Bilingual Director of Music (PT) • St. Joseph's, Kalamazoo MI
  • ServiamScores
    Posts: 2,843
    Greetings all—
    I the secretary of one of our neighboring churches reached out to me and asked me to spread the word:

    St. Joseph’s Catholic Church
    Kalamazoo, Michigan
    https://www.stjosephkalamazoo.org

    Job Title: Director of Music
    Terms: Part-Time
    Scheduled Work: Up to nineteen hours (19) a week, including evenings and weekends
    Benefits: None
    Experience: We are looking for individuals with a strong background in liturgical music, choral directing, and music planning for Catholic masses. Proficiency in piano, organ and cantor skills is a must. Experience working with coexisting Spanish and English communities highly desired.

    Education: Music degree or equivalent experience
    Base Pay: $25.00 per hour
    Language: English and Spanish preferred

    Skills: Ability to lead and direct volunteers. Commitment to attendance of masses, rehearsals and other special programs. Strong oral and written skills. Willingness to accept guidance and instructions from the Pastor and colleagues. Bi-lingual preferred.

    Reports to: Office Manager, Priest
    Receives Guidance From: Pastor, Deacon(s)
    Evaluation: The performance of the Director of Music shall be evaluated by the pastor and Office Manager based on the goals contained in the job description on a 90-day and then annual basis.

    Vision:
    Since its founding in 1910, St. Joseph Catholic Church has experienced transformation like many communities; today St. Joseph is predominantly Hispanic. We have both English and Spanish masses. Under the direction of Fr. Leo, the parish is looking to strengthen the bond between the English and Spanish communities. Music and liturgy are two ways he believes we can accomplish this. Fr. Leo is looking for a partner who can create a vision and develop a strategic plan to unite the two communities while understanding and highlighting each other's cultural uniqueness through Music.


    Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
    The Director of Music leads the parish community in various worship styles at regularly scheduled Masses and other events: LIFE Events, Confirmation, [Note: I'm not sure why this was included, since I handle all the confirmations at the Cathedral] healing masses, Christmas and Easter seasons. The Director would rehearse and conduct the 4:30 PM Saturday mass and the 8:30 and 10:30 Sunday Choirs and coordinate the 1:00 Spanish mass, as well as, the Tuesday 6:00 p.m. mass. Attendance and participation at Spanish Masses highly encouraged. They will continuously recruit musicians who will volunteer to serve on the various ensembles, select a variety of songs for the liturgical services, hold weekly music rehearsals, promote spiritual development, and oversee setup, tear down, and maintenance of equipment for practices and performances. In addition, they will work with the Pastor to prepare and plan music in advance that is complementary to the liturgical schedule. Last, annual budgeting and ordering of materials to support parish

    The key responsibilities of this position are as follows:

    Ensembles
    1. 8:30 &10:30 English Choirs – Rehearsals TBD
        a. The choirs are made up of volunteer church members.
        b. The choir sings at all Sunday Masses from September – May
        c. Choir rehearsals begin the Wednesday after Labor Day, and the final Sunday to sing is the Sunday prior to Memorial Weekend.

    2. 1:00 (Sunday) &6:00 Tuesday Spanish Choirs – Rehearsals TBD
        a. The choirs are made up of volunteer church members.
        b. The choir sings at all Sunday Masses
        c. Choir rehearsals begin the Wednesday after Labor Day, and the final Sunday to sing is the Sunday prior to Memorial Weekend.


    Choir and sing both 9:00 and 11:00 Masses.
    3. Youth Choir –
        a. Currently there is not a youth choir, but prior to COVID, we had a small youth choir of about 5-6 people.
        b. Rehearsals for the youth choir were from 5:30 – 6:30 on Wednesday nights.
        c. Youth choir typically sang a Meditation at Offertory on the 3rd Sunday of the month.

    Seasonal Liturgies
    1. Holy Days
        a. 8:00 a.m. – Cantor
        b. 6:00 p.m. – Cantor
    2. Advent and Lent Reconciliation Services
    3. Christmas Liturgies
        a. 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve – 9:00 and 11:00 Choirs Combined
        b. 6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve – 11:00 Choir
        c. 8:00 p.m. Christmas Eve – Saturday Night Praise Group
        d. 10:00 a.m. Christmas Day – Handbell Choir and Cantor
    4. Ash Wednesday Mass
        a. 8:00 a.m. – Cantor
        b. 12:00 p.m. – no music
        c. 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 and 11:00 Choirs Combined
    5. Holy Week
        a. Palm Sunday – Normal Sunday Masses with Triduum Rehearsals in the afternoon
        b. Wednesday – Normal Choir rehearsals
        c. Holy Thursday – 7:00 p.m. – Both 9:00 and 11:00 Choirs
        d. Good Friday – 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 Choir
        e. Easter Vigil – time depends on when Sunset begins – both 9:00 and 11:00 Choirs
        f. Easter Sunday – Normal Sunday Masses
    6. Summer
        a. Scheduling and supporting cantors

    Additional Expectations:
        1. Must remain in compliance with all VIRTUS: Protecting God’s Children requirements. ("safe environment")
        2. Must ensure all volunteers have completed VIRTUS training and have proper paperwork and background checks on file with the Safe Environment Coordinator.
        3. Compliance with additional duties as assigned.
        4. Establishes and maintains good relationships with volunteer musicians, parish community, musicians and participants.

    ****
    Edit: I am very aware that the job description, as passed along to me, does not describe “part time work”. (To wit: it describes a very full-time job!) I have communicated this to the powers that be, in the hope that they will either highly curtail expectations, or properly compensate the applicants to justify fulfilling the workload. I have simply passed the posting along, as was asked of me.
  • irishtenoririshtenor
    Posts: 1,318
    Bilingual, 19 hours per week, 2 English choirs, 2 Spanish choirs, 1 Saturday Mass, 3 Sunday Masses, 1 Tuesday Mass weekly.

    Not to mention the youth choir they clearly want to revive and the "Saturday Night Praise Group."

    Not to mention you report to the office manager.

    Sounds like an awful lot. I think this very well may be a job for more than one person, not 19 hours a week for one person.
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