Overview
Music Director for a music collective for young people aged 10-16. Deadline for applications: 12pm, 13th November 2025. Reports to: Principal Study Leader, Make Music: Young People. Location: The Glasshouse International Centre for Music. Working hours: Weekly sessions in term time: Saturdays, 2–3:30pm. Salary: SCP 56 / £35.71 per hour (inc. holiday pay) or potentially on a freelance basis (if preferred), providing you meet IR35 requirements.
About The Glasshouse
We’re a place where you can hear rock legends or pop icons on the same night as folk trios or opera singers. Youth choirs and tambourine-shaking toddlers practice in the same spaces as our acclaimed orchestra Royal Northern Sinfonia. You will be part of a team that helps 2 million people enjoy top‑notch gigs, concerts and classes in our own venue at Gateshead Quays, and in communities across the North-east through live-streamed performances and digital lessons.
About the Role
Make Music are recruiting for a Music Director to lead a creative group music making session for young people aged 10 to 16 who want to learn about improvisation, creativity, and collaborative composition in the popular, contemporary and jazz traditions. Young people learn new ideas and approaches to improvisation, develop their ability to play by ear and gain ensemble skills, and have fun creating and playing music with others.
We are looking for a Music Director to lead weekly sessions, prepare the group for performances, help players grow in confidence and develop their skills, and have an inclusive and supportive approach. Sessions will take place on Saturdays 2–3:30pm at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, across 30 weeks during term time.
Make Music
Make Music is the name for all of The Glasshouse’s music-making classes, groups, ensembles, and activities for schools and music educators. People of all ages, experience levels and backgrounds sing, play, and create with us. Whether starting from scratch or polishing some skills there’s a class, choir, band, or studio to suit everyone.
Make Music Young People supports any young person aged 4 to 19 to find their voice, learn a musical instrument, write, and produce their own songs, meet others to play and sing with, build their confidence, and take part in exciting performances. The Glasshouse runs a leading musical training that supports young musicians aged 4 - 19 to develop the skills and confidence to reach their musical potential. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, and financial support is available through grants and bursaries.
The Glasshouse understands that people learn in different ways and have different musical interests. We have created an Inclusive Music Making Guide and everything we do is based on that philosophy. We connect young people with visiting artists and work with Music Hubs and other partners to support young people to grow in the North East.
About You
Are you self-motivated, enjoy working in a team, and flexible enough to adapt to a changing environment? If this sounds like you, read on to find out how you can hit the ground running.
Experience
* Proficiency on your instrument and being well-versed in popular, contemporary and jazz styles
* Comfort teaching repertoire by ear as well as creating handouts and resources to support theoretical knowledge and transcriptions of new compositions
* Teaching improvisation and creative music-making skills through a variety of approaches within a group setting of varied abilities and diverse knowledge base
* Facilitating the creation of new music through collaborative processes within a group setting of varied abilities and diverse knowledge base
* Working with young people aged 10-16
* Ability to share passion for music and inspire students
* Adaptable with students of different ages, levels of knowledge, and learning styles
* Using initiative and being resourceful and efficient
* An inclusive approach to working with young people
* Performing at a professional level is desirable
Skills and Knowledge
* Excellent communication skills, both with young people and with colleagues
* Inclusive music practice
* Safeguarding in education contexts
Main Duties and Responsibilities
* Lead a weekly practical music group, helping young people to develop their improvising, composing and listening skills and knowledge of popular, contemporary and jazz traditions
* Work with the Make Music Young People team to ensure safeguarding and pastoral care for children and young people, and collaborate with peers to maintain high safeguarding standards
* Bring and/or create relevant and useful materials to support teaching and planning
* Work closely with peers to connect the collective with our advanced, auditioned youth band, Jambone, and other areas of The Glasshouse International Centre of Music’s artistic programme
Evaluation and Reporting
* Contribute to the evaluation and monitoring of programme performance where required
* Support and contribute to consultation with young people, as required
Programme (Artistic)
* Keep up to date with current developments in relation to your own performance practice, specialist education and learning practice
* Develop and lead high-quality inclusive music learning activities, performances, events, rehearsals, recordings and resources, as agreed
* Lead exemplary practice in inclusive group music-making
* Work with colleagues to remove barriers to engagement and ensure music learning activities meet a range of needs, interests, and contexts
* Attend and/or lead performances, events and programme activities, as required
Programme (Operational)
* Attend team and organisational meetings as agreed
* Understand and work in line with operational handbooks and guidelines
Marketing and Communications
* Work with the Senior Programme Leader to support effective recruitment of young people
Health, Safety and Safeguarding
* Work with Designated Safeguarding Officers and Director of Safeguarding to implement safeguarding policies and procedures throughout the programme to maintain high standards of safeguarding and pastoral care of children and adults at risk
* Accept personal responsibility for understanding and following Health and Safety, Child protection, Equality and Diversity and other policies within The Glasshouse
But don’t worry if you’re not a perfect match for the job description and criteria; we’d love you to apply anyway. We are more interested in your determination, positivity, and willingness to get stuck in.
Our Commitment to Development
At The Glasshouse, we’re always learning. Training may be through gaining a qualification, on-the-job training or learning within your team. We’ll help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to thrive in your role, working with your manager to identify your training journey.
Diversity, Equality and Inclusion
We encourage a welcoming, inclusive and diverse working environment. Everyone is welcome to apply regardless of background or challenges faced. We do not discriminate as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.
Safeguarding
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. Roles are subject to a safer recruitment process including background checks and the disclosure of criminal records, sanctions, and investigations where appropriate.
The Application Process
Closing date for applications: 13th November 2025
Interview date: 29th November 2025
Interview Task: The interview will involve leading 15 minutes of a rehearsal with the ensemble.
For questions about the role or application process, contact Isabella, People Coordinator at recruitment@theglasshouseicm.org
#J-18808-Ljbffr