program Description

Elemental Music’s Teaching Fellowship is a one-year paid fellowship for college students in southern California to receive hands-on experience teaching young musicians in our ensemble programs (strings, band, choir, or full orchestra) while also being mentored by veteran teachers and performers.

As an organization, our core values include:

• Community: We believe that music brings people together, creating a diverse community of students, parents, teachers, and audience members.

• Diversity and Inclusion: We believe in music programs that welcome every child, from every background and at all levels. Through participation in music education programs, students can find a unique sense of belonging, affirming their human dignity and sense of self-worth.

• Equity: We believe that every child has great potential and should have access to high quality music education that allows them to realize what is possible. We believe in breaking down barriers and systems that prevent students of all races and backgrounds from developing and nurturing musical skill and talent.

• Excellence: We believe that high standards provide inspiration and support for our students

• The transformative power of music: We believe that music has the ability to change our understanding of, and our connection to, the world.

Children of all backgrounds should be able to look at the front of the classroom and see themselves reflected in their teachers. Through this fellowship, we hope to expand representation of teachers from marginalized backgrounds in the music classroom. When students are able to see themselves represented by their music teachers, they can begin to see themselves as musicians, too. It is through the variety of our shared backgrounds that we can provide our students and community with a culturally-rich experience. At the same time, fellows will receive valuable real-world experience and professional support, which we hope will expand the pipeline of who has the opportunity to become a music educator.

Throughout the season, Teaching Fellows will be expected to attend weekly 2-hour rehearsals from October 2024 through June 2025. Weekly rehearsals are paid at $50.00 per hour. Fellows will also receive bi-weekly mentoring sessions with an Elemental Music Program Director in addition to cohort training sessions and professional development opportunities.

Our inaugural season included training sessions on:

• classroom management

• pedagogy

• conducting

• using repertoire to teach musical concepts

• differentiated instruction

• cover letters, resumes, and interview tips

In addition to trainings led by Elemental Music directors, previous cohort training special guests have included Dr. Jacob Sustaita (Assistant Conductor, Pacific Symphony), Jim Wang (Orchestra Director, Santa Monica High School), and Mads Falcone (Music Technology and Digital Arts Faculty, CalArts).

Applications will be due by Sunday, September 1 at 11:59pm. We especially encourage applications from students with backgrounds and/or from communities that have been historically underrepresented or excluded in the world of classical music (including Black people, Latinx people, LGTBQIA+ people, and neurodivergent people, among others).

Please contact Teaching Fellowship Coordinator Miki Garcia with any questions.

Learn about some of our programs: