Graduate Music Assistant (Accompanist)

Music is at the heart of life at Lancing and the renowned Choir sings at services in Chapel as well at major cathedrals across the country and has broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 4, most recently on 27 December 2023. Music at Lancing is extremely well resourced, and the College Chapel is an inspiring setting in which to make music in services and concerts and is fortunate to possess magnificent organs by Frobenius and Walker. Large-scale symphonic and chamber music concerts are frequently given in Great School which houses a Steinway model D and extremely good acoustics for instrumental and choral music.

Job Title:                   Graduate Music Assistant

Reporting To:            Director of Music 

This position is a fixed-term 1 year role, ideal for a recent music graduate from a university or music college. 

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• Accompanying pupils for rehearsals, practice sessions, lessons, internal and public performances and concerts, and examinations (ABRSM, Trinity and GCSE and A Level performances)
• Assisting with choral and instrumental rehearsals, including taking sectional rehearsals and coaching a chamber group
• If the candidate is an organist, playing the organ at some services in Chapel as directed by the Director of Music. If the candidate is also a singer and/or instrumentalist, singing in the Choir and playing in the Symphony Orchestra and/or Sinfonia
• Classroom teaching: there will be the opportunity to teach some academic music lessons up to a maximum of three hours per week. Mentoring and guidance will be provided by the Head of Academic Music.
• Teaching aural for practical exams and theory up to a minimum of Grade V 
• Supporting academic music Evening School work (prep), including with pupils’ use of music technology (e.g. Sibelius, GarageBand)
• Practice supervision during 4-6pm activity periods
• Librarian: filing music sets, and cataloguing of printed and recorded music
• Assisting the Music Administrator and Head of Academic Music with administration of the department and students’ individual lessons
• Front of House co-ordination for Music School events and the preparation of programmes.
• Recording concerts and examination coursework (under supervision)
• Organising the storage of pupils’ instruments and the school’s stock of instruments
• Setting-up and storing equipment and music for rehearsals and concerts
• Classroom assistance (Senior School)
• Assisting with prep schools’ music experience days
• Pastoral involvement in a boarding House to which the Assistant is attached, being on duty for one evening a week. 
• To assist with the staffing of pupil recreational facilities at weekends and in the evenings.
• To assist with the staffing of trips and visits.
• To assist with Common Room Duties in the wider supervision of pupils in the evenings.
• To attend staff inset day at the end and beginning of the term as reasonably required.

Person Specification

Requirements:

The applicant must: 

• Ability to work under pressure, as part of a team and maintain a good sense of humour
• Good personal presentation skills
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in writing and orally with pupils, colleagues, parents and public
• Willing to take on new challenges

Desirable criteria:

• An enthusiastic and talented pianist with excellent keyboard skills
• The ability to play the organ would be an advantage
• A musician with good sight-reading skills and experience of accompanying and coaching instrumentalists, singers and ensembles 

Application Procedure:

Applications should be made using the application form. Candidates are asked to add a covering letter setting out, as succinctly as possible, their reasons for applying for the position at Lancing. 

Application forms are available from the College website www.lancingcollege.org.uk. 

Please send any emails to recruitment@lancing.org.uk 

A full curriculum vitae and the names, addresses and telephone numbers of a minimum of two referees, one of whom should be the candidate’s current or most recent employer should be included with the application. 

Closing date: Thursday 6th June

Interview: Friday 14th June