At the Harmony Program, music changes lives every day. Through collective music-making, children from under-served communities explore new avenues and realize their full potential.

The Harmony Program is inspired by Venezuela’s national youth orchestra system, “El Sistema.” Committed to improving society through music, El Sistema has gained international acclaim for the breadth of its reach, the quality of its musicians, and the power of its positive influence on the young lives it touches. In the spirit of El Sistema, the Harmony Program emphasizes the influence of music-making on social development, encourages learning through ensemble playing, fosters a supportive community for program participants and families, and requires of all involved a high degree of commitment to daily music study.

For over 15 years, the Harmony Program has distinguished itself by serving children in need, reaching them within their own communities, providing them with instruments and intensive, high quality musical training, and helping to develop in them the life skills that support their healthy development — musically, academically, and socially. The Harmony Program also recruits and trains accomplished musicians as its teaching artists and provides them with formal professional development training, observation and evaluation, access to a network of their peers, and competitive compensation for their services, with the goal of instilling in them a long-term commitment to community outreach and education.

The Harmony Program provides over 75 hours of Teaching Artist Training designed to support and enhance the professional development of emerging and advanced teaching artists to expand their teaching practice and connect them to a growing community of artists. Harmony Program Teaching Artists are required to complete 16 hours of paid training of which 7 hours must be completed before entering the classroom. In addition to these required workshops, teaching artists convene during the year with Harmony Program administration and mentors to share their experiences in the classroom, evaluate and reflect on their progress, and explore leading industry topics with experts in a variety of related fields.

• Lead weekly group music classes and/or ensemble rehearsals for elementary and middle school students
• Prepare lesson plans that align with our curriculum and promote social and musical growth
• Teach in an engaging and holistic manner that prioritizes social-emotional learning and reflects Harmony Program’s creative youth development culture
• Utilize classroom management skills to create a safe, energetic, inclusive and positive learning environment
• Manage classroom logistics, including taking regular attendance, monitoring instrument maintenance, and facilitating student transitions
• Provide regular communication of student behavioral, musical, and social challenges to Harmony Program administration
• Conduct regular and timely assessments of students’ musical progress and social development
• Attend all required professional development workshops
• Participate in select organization-wide events, including performances and meetings, as necessary

The Harmony Program provides instruction in sites throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx. Harmony Program Teaching Artists may be placed in a program in one or more of those Boroughs.

Required Application Materials

• Resume
• Cover letter
• Teaching philosophy statement (250-500 words)
• Sample lesson plan
• Two professional references

Candidates should submit their application via the Harmony Program website. No walk-ins or phone calls, please.