The Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University and Canterbury Voices seek an innovative and visionary educator, and conductor to lead both organizations’ choral education programs. The position includes teaching courses in music education and conducting, conducting one of the University’s top choral ensembles, recruiting, and providing vision and leadership for the growing vocal music education program. Rank based on qualifications. As Artistic Director for Canterbury Youth Voices (CYV), the successful candidate will provide artistic leadership for an esteemed choral program serving 175 students in four choirs; and will conduct Chorale, CYV's high school choir. The successful candidate will be chosen jointly by the two organizations. 

Position: Assistant/Associate Professor of Music Education, Wanda L. Bass Chair of Vocal Music Education, non-tenure track at Oklahoma City University and Artistic Director of Canterbury Youth Voices  

Job Description/Duties 

Oklahoma City University: 

• Teach methods courses in vocal and or general/elementary music education; 

• Teach separate semesters of conducting fundamentals and choral conducting; 

• Conduct one choral ensemble; 

• Actively recruit; 

• Actively engage music education students in professional development opportunities; 

• Participate in Bass School of Music and University Committees; 

• Actively participate in scholarly/creative activities relative to the field; 

• Adhere to all policies within the Oklahoma City University Handbook; 

• Participate in professional organizations relative to the field; 

Canterbury Youth Voices: 

• Work with organizational leadership to champion the vision, growth and retention of CYV families; 

• Conduct Chorale, CYV High School ensemble; 

• Oversee artistic decisions for performances and youth programs; 

• Represent and advance CYV in the local, regional and national choral music education community 

Salary Range:  Commensurate with experience 

Terms of Employment: The position at Oklahoma City University, Wanda L Bass Chair of Vocal Music Education, will be at a rank based on qualifications, beginning August 12, 2024.  Canterbury Youth Voices’ Artistic Director is a year-round position, which will begin on July 1, 2024. The term for the joint position will be a five-year renewable appointment.  

Qualifications: Master's degree in music education is required.  A terminal degree in music education and significant elementary/secondary and/or collegiate teaching experience preferred; proven leadership and organizational skills; proven experience conducting and working with collegiate and secondary school choral programs, and a commitment to excellence in teaching. 

Inclusion and Diversity: OCU and Canterbury Voices are equally committed to building a diverse and inclusive faculty, staff, student body, and choral community. We welcome applications from members of traditionally underrepresented groups. The organizations are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and are aligned with our organizations’ overarching vision and mission. Further, we aspire to engage in our work in equitable and inclusive ways and desire to work with a team member committed to OCU’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s strategic goals. 

Oklahoma City University Wanda L. Bass School of Music, an all-Steinway school, is a fully accredited institutional member of NASM with 37 full-time and 25 adjunct faculty members, 280 undergraduate and 50 graduate students. The music education program currently has 60 undergraduate majors, (50 instrumental and 10 vocal).  The music education program is closely aligned with Canterbury Youth Voices and El Sistema Oklahoma.  The choral program consists of five choirs (three SATB, one treble choir, and the chapel choir). University choirs have been selected as honor performing ensembles at state, regional and national conventions, and have a long history of performing major choral works on campus and in conjunction with the Canterbury Voices and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. For more information, please go to https://www.okcu.edu/academics/schools-colleges/wanda-l-bass-school-of-music. 

About Oklahoma City University: Oklahoma City University is a coeducational, urban private university located in Oklahoma City, in the Uptown district. The university is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and offers a wide variety of degrees in the liberal arts, fine arts, sciences, and business. OCU is consistently ranked as one of the top universities in the country by U.S. News & World Report, and Oklahoma City University is also listed in Forbes' "Best Christian Colleges" & "100 Best College Buys." https://youtu.be/N4Boc4Zplfk 

Canterbury Youth Voices (CYV) is the choral music, youth education arm of Canterbury Voices, Oklahoma’s oldest and largest auditioned symphonic community chorus. For 25 years, Canterbury Youth Voices has provided excellent training and unique performance opportunities to students, grades 2-12, now representing more than 90 schools across the greater Oklahoma City metro area and beyond. CYV’s four treble choirs, auditioned and structured by age, perform two concerts per year at OCCC Visual & Performing Arts Center; with occasional opportunities to perform with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Canterbury Voices, and the Oklahoma City Ballet. CYV choirs are often featured as an honor choir at the Oklahoma Music Educators Association conference, at the American Choral Directors Association conference, at nationally televised sporting events, and was the official vocal music unit for the 80th Commemoration Ceremony of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii in December 2021. CYV offers Camp Canterbury each June as a fun, week-long camp program culminating in a showcase on Friday afternoon; featuring sessions in chorus, folk dancing, artful music, ukulele, drumming, and musical theater. Need-based scholarships are funded annually, and Canterbury has become adept at translation services. Select OCU vocal music education students serve as paid interns for CYV programs. Rehearsals are held weekly on Tuesday nights at OCU’s Bass School of Music from 6PM – 7:30PM. 

http://canterburyokc.com  

https://www.youtube.com/c/canterburyvoicess  

About Oklahoma City: Oklahoma City University is located in the historic and vibrant Uptown 23rd District in the heart of Oklahoma City; a unique, thriving, friendly city with a low cost of living and lots of sunshine. Canterbury Voices is located in downtown Oklahoma City, across the street from their performance venue, the Civic Center Music Hall. Downtown Oklahoma City is made up of 8-character districts – each with a distinct feel and personality. Oklahoma City ranks as the 20th largest city in the United States with a population of more than 687,000 and a metro population of more than 1.44 million people. Public and private partnerships during the last 10 years have dramatically transformed the face of the city, staking a claim for the future as a preeminent American city.  

Oklahoma City’s highly collaborative arts community boasts a variety of thriving organizations including the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Canterbury Voices, Oklahoma City Ballet, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Contemporary, Dead Center Film Festival, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, First Americans Museum, and Science Museum Oklahoma. There are many mid-sized theater companies, music groups, and educational organizations like Oklahoma Youth Orchestra and Oklahoma Arts Institute. Arts organizations are a priority in this city, generously funded by Allied Arts and the Oklahoma Arts Council, as well as strong private support from foundations, corporations and individuals. Public art is also a priority in Oklahoma, mandating public funding for each capital improvement project in the state. Plaza Walls is one example in the eclectic Plaza District.