Chorus America
Location: Remote
Type of Position: Administrative
Application Deadline: Monday, August 15, 2022
Original listing
Objective
The objective of this request for proposal (RFP) is to contract an experienced Music Education Researcher to communicate findings related to choral music education access in communities funded by Chorus America’s Music Education Partnership Grants program.
About Chorus America
Chorus America is the advocacy, research, and leadership development organization that advances the choral field. We support and serve choral conductors, administrators, board members, and singers with tools, training, peer networking, and access so that choruses are better able to contribute to their communities.
Chorus America’s Music Education Partnership Grants
One of Chorus America’s newest programs, the Music Education Partnership Grants is a regranting program designed to increase access to choral music education for elementary-middle school/junior high students, promote non-arts learning and cultural literacy, all while upholding the principles of access, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The program’s core values are:
In the program’s inaugural year, Chorus America provided $950,000 to 21 grant partners across four regions (British Columbia & Northwest, Central Appalachia, Southwest, and Upper Midwest) in addition to participation in a peer learning cohort experience.
Contract Period
This engagement is a 12-month contract and is expected to begin September 1, 2022 and conclude August 31, 2023.
Requested Services
Throughout the contract period, the Music Education Researcher will play a critical role in helping Chorus America understand and communicate the impact of the grant program’s funded projects. In this contracted role, the Music Education Researcher will:
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Collect quantitative and qualitative data regarding access to music education in our grant partners’ local communities.
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Track the changes in music education opportunities in these communities over the project period.
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Synthesize the stories and data from multiple funded projects to identify promising strategies for increasing music education access locally.
The Music Education Researcher will serve as the lead data collector for this project. In addition, this contracted position will:
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Serve as the author (or partner with another contractor) on a report reflecting the findings from the data collection.
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Either provide services (or partner with another contractor) to build a map that demonstrates access to choral music education in our grant partners’ communities,
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Work in partnership with a data visualizer to design visual(s) that represents the data collected for publication.
Operating on the principle that singing with others is a powerful tool for cross-cultural learning, developing empathy, and building community, our research questions are centered on understanding:
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Did the funded project increase access to choral music education? If so, how?
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Where do the inequities in choral music education exist? What are the factors that contribute to a lack of opportunities for group singing educational opportunities?
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How can philanthropy most effectively be deployed to increase access to choral music education?
Outcomes and Deliverables Due at the End of the Contract Period (8/31/23) include:
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A report responding to the research questions above. The intended audience for this report includes private foundations and other grantmaking entities seeking to effectively deploy philanthropic capital to create meaningful change in their communities by increasing access to choral music education. In addition, we anticipate many grant partners and choruses utilizing this report as an advocacy tool to make the case for community investment.
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As part of the report, develop a map and/or data visualization(s) of the findings from the data collection.
Compensation and Benefits:
A fee of $20,000 - $50,000 is budgeted and dependent on the scope of duties undertaken by the Music Education Researcher. The fee will be paid on a timeline mutually agreed upon by the contractor and Chorus America and shall be outlined in a formal written agreement.
Application Procedure:
Proposals submitted for review must include:
Please email all proposals to Kimberly Theodore Sidey at kim@chorusamerica.org by August 15, 2022. Proposals will be reviewed as received. Any questions regarding the RFP may also be directed to kim@chorusamerica.org.
