Musical Director (Volunteer)

This is an exciting opportunity for a volunteer Musical Director to work with our talented and enthusiastic company of young people for the academic year September 2024 - July 2025 to put on Matilda the Musical JR, with two separate casts.

A Brief History of the Spa Theatre Company 

The Company was initially founded in 1982 as a young people’s group. From 1982 to 1991, the group remained as a young people’s organisation (the upper age limit being 18).  In 1991, the view was that the Company should be more ambitious, by lifting the age limit. As of today, the Company retains the Junior section, but the Senior Company is on hold.   

The MD Position – Junior Company  

The role advertised is that of MD for the Junior Company.  

The Junior Company is primarily a “teaching” organisation. Its primary aim is to offer a high standard of teaching in speech, drama, music and dance. It has its own Director, Musical Director and Choreographer. The academic year consists of three terms, commencing in September each year. The academic year includes a public performance of a musical at a local theatre, usually in April.  

It should be noted that the advertised post is for the Musical Director of the Company, for an entire academic year, and is not a “show only” post. It is intended that the post will be permanent, subject to a high standard of performance, reviewed on an annual basis.   

The Commitment 

The members of the Junior Company are aged 8 to 17. Entry is by audition. They meet on Tuesday evenings during term time between 6.30pm and 8.30pm.  For the annual production, we may need to call for additional rehearsals on Sunday afternoons between 2.30pm and 5.30pm. These rehearsals will take place for typically 6 Sundays in a year, with the timing being dependent on the date of the show.   During show week, the expectation is that the production team will be present for the full week, from 'get in' to 'technical rehearsals', through the shows and for 'get out'.

Key Attributes 

The Musical Director must have the ability to coach and train young people of varying ability.  They must be flexible, and adapt teaching styles.  

Candidates must be, or become, DBS checked and it would be helpful if they had been teacher trained. The Tuesday sessions must be well planned and prepared, and candidates will need to work well with both Choreographer and Director. It should be stressed that the youngsters gain educational values on Tuesday evenings and that they must be in a learning experience situation. 

Duties 

The MD will: 

• have keyboard skills in order to take rehearsals 

• understand that most of the children cannot sight read and therefore need to be taught by rote 

• have had experience conducting a band of musicians 

• have the ability to make cuts in scores and how to deal with transposing instruments 

• need to demonstrate that they have voice training skills and understand vocal techniques 

• need to demonstrate an ability to relate to all ages and to show enthusiasm and encouragement 

• need to audition accurately and be able to choose audition pieces (for future shows) from scores and identify potential soloists for specific parts. 

The duties, organised on an academic year basis to suit the children will comprise: 

• attending weekly training sessions, on a Tuesday evening in a school in Warwick, from 6.30 – 8.30 during school terms only (for the purposes of general training of the junior members).  This will typically comprise 36 sessions over the course of the academic year;  

• teaching a relatively mixed range of ability, so adapting teaching styles, by rote if necessary; 

• preparing children for a “showcase concert” to demonstrate to parents what the children have learnt – but children often perform things they have learnt outside, e.g solo guitar performances, or a dance; 

• acting as MD for the Junior Show, generally held in late May / June / July of each year; 

• helping the Director and Choreographer of the company to choose the show, and preparing audition pieces from the score;  

• helping with auditioning and casting for that show;  

• assembling a band / orchestra for the show (typically a 4 piece band with the MD acting as conductor or taking the piano part as well); 

• doing musical cuts in the score in liaison with the director;  

• receiving band parts (the rights are applied for and received by the committee) and returning the band parts to the rights holders after cleaning any markings made. 

Remuneration 

The Spa Theatre Company is a Registered Charity for its work in the tuition of young people. This is a volunteer role, with a small honorarium. 

The honorarium for the post is subject to negotiation and will be related to the experience of the candidate, it is expected to be a fixed amount up to a sum in the order of £1,200, paid as a single instalment at the end of the Summer term. The Committee reserves the right to adjust the fee proportionately for unfulfilled sessions and unexplained absences. The sum is paid tax-free, as remuneration for expenses. 
 
Supervision

The committee is considering retaining the services of the existing production team in a part-time supervisory capacity, again dependent on the experience of the candidate. The newly-appointed person will benefit from that experience, but the detailed arrangements will be discussed at interview.