Teaching Artist, Music Discovery Program

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Chicago, IL, US

Salary Range: $70.00 To $70.00 Hourly

Position Title:

Teaching Artist (Music Discovery Program)

Reports To:

Director of Teaching and Learning

Range: $70 per instruction hour (part-time, non-exempt)

At Ravinia, we believe in the transformative power of shared, live-music moments and their ability to inspire individuals, strengthen communities, and foster a more connected world.

Beyond presenting outstanding performances by the world’s greatest musicians, our mission as a not-for-profit organization is to develop broader, more diverse audiences and performers in the music industry with our Reach Teach Play® community engagement and education programs, our Steans Institute’s collaborative and experiential artistic training programs, and more. Together, Ravinia’s initiatives serve tens of thousands of students, families, and emerging professional musicians.

Our 36-acre park is home to North America’s longest-running outdoor music festival and its most artistically diverse. Over 100 different events, featuring a mix of classical, rock, pop, jazz, R&B, indie, and country performers, make up a typical summer season across our open-air and indoor stages, including the annual residency of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

The Teaching Artist for Ravinia’s Music Discovery Program (MDP) will report directly to the Project Manager of Reach Teach Play education programs. This role is an essential player in bringing vibrant music residencies directly into Chicago Public Schools and is an energetic, deeply passionate musician and educator who thrives on collaboration with classroom teachers. The Teaching Artist will design, plan, and implement creative music residencies for students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade during regular school-day hours.

They will teach foundational music concepts through engaging musical activities and songs, culminating in an exciting presentation where students showcase their learning at the end of the residencies.

• Design and plan a customized residency plan that achieves Ravinia’s Music Discovery Program learning goals
• Create and deliver classroom lesson plans for each session visit, ensuring that each lesson plan implements music activities based on Ravinia’s professional learning workshops
• Prepare accurate rehearsal tracks/videos for teachers to use in their classroom.
• Collaborate with classroom teachers to jointly design, plan, and implement both the residency unit and individual musical lessons.
• Communicate regularly with Reach Teach Play Program staff and classroom teachers to plan and assess program effectiveness, communicate classroom schedules, rehearsals, and performance dates and times

• Co-produce a culminating final performance to display student learning and work, at the assigned school and at Ravinia.
• Continually assess the progress of classroom ensemble growth through informal assessment strategies.

Participate in professional learning workshops for teaching artists and classroom teachers (August 11-13, 2026; 6 additional meetings and professional learning sessions throughout the school year; dates TBD).

• Strong, confident singer with a clear understanding of young singers' vocal ranges and abilities
• Experience working with groups of children in diverse educational settings, particularly in grades Kindergarten through 3rd-grade students
• Experience developing and delivering lesson plans
• Comfortable communicating with classroom teachers, school administrators, and RTP staff
• Highly organized and punctual
• Must have reliable transportation to travel to school sites and Ravinia
• A creative, flexible, and adaptive mindset—eager to learn and incorporate new teaching strategies

• Strong background in music, music education, or related field
• Experience and desire to work with children and teachers from diverse cultural and economic…