Join to apply for the Music Director, Jazz Attack role at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music
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: Saturdays, 2–3:30pm
Salary: SCP 56 / £35.71 per hour (inc. holiday pay)
About The Glasshouse International Centre For Music
We’re a place where you can hear rock legends or pop icons on the same night as folk trios or opera singers. Where new musicians are nurtured and showcased on the same stages as platinum‑selling performers. And where youth choirs and tambourine‑shaking toddlers practice in the same spaces as our acclaimed orchestra Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Whether you’re front of house, waiting in the wings or keeping things running behind the scenes you will be part of a team that means 2 million people enjoy top‑notch gigs, concerts and classes in our own venue at Gateshead Quays, out in communities across the North‑east and through live‑streamed performances and digital lessons.
Jazz Attack
Make Music: Young People are recruiting internally for a Music Director to lead Jazz Attack. Jazz Attack is for young people aged 10 to 16 who want to learn about improvisation, creativity, collaborative composition and the jazz tradition. Young people learn new ideas and approaches to improvisation, develop their ability to play by ear and gain invaluable ensemble skills, and have good fun performing music from the jazz repertoire and beyond.
We are looking for a Music Director to lead weekly sessions, 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.
About You
Are you self‑motivated, happy working in a team environment 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 well‑versed in the jazz idiom (any instrument but with ability to play single‑line melodies and a comprehensive knowledge of jazz harmony and standard progressions).
* Comfortable teaching standard jazz repertoire by ear as well as creating suitable hand‑outs and resources to support theoretical knowledge and transcriptions of new compositions.
* Comfortable and experienced in teaching improvisation and creative music‑making skills through a variety of approaches within a group setting of varied abilities and diverse knowledge base.
* Comfortable in facilitating the creation of new music through collaborative processes within a group setting of varied abilities and diverse knowledge base.
Skills And Knowledge
* Safeguarding in education contexts
* Inclusive music practices and pedagogy
* Excellent written communication skills, including creation of music teaching materials
* Commitment to teamwork and collaboration
Main Duties And Responsibilities
* Lead a weekly jazz group, helping young people to develop their listening skills and knowledge of jazz traditions.
* Work with the Make Music Young People team to make sure that we have all the right safeguarding and pastoral care in place for children and young people and work closely with peers to keep up high standards in this area.
* Bring us your thoughts about evaluation and monitoring of the activities.
* Bring and/or create relevant and useful materials to support your teaching and planning.
* Work closely with peers to connect Jazz Attack with our more advanced, auditioned youth jazz ensemble, Jambone, and other areas of The Glasshouse International Centre of Music’s artistic programme.
* Help us make sure that what we’re doing is the highest quality and if not, suggest what we can do to improve.
* Take personal responsibility for knowing, understanding and following Health and Safety, Child protection, Equality and Diversity and other policies within the Trust.
* Carry out other duties which might be needed for the role and for the organisation.
Strategy and Plans
* Keep up to date with The Glasshouse policies and plans.
* Maintain an understanding of the needs of young people alongside the barriers they might experience.
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 singing.
* Support the development and maintenance of excellent and inclusive music practice, social and musical pedagogies within Make Music: Young People.
* Work with colleagues to remove barriers to engagement and make sure music learning activities meet a range of different 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 Comms
* Work with the Senior Programme Leader to support effective recruitment of young people.
Health and Safety and safeguarding
* Accept individual responsibility for reading, understanding and working in line with Health & Safety, Safeguarding, Equality and Diversity, Dignity at Work and other policies with the Trust.
General
* Advocate for North Music Trust and specifically the Make Music: Young People programme.
* Undertake other duties appropriate to the post and in line with the needs of the organisation.
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 your development
At The Glasshouse, we’re always learning. And we know that when it comes to training, everyone is different. So, you’ll work closely with your manager to identify what your training journey will look like. If you have a specific interest or you would like to develop your skills in a certain area, we want to hear about it. This may be through gaining a qualification, on‑the‑job training or learning within your team, but whatever path you take, through training and support, we’ll help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to thrive in your role.
Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion
At The Glasshouse, we encourage a working environment that’s welcoming, inclusive, and diverse. Different backgrounds, views and experiences are valued so everyone can be themselves.
Our venue and programmes are for everyone, so we want to make sure this opportunity is available to everyone, no matter your background or the challenges you’ve faced.
For example, we would love to hear from you if you:
* Are D/deaf. Have a disability, learning difficulty or significant long‑term health condition which affects your daily life
* Describe yourself as neurodiverse (this might include dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD, autistic spectrum, and others)
* Grew up in a family receiving Universal Credit or state benefits
* Have ever lived in council or social housing or been on the housing register
* Have ever lived in sheltered accommodation or experienced homelessness
* Experienced being in care at any point in your life
* Have been a refugee or asylum seeker
* Are from the African, South, East and South–East Asian, Middle East, Latinx or North African diaspora, or have experienced racism
* These are some common examples of challenging circumstances but there may be others. Everyone is welcome to apply.
* We do not discriminate because of race, colour, religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation or expression, age, disability or any other protected characteristic as outlined in the Equality Act 2010.
Safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk and expect all of those that work with us to share this commitment. We operate a robust safeguarding framework and continuous assessment and development to support safer working practice across our workforce. Our roles are subject to a safer recruitment process which includes relevant background checks and the disclosure of criminal records, sanctions, and investigations where appropriate.
Closing date for applications: 12pm, 13th November 2025
Interview date: 29th November 2025
Interview Task: The interview will involve leading 15 minutes of a rehearsal with the ensemble.
Seniority level
Entry level
Employment type
Full‑time
Job function
Design, Art/Creative, and Information Technology
#J-18808-Ljbffr