver’s license a plus
• Lifting chairs and other equipment will be required for this position. Staff will need to be able to lift at least 50 pounds and stand for 6 hours.

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 80 organizations including schools, and youth, social service and senior centers, as well other arts and culture organizations and city agencies, to provide music instruction, music therapy, and performances in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island and Manhattan.

Mission:

The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s mission is to transform lives and build 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.

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.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

DEI Statement:

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. We strongly encourage BIPOC, AAPI, Hispanic/Latino, LGBTQIA+ and all applicants of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds to apply.

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.

Thank you for your interest in this position! While we are not currently accepting applications, please do email hiring@bkcm.org with your resume and letter of interest. We will keep your interest in mind and reach out when opportunities arise. 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

*We are currently actively hiring for this position, in particular we are looking for people with good live sound mixing skills.*

The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (BKCM) is excited to be growing our Events & Live Sound Tech Staff (“Events Staff”). The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music hosts over 200 concerts, recitals and events per year out of our Park Slope home and at various venues around Brooklyn. Events are typically on weekday evenings and during the day and evenings on weekends. Event Staff will be hired on an as-needed basis for our robust event calendar.

Our Events Staff have three primary responsibilities based on event:

• • Front of house / box office – setting up and running box office and merchandise purchasing, check-in, welcoming and greeting of guests, representing the Conservatory, volunteer coordination, and closing out/reporting on events.
  • Live sound / tech – setting up and running live sound; video projection; zoom streaming; facilities set up including Concert Hall seating and reception. In the BKCM Recital Hall where most events take place, AV skills include: setting up backline, setting up microphones and stands, running a 16 channel wireless mixer with an iPad, creating and cueing lighting presets, setting up and running video projection if needed.
  • Virtual Hosting – Leading Zoom workshops including screen shares, breakout rooms, and streaming live programing.

The ideal candidate would have both front and back of house experience and be a comfortable multi-tasker, capable of moving between roles that support a variety of needs at different kinds of events. Candidates should be welcoming, responsive, adaptive and strong troubleshooters. Events Staff are often responsible for after-hours security of the building.

The size of our Events Staff varies from event to event. Many events can be run by a single Event Staff person capable of both front and back of house tasks. Event Staff may have responsibility for managing / supervising an event volunteer. Other larger special events and fundraisers are staffed with multiple Event Staff with more specialized roles and responsibilities.

Events Staff serve are enthusiastic ambassadors for BKCM’s events and other programs and are expected to represent BKCM in a professional and responsible manner in line with BKCM’s brand and mission. We are seeking outgoing, proactive individuals who are comfortable engaging with the public. Previous customer service experience is a plus.

Seasonal attendance at a paid training session is required. Fingerprinting and background checks will be completed at hiring.

Events Staff report to the Events Manager with additional supervision from special events coordinators and other BKCM staff as is appropriate for each event. Events staff hours fluctuate based on BKCM’s busy events schedule and hours available. Individuals seeking rolling basis, shift based work with backgrounds or interests in music, education, and nonprofit arts are strongly encouraged to apply. Pay rate is $25 per hour.

Duties and responsibilities:

• • Run-of-show event coordination, including, but not limited to: setting up and running box office and merchandise purchasing; closing out events cashbox, volunteer coordination
  • Setting up and running live sound; facilities set up including Concert Hall seating and reception
  • Record keeping event data; tracking attendance and demographics
  • Accepting donations
  • Handing out Marketing materials, conversing about upcoming events.
  • Opening and/or locking and security of the building
  • Miscellaneous special events tasks, i.e., managing refreshment station, cake serving, ice cream scooping, etc.), opening and/or locking and securing the building

Skills:

• • Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Events staff are required to interact positively with donors, artists, concertgoers of all ages and abilities including special needs populations, and all members of the BKCM community acting as ambassadors for the organization.
  • Live sound experience required and lighting experience a bonus
  • Experience with ticketing platforms and point of sale platforms, i.e. Square, Zkipster, etc. a plus
  • Responsive, punctual, and timely
  • Lifting chairs and other equipment will be required for this position. Staff will need to be able to lift at least 50 pounds and stand for 3 hours

To apply, please submit resume and short letter of interest to Events & Community Partners Manager Miranda Knutson at miranda.knutson@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, and youth, social service and senior centers, as well 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.

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.