Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis
MUSIC DIRECTOR
Job Description
Board Approved 2025_01_22
Reports to:
Minister
Directly Supervises:
Collaborative Pianist, Juuliebells Co-Directors, Music Volunteers
Status:
Non-Exempt; Hourly: Half-time (average of 20 hours per week)
POSITION SUMMARY
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis, a liberal, spiritual, and vibrant 250+ member congregation, seeks a creative and collaborative Music Director to lead our music ministry into its next chapter. Working closely with our newly called minister and worship team, the Music Director will shape the musical and spiritual life of our community through the coordination of our adult choir, handbell choir, and its emerging house band and children’s choir programs.
We seek a skilled musician and leader who can honor our congregation’s love of traditional hymn singing while thoughtfully expanding our musical horizons. The ideal candidate brings expertise in diverse musical traditions and styles, supports our commitment to build a multicultural Beloved Community. As we live into our 8th Principle work of dismantling racism and other systems of oppression, we look for someone who approaches musical leadership with cultural awareness and a dedication to equity and inclusion.
The Music Director conducts our adult choir, manages the music program budget, and provides collaborative leadership to our volunteer musicians. This position offers the opportunity to work with a congregation that embraces transformation while honoring their history (established in 1954), one that approaches new musical experiences with curiosity and courage. The successful candidate will join a community centered in love, committed to justice, and eager to explore how music can deepen our spiritual journey together.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Ministry
- Embrace diverse styles, genres, and musical experiences to lead us towards our mission / bring us closer to our principles and values, while also maintaining historical UU-worship styles of music. Able to navigate issues related to race and identity with a deep commitment to advancing the values of equity and inclusion
- Lead multiracial, multicultural, multigenerational choral and/or instrumental groups from both written and aural learning traditions in a variety of musical styles
Worship
- Collaborate with the Minister, worship team, and/or other worship service leaders and musicians
(Juuliebells Co-Directors, Collaborative Pianist, worship band, and guest musicians, etc.) in the creation of worship services- In collaboration with worship team, select upcoming music (including pre-recorded) that supports the worship theme
- Collaborate with Minister, AV Operators, others on technical needs for music
- Provide or arrange for music for non-Sunday services (ex: Solstice, Blue Christmas, Christmas Eve, ordinations and installations)
- Support and develop the experience of congregational singing
- Recruit, schedule, direct, and support in-house and guest musicians in selecting and creating worship music
- In the absence of a staff Collaborative Pianist, provide or coordinate accompaniment for church services and choir rehearsals
- Plan for absences by scheduling music programming that does not require a director
- Create contingency music plan should any last minute need arise
Choir Direction
- Develop and grow the ministry of the choir and other small music groups by creating a space for participants to experience music as spiritual practice and grow in worship leadership
- Promote a compassionate community among choir members that leans into living the church’s covenant and fosters a brave and cruelty-free environment for singers and musicians
- Make song selections and purchase choir music that enhances the experience of those who sing and those who attend worship
- Lead rehearsals that train singers in vocal techniques, delivery, and performance
- Maintain communication, practice files for choir access, and other administration for choir
Supervision
- Manage, coordinate, and guide music staff and volunteers in keeping with the responsibilities of this position: select, train, support, and supervise
- Collaborate with Minister to develop systems and processes for supervising current and future music staff and volunteers; manage music programming throughout the year
- Supervise volunteers to cull, maintain, digitize, and update the music library
Administration
- In consultation with the Minister, prepare and submit a music budget for each coming church year
- Oversee piano maintenance (climate control in buildings, schedule tuning, etc.)
- Ensure congregational compliance with copyright laws
- Maintain active AUUMM membership; attend annual meeting, as possible
- Ongoing outreach to other UU churches, local congregations and/or music communities and ensembles
- Maintain a list of musicians for weddings, memorials, etc.
- Participate in weekly staff meetings
- Attend supervision meetings with Minister
Other
- As assigned, provide or arrange for music for non-worship services (e.g. church member’s weddings and memorials, etc.)
- Plan and implement one Music Sunday service each year
- Periodically lead singing during Children’s Religious Education
- Lead “MUUsic at Noon” Program: book musicians, promote program, host, arrange payment, stay within budget (program to be reevaluated June 2025)
- Bring vision, leadership, creativity, and energy to the music program
- Grow awareness of UUCD and its music ministry beyond our walls
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Demonstrated experience leading an adult choir
- Knowledge of and expertise in methods of choral conducting
- Ability to teach choral parts to choir members who may not read music
- Strong musical abilities, including proficiency in playing an instrument (e.g., guitar or piano) and vocal skills. Ability to work effectively and respectfully with the Minister, staff, choir and other music volunteers, congregants, and the public
- Demonstrate sensitivity to others while modeling appropriate boundaries; Act in a professional manner and maintain confidentiality; Connect with others in ways that affirm and empower
- Engage children, youth, and adults warmly and respectfully; Demonstrate active listening, clear communication, and a collaborative approach to problem solving; Hold others accountable in a spirit of love, while supporting their success; Compassionately and effectively engage and resolve conflict
- A strong team leader and an effective shared ministry teammate; demonstrate initiative and the ability to collaborate
- A passion for engaging music as ministry and as spiritual expression
- Experience in leading worship in a church setting or similar environment
Preferred Attributes
- Knowledge of and support for Unitarian Universalist values (the candidate does not need to be UU)
- Ability to improvise music, arrange music, transpose music
- Ability to use music notation software
WORKING CONDITIONS
- Work normally performed indoors