Instructor of Brass (Full-Time)
The High School of Dundee is seeking to appoint an enthusiastic Full-time Instructor of Brass to join
its thriving and well-established Music Department from 22 August 2016. The successful candidate
will be expected to deliver the learning and instruction of French horn, trumpet, cornet, tenor horn,
trombone, euphonium and tuba in one-to-one lessons, as well as direct co-curricular brass groups and
some other groups involving brass instruments. The successful candidate will be responsible to the
Director of Music and work as part of the team of eight full-time music instructors at the High School.
The School
The High School of Dundee was established in 1239. Today the School is a flourishing co-educational
independent school for pupils aged 3 to 18. There are currently some 1,080 pupils at the School.
The School is situated in the city centre of Dundee, only ten minutes’ walk from the railway station.
Working at The High School offers the opportunity to be part of a vibrant and welcoming community,
committed to academic excellence and the highest standards of pastoral care for its pupils. The
development of excellence in the education offered to the pupils is the underlying purpose of activities
undertaken by all staff.
The High School of Dundee is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and applicants
must be willing to undergo child-protection screening appropriate to this post, including checks with
past employers.
The Post
The High School Music Department plays a major role in the life of the school and has an excellent
reputation for the high quality of its performing. The Brass Instructor should continue to strengthen
this reputation by thorough and effective rehearsal and tuition. He or she will need to instruct all brass
instruments and will be required to run brass ensembles as required (including sourcing and/or
arranging music), conduct the Concert Band (or equivalent group(s)), and assist at Big Band,
Symphonic Band and Symphony Orchestra rehearsals. There is a regular programme of concerts in
which these groups participate, as well as concerts and competitions for individual performers.
At present, trumpet and cornet are offered to pupils in L4 and above; French horn, tenor horn,
trombone, and euphonium from L5, and tuba from F1. Pupils may be presented for National 5, Higher
and Advanced Higher Music examinations, both as course awards and as free-standing units, in
addition to ABRSM exams (in school) and Trinity exams (externally). The school owns a reasonable
number of brass instruments, including pocket trumpets, an F single horn, pTrumpets and pBones, but
pupils are strongly encouraged to buy their own instruments as soon as possible.
Dr John D Halliday BA PhD
Rector
High School of Dundee
Euclid Crescent Dundee DD1 1HU
Tel: 01382 202921 Fax: 01382 229822
Email: [email protected]
Registered Scottish Charity No: SC 011522
highschoolofdundee.org.uk
The successful applicant should have an extensive knowledge of brass repertoire (both solo and
ensemble) and should be an expert practitioner on at least one of the instruments taught. He or she
should be able to produce suitable varied programmes for SQA examinations and will also be required
to instruct theory of music as well as the other aspects of musicianship required for pupils to have a
full understanding of their instrument, its practice and repertoire. The ability to work as part of a large
and enthusiastic team is essential.
The Role
To provide pupils with a rounded musical education through the medium of individual lessons, music
ensembles and bands, brass instruments, and the range of the instruments’ and bands’ repertoire.
Main Responsibilities
 To promote and raise the profile of brass instruments and music within the High School;
 To rehearse the High School of Dundee Concert Band or equivalent group(s) (currently split
into Junior Years and Senior Years rehearsal groups and combined for concerts);
 To instruct 30-, 45- or 60-minute music lessons in brass instruments to pupils in L4 to F6 as
requested by the Director of Music;
 To assist the Director of Music in organising music events involving brass instruments as
required;
 To organise and form any additional brass-based ensembles in consultation with the Director
of Music as part of the Music Department’s Co-Curricular programme;
 To prepare individual pupils, bands and ensembles for which the postholder has responsibility
for the annual round of performances and competitions;
 Be responsible for the care and maintenance upkeep of school’s brass instruments, including
advising the Director of Music on necessary expenditure from any budget set aside for the
purpose;
 To set an example of high standards to pupils by demonstrating brass playing in lessons;
 To provide a considered programme of study tailored to each individual pupil that allows for
continuity from lesson to lesson;
 To ensure that each pupil is aware of his or her practice requirements for the next lesson and
is following those requirements;
 To prepare pupils for SQA and/or other public exams (such as ABRSM and Trinity) as
appropriate;
 To write reports to parents or guardians at least twice a year on each pupil’s progress; and
 To speak with the parents or guardians of all his or her pupils at the annual Music Parents’
Evenings.
The Person
ESSENTIAL CRITERIA
Qualifications and
Professional Bodies
Must possess a qualification in a musical instrument to at least degree level or
hold a BA or equivalent in academic music.
