Director of Music Ministry

First Unitarian Universalist Society of Middleboro Responsibilities:

• Worship service: Perform service music for weekly Sunday services and the special evening service on Christmas Eve on piano/organ including prelude, interludes, postlude, hymns, and offertory. Every other Sunday direct and accompany the choir. Plan monthly Family Services with the Minister and Director Religious Exploration (DRE).
• Choir: Schedule and direct weekly rehearsals of the choir from late August to June; provide practice materials for choir members; communicate with choir members via email and phone; recruit and train new members; support enjoyment and musical growth of individual members and the group; serve as accompanist. Invite everyone to participate in Family Choir several times throughout the year.
• Planning: Collaborate regularly with the Minister and DRE to select congregational hymns and special music compatible with the service theme, collaborate with the Music Committee to obtain publishers’ permissions for the use of copyrighted materials, and work in conjunction with the Music Committee in preparing the annual music program budget.
• Repertoire: Review, select, and purchase instrumental and choral music as needed; organize and maintain a choral library and a personal library of piano/organ literature.
• Special Music: Arrange for guest musicians from within and outside the congregation, as desired.
• Promotion and Communication: Advocate for and publicize the music program through the monthly newsletter, website, and social media; prepare an Annual Report for the Annual Meeting.
• Special Events: Consult with other church leaders to plan and coordinate music for special programs such as concerts, fundraisers, and social justice gatherings.
• Instrument Care: Supervise the care, tuning, maintenance, and repair of the piano and organ including weekly monitoring of the piano humidistat.
• Substitutes: Assist in arranging for a substitute musician when not able to be present.
• Professional Development: Attend concerts and church music workshops, classes, conferences, and conventions; develop and maintain keyboard and choir direction skills with regular practice.
• Weddings and Funerals: Have the right of first refusal to provide music for weddings, funerals, and memorial services as requested, for an additional fee paid by the families.

• Highly developed keyboard skills; familiarity with a wide range of keyboard literature; ability to play the organ is encouraged but not required.
• Ability to function as a collaborative pianist to build a musical community that provides music as ministry versus performance.
• Choral directing experience and knowledge of a diverse choral repertoire, including classical religious music and folk, jazz, gospel, world, and popular music.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, communication, and leadership skills; the ability to motivate and work well with the choir and coordinate closely with the Minister regarding the music program. Ability to respect the confidentiality of all participants.
• Ability to manage the administrative aspects of the music program, such as recruitment of choir members and guest musicians, arranging for piano and organ maintenance and repair, and managing the music budget.
• Willingness to learn about the history, principles, and values of Unitarian Universalism if the candidate does not identify as a UU.