Collaborative Pianist

Collaborative Pianist

(Part-time Adjunct Position for 2024-2025)

Overview of School:

Sonoma Academy is an independent high school located in Santa Rosa, CA on a 34-acre campus, surrounded by 1,000 acres of protected open space, at the base of Taylor Mountain. Founded in 2001, it provides an engaging, challenging, and innovative college preparatory education and a supportive community for motivated learners from Sonoma, Napa, Marin, Lake, and Mendocino counties. The school currently serves 330 students in grades 9 through 12 and is increasing its enrollment each year. Of our 330 students, over 30% self-identify as students of color, and our students come from 80 middle schools, ensuring a broad mixture of students from all over the greater North Bay Area.

Our Mission: Sonoma Academy calls its students to be creative, ethical, and committed to learning. The school nurtures inspiring teachers and engages with the surrounding community, and its students communicate across cultures as they prepare to become leaders in a dynamic world.

Sonoma Academy’s Commitment to Diversity: We believe that learning occurs best in a connected community. Diversity, equity, and inclusivity are essential to an education in which all members of our community thrive. We are committed to cultivating a diverse community that is conscious and welcoming of difference, dedicated to investigating and advancing equity, and engages with our local and global community. If you would like to join us in our work, we would welcome your application. As we are deeply committed to having a staffulty (staff and faculty) and student body which reflects the rich diversity within the North Bay, we strongly encourage candidates from BIPOC and/or educators from communities that are historically underrepresented to apply.

For more information on programs and philosophy, please visit our website: www.sonomaacademy.org.

Key Responsibilities:

The Collaborative Pianist position has responsibility for supporting the school’s music program. The music program provides students with an opportunity to develop their skills through courses and ensembles. This position will be part-time and will work approximately 6 to 8 hours per week with slightly more hours during performances and/or trips and will be expected to chaperone those trips.

• Accompany soloists, vocalists, instrumentalists, choirs, and ensembles during rehearsals, performances, auditions, and recordings.
• Sight-read music fluently and accurately, adapting quickly to tempo changes, dynamic variations, and stylistic nuances.
• Collaborate closely with other musicians, directors, conductors, and producers to interpret musical scores and achieve artistic cohesion.
• Provide musical guidance and support to performers, including offering feedback on interpretation, phrasing, dynamics, and rhythm.
• Rehearse diligently to maintain proficiency and prepare repertoire for performances, often under tight deadlines.
• Attend rehearsals, meetings, and performances punctually and consistently, demonstrating professionalism and reliability.
• Assist in selecting repertoire and programming for performances, considering the preferences and abilities of collaborating artists.
• Maintain a high standard of musical excellence and professionalism in all aspects of performance and communication.

Required Skills and Experiences:

• BA/BS in relevant academic field
• Minimum three years of experience.
• Passionate about working with high school students
• Works collaboratively as a member of a connected community
• Committed to working in a community of diverse students and learners; actively supports adolescent growth and well-being
• Practices cultural competency in all aspects of school life
• Flexibility, resilience, good humor

Desired Skills and Experiences:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in music performance, piano, collaborative piano, or a related field.
• Proficiency in sight-reading and playing piano accompaniments across a wide range of musical styles, including classical, jazz, pop, and musical theater.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse personalities and musical backgrounds.
• Experience performing as a collaborative pianist in various settings, such as recitals, concerts, rehearsals, and recordings.
• Excellent musicality, including a keen ear for intonation, rhythm, harmony, and musical expression.
• Familiarity with music notation software and technology for score preparation, rehearsal tracks, and digital collaboration.

Compensation and Benefits:

• The base salary range for this position for the 2024-2025 academic year is $35.00 to $45.00 per hour. Within this range, we pay each employee in accordance with what could be reasonably expected based on an individual's experience level. This pay range is a reasonable estimate of what the School anticipates paying for a role but is not guaranteed. If hired, your final base salary will be determined by factors such as skills, education, experience, job level, part-time status and number of months of work per academic year.
• A list of benefits available to adjunct employees is available through the Employee handbook. Eligibility for benefits is dependent on an employee’s level of employment, i.e. part-time or full-time status.

Work Environment:

• This position operates in a professional office environment at a private, independent high school.
• Collaborative pianist is a part-time position. They may work irregular hours, including evenings, and weekends to accommodate rehearsals, and performances.
• The work environment varies and may include concert halls, recording studios, rehearsal spaces, educational institutions, churches, and community centers.
• Collaborative pianists may travel locally, nationally, or internationally for performances, festivals, competitions, and educational events.

Sonoma Academy is an equal opportunity employer. Sonoma Academy does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.