For YSM Students

What is a Teaching Artist?
A teaching artist is any professional artist who teaches and works in community settings. From schools and nursing homes to correctional facilities and community centers, teaching artistry is a vibrant and growing field that can be a rewarding part of the 21st century musician’s career.

Teaching Artists at YSM
Teaching Artists at the School of Music are performers and composers who participate in the Music in Schools Initiative, the School’s partnership with New Haven Public Schools. In partnership with music educators from the New Haven Public Schools, Teaching Artists work with students who sing or play a string, wind, or brass instrument.

Teaching Artists may participate in:

• In-School Mentorship 
• All-City Ensembles 
• Morse Summer Music Academy
• Chamber groups, coachings, and private lessons

The Yale School of Music’s model is rooted in the values of mentorship and active music-making. These goals are consistent with the School of Music’s mission and complement the standards-based music instruction in the New Haven Public Schools.

Teaching Artist preparation and professional development
Throughout the year, Teaching Artists at the School of Music attend a series of mandatory hour-long training sessions. These sessions cover a range of topics and are led by Music in Schools-New Haven Director Rubén Rodríguez, educators from the New Haven Public Schools, and special guests.

How to apply
All Yale School of Music students and undergraduates in the Yale Glee Club are eligible to work as Teaching Artists. Interested students can find the application form in ArtsVision.

To be hired, you must:

• submit an application
• attend an interview (new applicants only)
• complete required background check and trainings for working with minors
• sign the Teaching Artist Letter of Agreement

For more information or if you have questions, contact Rubén Rodríguez, director, Music in Schools Initiative–New Haven.

Graduating Teaching Artists are invited to apply for the Morse Postgraduate Fellowship, a paid opportunity for a recent alum to continue working in the Music in Schools Initiative.

The Fellow’s responsibilities may include in-school mentorship, leading chamber ensembles, and fostering relationships with schools, students, music educators, and community partners.

How to apply
Applications open in February for the following academic year, and decisions are released in April. The Fellowship begins in September and concludes after the Morse Summer Music Academy.

The Fellow must:

• have graduated from the Yale School of Music the semester before the fellowship begins
• have worked as a Teaching Artist in the Music in Schools Initiative for at least one full academic year and one summer, or two full academic years
• demonstrate a commitment to community engagement, mentorship, and teaching
• demonstrate exemplary character
• reside in or near New Haven for the duration of the fellowship

The Morse Postgraduate Fellowship was established in 2017 through a generous gift from Dinnie and Lester Morse (YC ’53).