Careers & Volunteer

The Corporation of Roy Thomson Hall and Massey Hall’s Education & Outreach department is looking to expand its roster of qualified and engaging teaching artists. Our teaching artists are enthusiastic musicians and educators who hold a strong belief that music can change lives and combine their love of each field into a passion for introducing music to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity.

Our Education & Outreach programming is constantly expanding and evolving, creating opportunities for youth and the community as a whole to engage with music in new and innovative ways. Our teaching artists are freelance contractors who may be contracted to participate in a number of programs, depending on their skills, experience, and availability.

Currently, Teaching Artists are engaged in the following programming:

The Lullaby Project: Teaching artists with a background in collaborative songwriting and composition work one-on-one with young mothers to help them write, record, and perform a bespoke lullaby.

Call & Response: Teaching artists lead a 2.5 hour workshop for 30 secondary school students; teaching them about leadership, communication, teamwork, and other life skills through an arts lens.

Share the Music: Each year, over 2,000 students attend mainstage concerts at our Halls through complementary tickets offered to schools and community groups. Teaching artists lead a 30-minute pre-show workshop prior to each concert experience, preparing the youth for what they’re about to see on the mainstage.

LETS: Learning English Through Song: Teachers on this program work with newcomer women in a community setting to work on English pronunciation, vocabulary, idioms, and expressions by exploring popular music, with a focus on Canadian artists.

SHSM Workshops: Teaching artists lead specialized, career-focused workshops for secondary school students who are specializing in Arts and Culture and/or Nonprofits.

In-School Workshops: Artists work with students to write music, explore our online Massey Hall Sound Museum, and more in customized workshops.

More programs are currently in development. Teaching artists may also be invited to professional development opportunities throughout the year.

Successful Teaching Artists for the Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall...
-are experienced musicians committed to teaching and education
-are comfortable working in and talking about a wide variety of musical genres
-preferably have teaching experience and have worked with a variety of ages, diverse populations, and in a variety of settings (our teaching artists work not only in our venues, but in classrooms and community settings)
-are experienced in creating lesson plans and workshop outlines, both for themselves and for others to follow as necessary
-and those lesson plans are imaginative and flexible
-equally adapt at working with a great deal of autonomy or as part of a team
-are comfortable working one-on-one with participants or teaching/leading a large group
-are warm, charismatic, and outgoing
-have boundless amounts of patience, compassion, and energy
-are positive, open-minded, empathetic, non-judgement, and committed to building strong communities
-interact easily and efficiently with participants, Corporation staff, and on-site staff including administrators, teachers, social workers, etc.
-are very effective at managing their time, and making the best use of the limited time we often have with our program participants

Responsibilities for teaching artists are dependent upon which programs they’re working on, but general responsibilities include:
-creating and submitting a lesson plan for a 1 – 3 hour workshop for 1 – 100 participants
-leading said workshop
-creating a comfortable space for participants to feel free to explore their own creativity and be vulnerable in what they’re sharing and creating
-may be required to transport supplies, your own instruments, and/or set up program space
-sending updates after programming
-frequent communications with Education & Outreach staff
-coordination and communications with onsite staff when working with community partners
-attending meetings and planning sessions as required (paid)
-attending performances and closing events as required (paid)

In addition, preferred candidates:
-have flexible availability – our programs often take place on weekdays, but also some evenings and weekends
-are familiar with the city of Toronto and comfortable travelling to different locations, whether by your own vehicle or the TTC
-possess or are willing to undergo a police clearance with vulnerable sector screening

All of our programs work with individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and so do our teaching artists! Multilingual, people of colour, LGBTQ-identifying artists, and artists with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Young artists who would like to develop their skills in community engagement are also encouraged to express interest.

Please send us your resume with details of your musical skills/experience (instruments, certifications, any particular software knowledge, and online links to examples of your work, if applicable) and highlight your experiences in teaching and/or community engagement work.