Work with MYS

Current Employment Openings

Beginning Strings Teachers (violin, viola, and cello)
(No current openings, but we are always looking for great teachers – contact us for more information)

About MYS: MYS is in an exciting growth phase with a forward-thinking music director, a strong artistic team of 13 conductors, a respected community presence, and meaningful artistic partnerships. We have worked with BodyVox’s Junior Artist Generator, members of Grammy nominated chamber orchestra A Far Cry, Fear No Music’s Young Composers Project, Pacific Youth Choir, PHAME, jazz violinist Regina Carter, I Am M.O.R.E. and Oregon Symphony Composer in Residence, Gabriel Kahane.

Access is foundational to everything we do. MYS musicians perform at 15 concerts at underserved schools each year and offer free beginning strings classes to low-income students at Multnomah County’s Bienestar de la Familia, Faubion School and Hillsboro’s Lincoln Street Elementary School.  We also manage a robust financial aid program, a coaching program, and an instrument lending library.

In our 49th season, the Metropolitan Youth Symphony typically serves 500 young musicians in the Portland metropolitan area and southwest Washington. We believe that instrumental music promotes life lessons such as discipline, commitment, and teamwork. As a weekend-based program, we provide students with excellent music education while encouraging involvement in activities outside of MYS. We make music education and performance opportunities available to musicians at all levels of experience and ability, offering 14 ensembles that include orchestra, strings, band, Jazz, and percussion in Portland and a growing strings program in Hillsboro. This coming season MYS will present five concerts in Portland’5 venues and four community concerts throughout the Portland/Vancouver area. For more information, please visit the MYS website at www.playmys.org.

Statement of Culture: MYS is a welcoming community of students, families, conductors, coaches, teachers, supporters and volunteers. On stage and off, MYS students support each other and inspire one another. We empower our students to achieve excellence in a balanced and meaningful way, by supporting their musical development and celebrating their varied interests and passions.

MYS is a safe space for all students. MYS does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, or the presence of any mental or physical disability in its employment, programs and/or activities.


Beginning Strings Teacher Job Description

About MYS Beginning Strings: In keeping with MYS’ mission of making music education available to musicians at all levels, the Beginning Strings Program grants students, who might not otherwise have an opportunity to learn an instrument, the resources to get started. This two-year program provides students of low-income backgrounds with an instrument and instruction with the goal of preparing them to enter our entry-level string ensemble in their third year of playing.

Classes and lessons take place weekly at three metro area locations: Bienestar de la Familia in NE Portland’s Cully neighborhood, Faubion School in NE Portland, and Lincoln Street Elementary School in Hillsboro. Each student will receive one 20-minute one-on-one lesson each week (which may be either in-person or via an online tool) and one 90-minute group class after school. Classes will have a maximum enrollment of 10 students, and all students in the group will be learning the same instrument (violin, viola or cello).  Instructors will work with a set of expected technical and musical benchmarks intended to prepare students to join MYS’s Overture Strings at the end of their second year of instruction. Instructors will continually assess progress of individual students and consult with MYS artistic leadership regarding students who are making slower or faster progress than expected. Instructors may be asked to participate in assessment tests for prospective new students.  

The teachers of Beginning Strings are dedicated musicians who enjoy working with beginning level string students (violin, viola or cello).

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education or Performance
• At least one year of experience working with students with no previous instrumental experience

Interested candidates should send a resume and introductory email to jobs@playmys.org.