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Job Announcement

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CONCERT BAND


About the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band

Named the “Official Band of San Francisco” in honor of its 25^th anniversary, the San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band (SFLGFB) is the first openly gay musical organization in the world, inspiring the formation of gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender/intersex/questioning/queer bands, choruses and performing groups around the globe. Founded in 1978 by Jon Sims at the height of Anita Bryant’s anti-gay crusade, the Band has made music to build understanding between gay and non-gay communities for more than three decades. SFLGFB is a 501c3 non-profit organization based in San Francisco, California.

The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band has three components to its music program:

• Concert Band, which rehearses Tuesday nights 7:30-10pm year round. The band performs five major concerts each year consisting of 3 Community Concerts in Sept, March and June, Dance-Along Nutcracker (3 or 4 shows in one weekend) in December, and the Annual Pride Concert in June.
  
• Marching Band, which rehearses at least one weekend a month. The band marches in three to four large parades and several smaller parades each year.
  
• Pep/Spirit Band, which rehearses several times a year on Tuesday night. The band plays 15-25 times per year at various community/civic functions such as the AIDS Walk, Senior’s Lunch at YMCA on January 1, Pink Saturday in the Castro, Hayward Gay Prom, etc.

These three programs run all year long concurrently. Many of the musicians play in all 3 groups. The Artistic Director, Concert Band shall coordinate and collaborate with the leadership of the other 2 groups on musical development, calendaring events and fulfillment of the Band’s mission.
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, CONCERT BAND

The Artistic Director, Concert Band (Artistic Director) reports directly to the Board of Directors and is responsible for the fulfillment of the concert band’s artistic potential. The Artistic Director is responsible for the repertoire, programming, and coordinating with volunteers for artistic production, and has ultimate authority for the selection, development, and (if necessary) replacement of musicians. As an artistic leader of the band, they must build and sustain the band’s visibility and involvement in lgbt and allied communities. The Artistic Director is expected to work closely with the board president in carrying out these responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute concert programs for the public.
  
  • Select works to be performed and determine the number of rehearsals and kind of rehearsals (sectional, etc.) required.
    
  • Conduct rehearsals and concerts as agreed upon.
• Develop the overall musical skills and quality of the band, including practicing and performance readiness techniques.
  
• Work with the board and band artistic committee to plan the year for Community Concerts and Dance-Along Nutcracker.
  
• Assist in the general promotion of the band by being available for public appearances for ticket campaigns, fund drives, etc., when appropriate.
  
• Report to the board with regular monthly updates. Attend board meetings as requested.
  
• Communicate with the band leadership including the president/vice-president, Marching/Pep leadership, events coordinator, librarians, production manager and section leaders in a timely and effective manner.
  
• Strengthen the voluntary culture of the band institution by working with board members, direct-service volunteers, and other volunteer committees on special projects designed to help the band.
  
• Attend official functions, receptions, etc. for the band.
  
• Promote a positive overall public image of the band in the community and beyond.
  
• Collaborate with other LGBT musical groups in joint performances and calendar scheduling of concerts.
  
• Encourage, support and supervise the work of any assistant conductors/volunteer leaders.

Qualifications/Skills

• Significant musical talent and proven ability to provide performance experience of the highest caliber.
  
• Thorough knowledge of concert band repertoire scores and styles.
  
• Instinct for developing imaginative programming ideas that have significance to the band, the occasion, and the community; this may require a willingness to explore a variety of directions in music making and experience in diverse repertoire.
  
• High level of facility of at least one band instrument and experience as a band performer.
  
• Effective musical and personal leadership in order to select band players, assign seating, and select solo players.
  
• Ability to arrange band parts.
  
• Ability to motivate and elicit the best efforts of the band musicians.
  
• Ability to work with a concert band membership that includes musicians of varying backgrounds and skills.
  
• Effective communication skills, orally and written.
  
• Effective time management during rehearsals.
  
• Solid judgment and political acumen to respond appropriately in a variety of situations.
  
• Understanding of and commitment to positively support sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression issues.

SALARY
The position is part-time with flexible hours (10 hours per week, on average). The wage is negotiated. The position receives only mandatory fringe benefits (social security, UI, and workers compensation).

SFLGFB MISSION STATEMENT

The San Francisco Lesbian/Gay Freedom Band provides for the education and musical development of its members, promotes visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities, and with its allies, fosters understanding among diverse communities through public performance.

APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE

Please answer the following questions on a separate document from the cover letter and resume.

Artistic Goals and Concert Programming

• What kind of artistic goals would you imagine for concert band?
  
• Please provide a program for concert band you have created in the past or would like to perform. Describe the criteria and ideas that led you to create the program in the way you did.

Advancing the SFLGFB Mission

• In general how do you feel about being a visible spokesperson for the band and the larger LGBT community? Describe any experience you have speaking in public, and specifically about lgbt community concerns.
  
• Describe some ideas for reaching out to the community and furthering the mission of the band.

Organizational Experience

• What experience do you have working with a Board of Directors or other volunteer leaders? What have been the benefits of this, and what challenges have you encountered? How have you used these benefits or addressed these challenges?

Additional Qualifications

• Do you have any other skills and abilities you feel are relevant to the position?