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Employment

• Internship: Summer 2008

• Singers: Auditions Spring 2008

INTERNSHIP
Chicago a cappella is seeking an intern to assist with concert production, event planning, marketing, administration and other responsibilities.  Interns have the opportunity to see from the inside how a small nonprofit arts organization is run, including exposure to fundraising and development, marketing and p.r., board development, production and planning, finance and budgeting. Tasks will include interaction with staff, board, volunteers, vendors, patrons, and artists.

Responsibilities:
Concert Production: Act as Assistant House Manager/Stage Manager for Chicago a cappella’s concerts. Responsibilities include stage and front-of-house setup and clean up, coordinating backstage with front-of-house, assisting with scheduling and overseeing volunteers, finalizing and overseeing logistics at each venue, recording attendance, and tracking ticket and CD sales. Attendance at all concerts is strongly preferred.
Event Planning: Research, solicit, follow-up, track, and acknowledge silent auction and raffle donations. Work with vendors and volunteers to coordinate logistics of event. Work with staff to coordinate content and printing of tickets, invitations, and other printed pieces for event. Work with staff and volunteers to coordinate food and beverage donations, purchases, and catering services. Recruit, train, and oversee volunteer workers for the event. Assist with set up, logistics, staffing, and clean up at the event itself.
General Office Administration: Assist Executive Director and Operations Coordinator with all aspects of day-to-day office administration; assist with administration of board communication (meeting materials, scheduling); assist with music library work, including researching, ordering, distributing, and filing scores.
Marketing: Spearhead target marketing campaigns, including target marketing and promotional campaigns; overhaul press list (update, purge and refine list); research and spearhead program ad sales campaign and Restaurant Guide; research and spearhead other marketing opportunities.
Customer service: Assist with administration of subscription, single ticket, and CD sales, including confirmations, mailings, complimentary ticket requests, and other communications.

Qualifications:
Excellent oral and written communication skills and general computer competence.  Ability to work independently, make sound judgments, and utilize interpersonal skills to work with a variety of staff, board members, artists, and volunteers. Customer service experience and access to a vehicle are preferred but not required.

Schedule: Flexible; 10-20 hours per week, including attendance at concerts and at Gala event. 

Salary: This is an unpaid position. We will work to fulfill any college/university academic requirements. Hours may be adjusted to cover academic requirements.

Comments:
Chicago a cappella has become known as on of the area’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles. Spanning a repertoire from Gregorian chant to the Beatles, the group offers superb ensemble singing, fascinating programs, and intimate, engaging performances. Under founder and artistic director Jonathan Miller, nine accomplished singers deliver early and new music, spirituals, and vocal jazz with equal conviction and style. Since the ensemble’s first performance in 1993, Chicago a cappella has presented over 100 concerts in the Chicago area in addition to tour appearances in nine states and in Mexico. In the last year, the group made its Ravinia Festival debut and released its sixth CD.

We are a dynamic, well-run arts organization, recognized by our peers for both our artistic reputation and our organizational achievements. Our interns not only are exposed to every aspect of a nonprofit arts organization, but will make contacts with a wide range of people in Chicago’s arts community.

Contact: Mail or e-mail resume with cover letter to Matthew Greenberg, Executive Director, Chicago a cappella, 2936 N. Southport Avenue, 2nd Floor, Chicago, IL, 60657. E-mail MGreenberg@chicagoacappella.org

Singers

Chicago a cappella AUDITIONS
Spring 2008

Chicago a cappella is holding auditions for all voice parts for its alternate roster.

Alternates: The ensemble maintains an ongoing roster of alternate singers who are used when vacancies occur for specific concert programs. Because these vacancies tend to occur on relatively short notice, those positions are filled through the alternate roster. During the spring 2008 round of auditions, singers may be offered a position on this alternate roster.

Timeline: Auditions May 29, 2008; callbacks June 11, 2008. Should you be selected for an audition, you will be contacted to schedule a specific audition time.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR CHICAGO A CAPPELLA

As with the finest instrumental chamber-music ensembles, Chicago a cappella maintains its musical quality through the musicianship of the individual artists in the ensemble. The following skills are required from ensemble members:

Strong sight-reading skills
A minimum of 5 years singing as a professional ensemble singer
Experience and ease with just intonation in early music
Technical ability to sing both fully-voiced (with healthy vibrato) and with no vibrato
Expertise at holding a vocal line individually within a group
Strong stage presence
Strong solo technique
Ability to convey the essence of an unusually wide range of musical styles
Ability to respond quickly to instruction in rehearsal
A strong ear for picking up new styles that may be unfamiliar
Superb language skills (knowledge of IPA strongly preferred)

Additional experience desired:

Recording-session experience, specifically on repertoire that is provided on-site at the session only (i.e., sessions for which a significant component is sight-reading).

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

The first-round audition includes:

· Three contrasting solo pieces: a Renaissance or Baroque selection sung with little or no vibrato; a 19th Century art song in German or French (with appropriate use of vibrato); a 20th century selection from the American Songbook or a vocal jazz selection or a spiritual.

· Several minutes of solo a cappella sight-reading, possibly with another singer on a different voice part.

· Preparation of a pre-selected excerpt sent to you.

A callback audition will primarily involve rehearsing with other singers of Chicago a cappella for purposes of blend.

TO APPLY

Only highly qualified applicants should send the following to Chicago a cappella (contact information is below):

1. Reply via e-mail, outlining your relevant experience in broad terms.

2. Please attach to your e-mail a brief resume (one page, with highlights of small-ensemble and solo experience), including names and e-mail addresses for at least one professional reference. References should ideally know your work as both a soloist and an ensemble musician.

Send materials by reply e-mail only to:
Jonathan Miller, Artistic Director
jmiller@chicagoacappella.org