Graduate Music Assistantships

Graduate Music Assistantships are awarded to qualified graduate students in order to provide both professional work experience and an additional way to earn money to put towards the cost of attendance. Consideration for these awards will be based upon the audition for admission, application materials for the assistantships, and interview (scheduled in conjunction with the applicant's audition for admission). Assistantship duties commence the week prior to the start of classes; all graduate assistants must therefore be present on August 16, 2013, which is move-in day for new students.  

These awards include a performing arts scholarship and work stipend, the total of which covers approximately 75% of tuition. Notification of an assistantship offer will be made at the time admission decisions are released. In the event that an applicant turns down an offer of assistantship, the position will be offered to an applicant not previously awarded a position. Assistantships are awarded for one year; graduate assistants will be evaluated at the end of the first year and may be invited to return with the approval of the faculty.

HOW TO APPLY:

Email the following items to Dean Patrick Zylka at pzylka@roosevelt.edu:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Your three assistantship choices in ranked order

The subject line of your email should be "Graduate Assistantship Application". All materials are due by January 15, 2013.

Musicianship

Musicianship (written and aural theory) assistants are assigned to full-time members of the musicianship faculty and are expected to work an average of 8-10 hours per week. Their duties include attending class, grading assignments, assisting faculty with planning and organizational activities, and assisting students during regular office hours. Duties may also include classroom teaching and proctoring exams. Musicianship assistants are expected to be present to assist with orientation week activities (assessment and classes) that occur one week prior to the beginning of classes in the fall semester.  The awards are based on an in-person audition that includes: sight-singing, sight-reading at the piano, harmonic and formal analysis, and voice-leading error detection. The Musicianship Assistant audition/interview will be scheduled in conjunction with the applicant¹s formal audition for admission to the Music Conservatory.

Music History

The responsibilities of the Graduate Assistant in Music History are to provide instructional and clerical support for faculty teaching the undergraduate music-history survey classes: MUHL 251–254. Two courses are offered each semester. Duties of the Graduate Assistant may include: conducting review sessions, grading of tests and assignments, keeping grade and attendance records, meeting with individual students for outside help, holding regular office hours, attending class meetings, preparation of class materials, monitoring of online course materials, and meeting regularly with faculty. The Graduate Assistant may also have the opportunity to teach a class meeting, under the direct supervision of faculty. Total commitment will average 10–12 hours per week. Graduate teaching assistants are also required to be available during kick-off week before the start of Fall semester classes, for training and to assist with diagnostic testing and other orientation activities.
 
The ideal candidate for the Graduate Assistantship in music history will be dependable and responsible, have a strong command of music history content, possess strong writing and analytical skills, and be an effective oral communicator. The Music History Assistant interview will be scheduled in conjunction with the applicant’s formal audition for admission to the Music Conservatory.

Large Ensembles (Orchestra/Wind Ensemble)

The graduate assistants for the large ensembles report directly to the Ensemble operations Manager. An average of 12 hours of work per week is required, including the following responsibilities: part preparation; music inventory and library maintenance; management of rehearsal and concert set-up and tear down; preparation of assignment postings; maintenance of recording archive database. Other related duties may be assigned. Familiarity with rehearsal protocols for large instrumental ensembles is essential; experience as a librarian is desirable. The Large Ensembles Assistant interview will be scheduled in conjunction with the formal audition for admission to the Music Conservatory.

Composition

The Composition Assistant will work an average of 8-10 hours per week. Duties include recording all Composition Program performances and producing and distributing CDs for all participants; maintaining the electro-acoustic studios and assisting student users; programming, stage managing and supervising all Composition Program recitals and workshops; and assisting the Composition faculty with special and ongoing projects. The successful candidate must be familiar with Microsoft Word. The Composition Assistant interview will be scheduled in conjunction with the formal audition for admission to the Music Conservatory.

Opera

The Opera Assistant will work an average of 8-10 hours per week and reports directly to the Assistant Professor of Voice and Opera. Duties include directly assisting voice and opera professors in all opera program activities and serving as a liaison with the Performance Activities Office on each production. The successful candidate will be proficient in Microsoft Office and able to function effectively as a point of contact between student singers and faculty. An interview with Voice program faculty is required.

Choir

The Choir Assistantship is only available to current CCPA graduate students.

The Choir Assistant reports directly to the Head of Choral Activities. An average of 8-10 hours of work per week is required, including the following responsibilities: music inventory and library maintenance; management of attendance at rehearsals and other required services; serving as a liaison with the Performance Activities Office on attendance, assignment, and production matters for all choral program events; stage management of choral performances; assisting the faculty on special and ongoing projects and functioning as an effective point of contact between student singers and faculty.  An interview with the Head of Choral Activities is required.

Collaborative Piano

The collaborative piano assistant is assigned by the Head of the Piano Program to members of the applied faculty and will work an average of 8-10 hours per week.  Duties include rehearsals, attending weekly lessons and performances both on and off campus.  Duties may also include the accompanying of Choral Ensembles.  Assignments will be made based upon the needs of the Music Conservatory, but will consist of both instrumental and vocal collaborative work, mostly at the graduate level.  Extensive accompanying experience is required for this position.  The award is based upon a review of the assistantship application and a live audition that includes sight-reading as well as prepared collaboration, to be coordinated with the formal audition for admission to the Conservatory. 

 

Selected applicants will be contacted for an interview/evaluation with the faculty to be held on their audition date.  Students submitting a recorded audition may not be eligible for some assistantships as a live interview is necessary for some positions.  Assistantships are awarded for 1 year; graduate assistants will be evaluated at the end of the first year and may be invited to return with the approval of the faculty.

Current students who wish to apply for an assistantship should understand the implications for their current scholarship.  Please see Dean Zylka in room 916 to clarify the financial impact of accepting this award.