ETM Teaching Artists
There are no teaching artist openings at this time -- Please check back.
In the mean time, please visit the pages about being a Teaching Artist Intern or an Accompanist.
- General Teaching Artist description
- Teaching Artist FAQ
- Teaching Artist Internships are described in the Volunteers section
Music Teaching Artists (no current openings)
Education Through Music (ETM) is a New York City non-profit organization that provides inner-city schools with quality music programs.
ETM forms long-term partnerships with both public and private schools, helping them to provide comprehensive, sequential music and arts instruction to all students. We help schools integrate arts and academic curricula to enhance learning in both areas.
Teaching artist applicants should have a BA/BM or advanced degree in music or the fine arts. While previous teaching experience is not a requirement, it is a plus. Most positions meet two to four days per week from September-June. Required training is held each August and September.
Job responsibilities include acting as school music faculty, providing sequential music instruction to the students, and collaborating with academic teachers to integrate arts throughout the school's curriculum and culture. Successful candidates will receive paid training in pedagogy, lesson planning and classroom management. Teaching artists will also work with ETM's administrative staff to assess the program and are required to attend mandatory paid training sessions throughout the year.
Interested individuals should fax or email a cover letter and résumé to Stephen Herx, Director of Programs at (212) 972-4864 or sherx@ETMonline.org.
Teaching Artist FAQ
- What exactly is ETM?
- What are the qualifications to be a teaching artist with ETM?
- Would I be an employee of ETM?
- How much do I get paid?
- How do I get paid?
- Does ETM provide any benefits for ETM teaching artists?
- Will I receive any training?
- What materials does ETM provide for students and ETM teaching artists?
- Who do I report to?
- Is there summer work available?
- Can I collect unemployment during the summer?
- How is my schedule made?
- Is my schedule flexible so I can audition and tour?
- About how much preparation is necessary to teach each week?
- How am I evaluated?
- How much should my kids know at the end of the semester?
- What can I do with an "unteachable" class?
- Could this be a career?
- How do I apply to be an ETM teaching artist?
A: Education Through Music ("ETM") is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that promotes the sustainable integration of music into the curricula of elementary and middle schools in order to enhance students' academic performance and general development.
Founded in 1991, ETM's first partner school won a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence Award from the U.S. Department of Education; in 2000, one of our public partner schools was named a New York State School of Excellence. Since 1995, ETM has maintained multiple partnerships each year with both public and private schools, to help them use the arts to support learning.
ETM's goal is not to make professional musicians, but to introduce children to music using a skills-based, sequential curriculum. ETM uses music as a tool to increase cognitive thinking, enhance self-esteem and foster socialization.
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Q: What are the qualifications to be a teaching artist with ETM?
A: ETM requires all of its teaching artists to have degrees in performance, music education, or music therapy. Most of ETM's teaching artists are conservatory trained musicians.
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Q: Would I be an employee of ETM?
A: All ETM teaching artists are employees of ETM. Taxes, social security, etc. are withheld as directed by law.
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Q: How much do I get paid?
A: New ETM teaching artists are hired at the rate of $30 per hour for classes, preps and other approved activities, except training, which is paid $20 per hour (except for New Hire Training - see Will I receive any training?). Evaluations and merit raises are considered once a year, typically during the summer months.
The current range of pay for ETM teaching artists is $30 - $40/hr.
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Q: How do I get paid?
A: ETM is on a bi-monthly payroll. ETM teaching artists are paid for classes and all other activities taught during the previous two weeks. Pay day is the 15th and last day of the month for the previous period.
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Q: Does ETM provide any benefits for ETM teaching artists?
A: Currently there are no benefits available for ETM teaching artists beyond Worker's Compensation and Unemployment Insurance.
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Q: Will I receive any training?
A: New ETM teaching artists are required to attend a five day training course before teaching in the classroom, for which they receive a stipend. Employment is contingent on successful completion of new hire training. New Hire Training is usually scheduled for late August in Manhattan.
Additionally, all ETM teaching artists attend a three-day training seminar in early September and additional shorter seminars throughout the year.
All seminars and meetings are paid at a training rate of $20/hr. (Except for New Hire Training, which is a different rate.)
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Q: What materials does ETM provide for students and ETM teaching artists?
A: In addition to the training that takes place for all ETM teaching artists, resources like markers, lesson plans, a lesson planner, a curriculum, etc. are provided. At many of our schools we have been successful in getting keyboards and string instruments donated.
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Q: Who do I report to?
A: Teaching artists report to the Director of Programs.
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Q: Is there summer work available?
A: At present, ETM has no programs that run during the summer.
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Q: Can I collect unemployment during the summer?
A: As a non-profit educational organization chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, ETM teaching artists fall under the same provisions as regular teachers. If it is anticipated that a teacher will be returning to a position in September, then unemployment benefits are not available during the summer. If, however, a teaching artist will not be returning to teach in September due to termination then unemployment eligibility is determined by the state.
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Q: How is my schedule made?
A: ETM teaching artists arrange their schedules with each individual school. The ETM teaching artist lets the school know what days he or she is available and then the principal or AP creates a schedule. The teaching artist usually has no control over what time they start teaching or when their lunch or prep period is.
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Q: Is my schedule flexible so I can audition and tour?
A: ETM school teaching schedules have some flexibility. For instance it is usually possible to reschedule a day of teaching if an audition or recording session conflicts. But all classes would be made up and the students would not miss any instruction. This sort of rescheduling could happen two or three times in the year with little disruption to the school and the students. Canceling lessons due to touring or other obligations is only possible for short periods of time: about one week. Missing two or more school weeks in the year would result in poor consistency for the students and would be problematic.
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Q: About how much preparation is necessary to teach each week?
A: While this varies depending on background and training, it is not atypical, especially for beginning teachers, to spend an hour or more preparing each lesson plan. Thorough planning is critical to success in the classroom. Homework, worksheet, quizzes, projects and other assignments also take time to assess and record.
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Q: How am I evaluated?
A: Each ETM teaching artist receives informal observations from the Director of Programs or Field Supervisor on at least a monthly basis. Formal observations are conducted twice a year. Observations focus on lesson planning, pacing, classroom management, student interaction, integration, etc.
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Q: How much should my kids know at the end of the semester?
A: This depends on how much previous music instruction the students have received. Along with a curriculum, ETM has created benchmarks of skills to be attained for each grade.
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Q: What can I do with an "unteachable" class?
A: The first person to speak to about an unruly, or unteachable, class is the classroom teacher. Ask for his/her advice and suggestions. If the problem still seems unmanageable speak to the Director of Programs who will help you resolve difficult classroom situations. There's nothing wrong with asking for help -- we don't expect you to solve every problem. Please address the situation as soon as possible. We can't help if we don't know something's wrong. In our experience there have only been a handful of unteachable classrooms. But, if we are unable to turn the class around, another class may be substituted.
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Q: Could this be a career?
A: At present, ETM has several teaching artists who have worked for the organization for more than three years. Most teachers are actively pursuing their professional music careers and often find other employment after a couple of years. Others supplement their income through private teaching.
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Q: How do I apply to be an ETM teaching artist?
A: If you are interested in becoming an ETM Teaching Artist, please contact Stephen Herx, Director of Programs, at 212-972-4788 or sherx@ETMonline.org.
Quotes
- "Thank you for opening [my daughter] up to a new world of music."-Partner school parent
