Friends Seminary educates students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, adhering to the values of the Religious Society of Friends. We strive to build a diverse school where students exercise their curiosity and imagination as they develop as scholars, artists and athletes. In a community that cultivates the practices of keen observation, unhurried reflection, critical thinking, and coherent expression, we listen for the single voice as we seek unity. The disciplines of silence, study, and service provide the matrix for growth: silence opens us to change; study helps us to know the world; service challenges us to put our values into practice. At Friends Seminary, education is rooted in the Quaker belief in the Inner Light – that of God in every person. Guided by the testimonies of integrity, peace, equality, and simplicity, we prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be.
Founded in 1786, Friends Seminary, the oldest continually operating coeducational, independent Quaker school in New York City, seeks a full-time music educator to teach general music classes in Kindergarten through Grade 4 and to lead and conduct our upper elementary choral ensembles for the 2025-2026 school year. Qualified candidates will demonstrate strong organizational skills, flexibility, and a passion for working with Lower School students. Additionally, this position requires close collaboration with grade level colleagues and content area specialists. The Lower School Music Teacher should be able to cultivate curiosity and community alongside the development of foundational musical skills.
The community of Friends Seminary celebrates the uniqueness of each child. In the Lower School, we encourage our children to “follow their curiosity and exercise their imaginations… to bring about a world that ought to be.” We help children cultivate a strong sense of their identity and academic talent through joy, structure, and play in a child-centered environment.
The Lower School Music Teacher reports to the Head of Lower School and the Performing Arts Department Chair.
Responsibilities
- Teach General Music classes, including the recorder, in grades K-4, as assigned.
- Teach and conduct the grade 3 and 4 chorus (separately).
- Provide music during Meeting for Worship, community gatherings, and school sing-alongs.
- Foster community, social emotional development, and academic learning for Lower School students.
- View curriculum as well as classroom and School culture through a lens focused on the core values of equality, diversity, and community engagement.
- Collaborate with the Performing Arts teachers on curriculum development and documentation.
- Collaborate with Lower School colleagues to foster curricular integration and student support.
- Partner with learning specialists and the Lower School Psychologist to support individual learning and emotional needs of students.
- Communicate with families through curriculum evenings, newsletters, informal email and conversation, family visiting, progress reports, and conferences.
- Attend faculty meetings weekly on Monday after school and other planning meetings as necessary.
- Support the mission and philosophy of the School.
- Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.
Qualifications
- Certification in Kodály and/or Orff Schulwerk approaches is preferred.
- Proficiency as a piano accompanist.
- Proficiency as a vocalist.
- Proficiency with the use of technology for teaching and learning.
- Familiarity with or training in Responsive Classroom.
- 3+ years of teaching experience with elementary school aged children.
- Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
Required Education
Bachelor's degree in relevant field required; master’s degree preferred.
Compensation
Annual salary range for 2025-2026 based on years of teaching experience and level of degrees earned: $82,000 - $164,000+
Benefits
Friends Seminary offers excellent benefits including paid time off, health, dental, vision, 403(b) with a School-paid match; wide-ranging opportunities for professional development, including tuition support and summer grants; and a talented and dedicated team of teaching colleagues and supportive administrators. Successful candidates will join a dynamic and forward-thinking teaching community of over 150 educators.
To apply, please submit the following:
- Completed Friends Seminary employment application
- Cover letter
- Resume
- Statement of educational philosophy
- Contact information for three personal references
When submitting your materials, kindly be sure to reference your first and last name, the position for which you are applying, and where you heard about the position in the subject line. i.e. [last name], [first name] - Music Teacher - Lower School - Friends Seminary website. You will receive a confirmation email when you submit your application. No phone calls, please.
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates of color and members of other underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. We urge all applicants to identify and express their individuality and the ways in which they might enrich and diversify the School community.
Moreover, all successful applicants, whether for a faculty or administrative staff post, must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in their professional lives. Applicants for a faculty position should highlight ways their curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom culture may advance these goals. Applicants for an administrative staff position should highlight ways they seek to promote these goals in their office work, programming, or operational endeavors.