2|Page
Skills and
Experience










Personal Attributes



Experience in instructing individual lessons and general musicianship;
Expertise in performing on a brass instrument;
Experience as a director of bands and/or brass ensembles, preferably
including working with children aged 8-18;
Detailed knowledge of brass solo and ensembles repertoire;
Detailed knowledge of Concert Band repertoire for school pupils;
A proven record of success as a teacher of brass and director of brass
ensembles;
The ability and desire to emphasise the encouragement of basic musical
skills, physical ease with playing brass instruments, and the enjoyment of
performing, through individual or group tuition and ensemble playing.
The ability to instruct initial musical development, working imaginatively with
pulse, rhythm and pitch to lay the musical foundations for tuition in brass in
subsequent years.
The ability to explore all elements of music, including note-reading and
theory, in an active and stimulating fashion.
An understanding of the place of music in a school such as the High School of
Dundee and the ability to support it in his or her instruction.
Setting the highest professional standards of dress, punctuality and
politeness and be prepared to demand the same of his or her pupils
Must have an ability to relate well to both pupils and other teaching,
instructing and administrative members of the Music Department and the
School and communicate effectively with parents as necessary
Have an exemplary attendance record in his or her present and previous
employment
About the Music Department
Staffing
The Music Department is currently composed of a Director of Music, three full-time academic
teachers, eight full-time instrumental instructors, eleven visiting music instructors, and a Music
Department Administrator. The academic teaching covers all school years from Ante Pre-school to F6,
with Music an obligatory subject up to F2, taught by specialist music teachers throughout. The
department offers instruction in all orchestral and band instruments, bagpipes and chanter, recorder,
piano, guitars, organ and voice.
Accommodation and Resources
The department is currently housed in the Margaret Harris Building, and has: four academic
classrooms (including an IT suite and sound-engineering room); an extensive library of scores, parts,
CDs, DVDs and LPs; eleven rooms for individual music instruction; and one large rehearsal hall. In
addition, the school has a performance hall with Yamaha C5 piano, and performs two major concerts
per session in the Caird Hall, Dundee’s civic auditorium and a premier concert and recording venue
for orchestral repertoire. The school is in the process of converting the adjacent disused Post Office
Building into a new centre for the Performing and Visual Arts, in which Music will play a full part.
3|Page
Attainment
The department enters approximately 200 pupils for ABRSM practical exams each session. The pass
rate since 2012 is 98%, with 63% of candidates achieving Merit or Distinction. In the 2015 SQA Exams
at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher, the department entered 36 candidates (including 8 taking
Higher in F4), with all candidates except one achieving an A grade, and half achieving over 85%.
Activities and Concerts
Approximately half of the pupils at the High School receive individual instructions on one or more
instruments and voice. The following groups rehearse weekly: Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia,
Chamber Orchestra, String Sinfonietta, Fiddle Orchestra and String Camerata; Symphonic Band,
Concert Band, Big Band and Pipes & Drums; several wind, brass, guitar and percussion ensembles;
Cantabile (a chamber choir), L6-7 Choir, L4-5 Choir and Concert Choir (occasionally split into Girls’
choir and Boys’ choir). Chamber music includes a variety of string, woodwind and brass groups. Jazz
and rock are encouraged.
Among the wide range of concerts the large groups of pupils perform at two major concerts each year
in the Caird Hall. In the session 2015-16, the pupils performed (among many other pieces): Sibelius’s
Finlandia and Karelia Suite, extracts from Mozart’s Requiem, Corelli’s Concerto Grosso No.4, John
Williams’s “Star Wars” suite, Irving Berlin’s “Puttin’ On The Ritz”, and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
There is a regular programme of evening concerts and weekly performance platforms, as well as two
evening ensemble concerts in the summer. Concerts are given from time-to-time outside school, e.g.
at Discovery Point in Dundee. There is a house music competition and there are also solo instrumental
competitions. Musicals are usually put on every year alternately by the Junior and Senior Years –
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” in 2015 by the Junior Years, and in 2016, “Les
Misérables” by the Senior Years. More recently, Cantabile was invited to perform at the Scottish
National Commemoration of the Centenary of the Battle of Loos in the presence of HRH The Duke of
Rothesay and the First Minister of Scotland. The Pipes and Drums have won several prizes at the
Scottish Schools’ Pipe Band Championships and the Scottish Schools’ CCF Pipes and Drums
Competition in recent years.
Several of the school’s pupils at any one time are members of the National Youth Orchestras of
Scotland and the National Youth Choirs of Scotland. Former pupils include Ricky Ross of the band
Deacon Blue, singer KT Tunstall, and classical pianist Christina Lawrie.
General Terms of Appointment
Salary will be according to the High School of Dundee salary scales which are above the national scales.
Appointment will be subject to receipt of satisfactory references, a PVG check, verification of
qualifications and identity checks.
Applications, using the online forms provided, including a covering letter and a full CV, along with the
contact details of two referees, should be emailed to the Rector, Dr John D Halliday at
[email protected] .
Closing date for applications is Friday 29 July 2016
4|Page