Music Tutor

• Start Date: September 2024
• Employment Type: Full Time – Permanent

Scope of the Job

Responsible to:
Programme Leader – Musical Theatre

Responsible for:
Freelance & Guest Tutors as required

Works Closely with:
Programme Leader – Musical Theatre, Lead Tutors – Music Directors and wider Academy Staff

Job Purpose

Alongside the Programme Leader – Musical Theatre and other colleagues, the Music Tutor will develop and deliver training and assessment in music and musically direct projects and productions to a world-leading standard. The Music Tutor reports directly to the Programme Leader – Musical Theatre, and ultimately the Executive Director.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Programme Leader – Musical Theatre at the Academy, the Music Tutor will undertake the following tasks and responsibilities:

• Provide a high-quality learning environment in order to develop student potential within the Academy.
• Musically direct projects and productions across all four years of the undergraduate Musical Theatre programme, as well as undergraduates from other SPAA programmes.
• Teach music classes across all four years of all undergraduate Musical Theatre programmes, as well as teaching and training undergraduates from other SPAA programmes.
• Assist the Programme Leader – Musical Theatre, Lead Tutors and other colleagues in planning, creating, delivering and maintaining high standards in Musical Theatre training.
• Undertake administrative, reporting and reflective processes for both internal and external partners and key stakeholders.
• Fully embrace SPAA’s Practice as Research programme, making key contributions to generic and specific activities.
• Support outreach to international, regional and local communities.
• Contribute to admissions and audition procedures.
• Contribute to your own development and learning through Continuing Professional Development.

The above duties are cited as examples. and the post holder may be required to undertake additional, reasonable duties that are relevant to the post.

Key Interactions

As part of the team, working closely with the Programme Leaders, Lead Tutors and other Tutors to ensure the students are provided with the highest levels of teaching and support during their course of study. Through the departmental channels within the Academy, the SPAA team will facilitate these fundamental practices, ensuring programmes are running effectively and efficiently to benefit the students and the broader arts community in Sharjah and the UAE.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

• Excellence in teaching and training practice for performers.
• Strong communication skills and an excellent command of the English language.
• Ability to work with students from varying cultural, social and economic backgrounds.
• Strong collaborative, interpersonal and team-supporting skills, including tact, cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills. including time management and the ability to prioritise.
• Subject specialist knowledge of a wide range of music pedagogies and systems within live, recorded and digital settings.
• Proven and verifiable experience of working as a Musical Director, Music Tutor or trainer within live, recorded and digital settings.
• Appropriate qualification at degree level or ability to demonstrate equivalent experience via industry or professional practice.
• Advanced piano/accompanying skills.
• Editing scores and band parts.
• Creating click tracks and using recording-based software for performance-based tracks.
• Using Sibelius and Finale notation software to create and edit arrangements.
• Conducting abilities.
• Ability to coach a broad canon of repertoire.

Desirable:

• Proficiency in both Apple Mac and Microsoft software: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Keynote, Pages etc.
• Use of creative technologies such as Adobe Creative Cloud etc.
• A broader understanding of professional creative industries and global performative practice.
• Previous experience of working in a Higher Education environment.
• Previous experience of working in an international setting.
• Previous experience of research within creative practice environments.
• Teaching qualification.
• Post-Graduate qualification.
• Competent in basic vocal technique skills.
• Multi-instrumentalist.
• Ability to conduct performance workshops.
• Potential to contribute to other disciplines within the academy.

Context

Sharjah Performing Arts Academy (SPAA) is an independent Academy established by His Highness, Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, to address a growing demand in the UAE and MENA region for formal quality education and professional training in the performing arts sector. SPAA is the only performing arts conservatoire in the MENA region, offering quality undergraduate and graduate degree programmes taught in English. The purpose-built Academy comprises one 432 seat theatre, two fully equipped studio performance spaces, TV/recording studios, twelve sprung rehearsal studios, 12 singing tutorial spaces, resource library, gymnasium and cafe.

Sharjah Performing Arts Academy specialises in training graduates for work in the international professional performing arts industry. The faculty working at SPAA are highly experienced practitioners within their respective fields. The focus of the Academy is practical rather than academic. The central value for a SPAA graduate is arming them with the highest levels of practical skills for their field and giving them the tools to be able to successfully generate their own work or practice.

Complexity

Sharjah Performing Arts Academy is a complex performing arts institution with a multi-national student, faculty and administrative body. Effective coordination between disciplines and courses is a high priority to ensure that resources are appropriately shared and quality in teaching and learning is maintained. It is a dynamic, progressive and unique environment within which our sense of team is highly valued.

Additional Information

The Staff Handbook is an important resource for all employees. It sets out the expectations and important conditions of your employment.

• The post holder must accept responsibility for ensuring that SPAA policies and procedures relating to Health and Safety in the workplace are adhered to at all times.
• The post holder must respect the confidentiality of data.
• This is a full-time post based at Sharjah Performing Arts Academy, University City, Sharjah, UAE.
• This job description is a guide to the nature of the work required of the Music Tutor. It is not wholly comprehensive or restrictive and may be reviewed with the post holder and line manager as required and in line with the growth of the Academy.
• The Staff Handbook will be sent to you via email.
• Sharjah Performing Arts Academy offers a highly competitive salary, residency visa, full medical Insurance cover, living/schooling allowances and annual return flight to country of residence.

Note: due to licensing requirements and safeguarding policies, any individual offered a position will be required to submit a background check/DBS/Police check.

This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that
an employee in this position may be asked to perform from time to time.

To Apply:

Please send a maximum two-page (2) cover letter with your most current CV to careers@spaa.ae
Please put ‘Music Tutor 2024’ in the email header.

(The cover letter should directly address the essential and desirable requirements of the role as outlined within this document.)