Chapel Music Leader and Teaching Artist

Stjohnsschool; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 32,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

St. John's Episcopal School in Dallas seeks a versatile Chapel Music Leader to guide Primary through Middle School chapel services three mornings per week.

The role blends piano and guitar accompaniment with vocal leadership to create joyful, participatory worship for students as young as three through eighth grade. The successful candidate will be a gifted musician who can teach, improvise, and collaborate with chaplains and Fine Arts staff.

Qualifications

• Proficient piano and guitar accompaniment with strong vocal leadership.
• Able to sight-read hymnals and charts, and transpose in real time.
• Engaging with children of various ages; adaptable to multiple styles.

Responsibilities

• Lead congregational singing with warmth and presence.
• Accompany with piano and guitar and direct students in chapel songs.
• Teach and introduce songs to preschool and middle school students.
• Collaborate with chaplains and Fine Arts for a shared music program.
• Adjust repertoire for age-appropriate worship and activities.

Skills

Piano

Guitar

Vocal/Chorus

Sight-reading

Lead sheets/nashville numbers

Transposition

Improvisation

Choral directing

Child engagement

Education

Formal music credentials

Job description

Position Purpose

The Chapel Music Leader will provide musical leadership for Primary, Lower, and Middle School chapel services on three mornings each week:

• Tuesday: Approximately 7:30–10:30 a.m.
• Wednesday: Approximately 7:30–10:00 a.m.
• Friday: Approximately 7:30–10:30 a.m.

Position Summary

St. John's Episcopal School is seeking an unusually versatile and engaging musician to help lead Chapel for students from age three through eighth grade.

This is more than an accompanying position. We are looking for a gifted pianist, guitarist, vocalist, teaching artist, and creative collaborator who can help make Chapel musically excellent, joyful, participatory, and responsive to the children in the room.

Key Accountabilities

Musical Responsibilities: The Chapel Music Leader will

• Lead congregational singing with confidence, warmth, and personality
• Provide skilled accompaniment on both piano and guitar
• Sing comfortably while accompanying and leading students
• Sight-read traditional musical notation from hymnals and other scores
• Read and interpret lead sheets, chord charts, and Nashville numbers
• Transpose music when necessary, including in the moment
• Provide confident introductions, transitions, underscoring, and musical cues
• Learn unfamiliar songs quickly from recordings, notation, or chord charts
• Adapt hymns, contemporary worship music, spirituals, children’s songs, and other repertoire for different ages
• Encourage even reluctant Middle School students feel comfortable joining in
• Teach new songs playfully and effectively to children as young as three
• Select or offer an appropriate song spontaneously when the moment calls for it
• Collaborate with the chaplains and Fine Arts Department in planning music and maintaining a shared repertoire

More Than Music

In Primary and Lower School Chapel, the musician will also serve as an active chapel collaborator and co-creative partner. When not playing, the Chapel Music Leader may

• Help lead prayers and spoken responses
• Support student chapel helpers
• Help children enter, move through, and participate in Bible stories
• Respond to unexpected moments with calmness, humor, and good judgment
• Help maintain the rhythm, energy, and focus of the service
• Participate playfully in storytelling when appropriate
• Anticipate what the chaplain or children may need without requiring constant direction

Qualifications and Attributes

A strong candidate will be:

• An excellent and highly flexible pianist
• A confident and skillful guitarist
• A warm, capable vocalist and song leader
• Fluent in both traditional notation and contemporary chord-based music
• Comfortable improvising and responding musically in real time
• Engaging with preschool children without becoming overly performative or childish
• Authentic and confident with Middle School students
• Playful, observant, collaborative, dependable, and emotionally perceptive
• Comfortable moving between sacred, traditional, contemporary, theatrical, and child-centered musical styles
• Experienced in worship leadership, musical theatre, music education, children’s ministry, teaching artistry, or some combination of these fields

Formal music credentials are welcome but are less important than exceptional musicianship, adaptability, presence, and rapport with students.

Commitment to Safeguarding Children

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all faculty, staff, and volunteers to share this commitment. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of required background checks, reference checks, and child-safeguarding training.

About St. John's

St. John's is an independent, coeducational Episcopal school serving students in Pre-K 3 through eighth grade on a beautiful 10-acre campus in East Dallas. Rooted in our mission to train the mind, strengthen the character, and enrich the spirit, St. John's offers a program of academic excellence within a nurturing Christian environment.

We believe St. John's is more than a school. It is a close-knit community where students are known, challenged, and loved, and where faculty and staff understand that every role contributes to the lives of our students, families, and colleagues.

Guided by the St. John's Code, we strive to model honesty and respect in our relationships, responsibility in our work, and care for every member of our community. Our employees bring the mission to life each day through their professionalism, collaboration, creativity, and commitment to children.

St. John's seeks colleagues who are eager to grow, generous in spirit, and inspired by the opportunity to help young people become their best selves. If you are drawn to a joyful, purposeful, and mission-driven school community, you may find St. John's to be a place where you can do your best work and make a lasting impact.

Employment is contingent upon completion of the School’s required screening, background-check, and student-safety processes.

Disclaimer

This job description provides a general overview of the responsibilities and expectations associated with the position. It is not intended to serve as an all-inclusive list of duties, skills, or requirements. Responsibilities may be modified as needed to support the mission and operations of the School.

Equal Employment Opportunity

In our commitment to diversity and equity, St. John's Episcopal School does not discriminate regarding race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, age, genetic information, disability, pregnancy, marital status, religion, military status, and/or any protected category. This commitment extends to our employment, educational, admission, and financial-aid policies, and other School-administered programs.