Diocese of Oakland CA (El Cerrito) Saint Jerome - Director of Music
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    Director of Music/Pianist
    St. Jerome Church in El Cerrito is seeking a Director of Music Ministry. The position is part-
    time, 16 hours weekly, without benefits. The Director is responsible for four liturgies each
    weekend, holy days, wedding, and funerals. Responsibilities also include children and adult
    choirs and training and scheduling Cantors. Applicants must be proficient in playing piano
    and must have training/experience in liturgical music.
    Salary Range Level: M-3
    Contact: Fr. Dante Tamayo, 308 Carmel Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530
    saintjeromechurch@comcast.net

    ---
    http://www.oakdiocese.org
    left column click "Job Opportunities"
    center column click "Parishes"
  • Dove
    Posts: 16
    Sounds like a full-time job to me. How could this be done in 16 hrs per week?
  • I had the same thought, it's at least 25-30 hours. Sounds like another case of unreasonable expectations.
  • Sorry, can't help but highlight the "proficient in piano" but no mention of organ. This element should be noticed by applicants.
  • matthewjmatthewj
    Posts: 2,700
    If you took the time to look up what M-3 is, it's 38,000-58,000 per year... which is a full time salary. I'm assuming the 16 hours is to avoid paying benefits. If you have a spouse who can put you under their benefits, this might be an ideal job... If the pastor ever complained about you not being at the office much, just point out to him that you're already over your hours for the week...
  • That salary is good for "16 hours", but I wouldn't call it full time in the Bay area.
    I think you are right about avoiding benefits.
    The piano mention is notable... Maybe they don't have an organ?
  • eft94530eft94530
    Posts: 1,577
    Maybe they don't have an organ?

    M P Moller Organ -- Opus 9336 -- 1959
    Console in loft: Swell (61 keys) -- Great (61 keys) -- Pedal (32 keys)
    Pipes in loft: Three ranks -- 247 pipes -- in free-standing box under expression

    Bourdon = 12 + 61 + 12 + 8 = 93 pipes
    Viola = 61 + 12 + 8 = 81 pipes
    Diapason = 61 + 12 =73 pipes
  • OK, why don't they mention this in the advertisement? Seems it would attract some pretty good musicians.
  • MarkThompson
    Posts: 768
    [Posted in wrong thread]
  • If they mention only piano, this is what matters, which means that they are very, very far from the prescribed norm of Catholic liturgy.
  • mjballoumjballou
    Posts: 994
    Well, since I'm not in El Cerrito, I can't know what they do in that church. However, I do know from experience that lots of people write lousy position opening announcements.
  • Having worked for Moller, I can tell you that the organ is almost definitely one of the Artiste series. A stock model, often with the keyboards designed to slide in teh side of the case and pedal board hinged to be pulled up into the case so that it would go through doors...some of the small 3 rank ones even came with wheels on them. I assisted in packing on up in Athens, TN to go to an apartment at a NYC church as a practice organ to eventually to be moved to Georgia to the organist's retirement home.

    They would not be too loud for an apartment. They had small scale pipework and were designed for practice studios, funeral homes...and for a church that wanted a pipe organ but had little money.

    The Wicks company had one as well that had a 16' stop even though the longest pipe in the organ was a stopped 4' pipe, which emits a 16' pitch. Wbhen we moved this one to another church, we discovered a small cigar box sized wooden box hooked right behind the little swell shades (this had a smaller footprint than the Moller) that was creating all the 16' octave pitches. It had 12 reeds in it....like a harmonium. Very effective!

    But both were extremely limited...though they had three pipe sounds while the Hammond, the main competitor for this end of the market just emulated flutes.
  • JahazaJahaza
    Posts: 470
    "If you took the time to look up what M-3 is, it's 38,000-58,000 per year... which is a full time salary. I'm assuming the 16 hours is to avoid paying benefits."

    Unless that is just the salary scale (as is sometimes done with government jobs) and it's 16 hours a week at m-3 scale, which, assuming a 40 hour work week would be 15,200-23,200.
  • The Moller 3 Rank Artiste would be an excellent organ for chant accompaniment and playing, but would not support "active participation by the congregation".