Director of Music & Education

Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) Location: Nashville, TN   Reports to: Chief Executive Officer  FLSA Status: Full Time (Exempt)

Position Summary

The Director of Music & Education is a strategic, visionary leader within the Barbershop Harmony Society responsible for guiding the organization’s music, education, and publishing initiatives. This role oversees the development and delivery of world-class educational programs, manages BHS’s catalog of music and book publications, and builds meaningful relationships with key partners across the music education, choral, publishing, and barbershop communities.

Serving as both an artistic and educational steward, the Director ensures that all programs, content, and resources advance the BHS mission of enriching lives through singing and supporting a thriving, diverse, and innovative barbershop ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Management

• Provide strategic direction for all BHS music and education initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and member needs.
• Lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of in-person and digital educational programs, including workshops, seminars, certifications, and director/leader development.
• Guide the evolution of BHS’s music and education strategy to expand access, quality, impact, innovation, and revenue generation.
• Oversee program budgets, resource allocation, and timeline planning.
• Manage the Vocal Specialist, Senior Manager of Copyright, and related volunteer roles.

Publications & Content Development

• Oversee the creation, curation, and publication of BHS’s music and book products—including arrangements, compositions, pedagogical resources, and historical/educational content.
• Collaborate with staff, arrangers, composers, authors, and external partners to maintain high artistic and educational standards.
• Ensure publications reflect best practices in music education, barbershop harmony, and accessibility/DEI principles.
• Drive innovation in digital publishing, licensing, and distribution workflows.

Stakeholder & Industry Relationships

• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with music educators, choral organizations, academic institutions, publishers, and key leaders across the music ecosystem.
• Represent BHS at conferences, professional associations, and stakeholder meetings to promote barbershop harmony and vocal music education.
• Cultivate strong relationships with BHS chapter leaders, directors, coaches, and volunteers to support broad program adoption and success.
• Collaborate with internal teams—including Marketing, Events, and Community Engagement—to ensure cohesive communication, alignment, and program execution.

Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead, mentor, and support staff and contracted talent within the music, education, and publishing areas.
• Foster a collaborative, mission-driven culture grounded in excellence, creativity, service, and community.
• Partner with senior leadership on strategic planning, organizational initiatives, and long-term visioning.

Qualifications

Required

• Advanced degree in Music, Music Education, Arts Administration, or related field—or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated success in designing, managing, and evaluating educational programs or curricula, ideally within music, arts, or nonprofit environments.
• Strong background in choral music, vocal pedagogy, barbershop harmony, or related musical disciplines.
• Experience in music publishing, editorial work, or content development.
• Proven ability to build and maintain relationships with educators, artists, industry leaders, and organizational partners.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership experience with teams, budgets, and strategic initiatives.
• Commitment to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging across programs and resources.

Preferred

• Experience within membership-based arts organizations.
• Knowledge of music licensing, copyright, and digital publishing workflows.
• Familiarity with trends in music education, community singing, and adult learning.
• Passion for the BHS mission and the advancement of singing communities.

Bonus Qualifications

• Familiarity or expertise in barbershop harmony.
• Experience with arranging music in the barbershop style.

Strategic Leadership: Ability to envision and guide programmatic and artistic direction.  Educational Innovation: Skilled in developing high-quality, relevant, scalable learning experiences.  Collaboration: Works effectively across teams, disciplines, and partner networks.  Communication Excellence: Communicates with clarity, artistry, and professionalism.  Cultural & Artistic Stewardship: Supports BHS’s commitment to inclusion, belonging, and musical excellence.

What's in it for you:

• Competitive compensation package
• 10 days of paid vacation (eligible after 90-day probation period, prorated during first year of employment)
• 8 paid holidays and December 24 - January 1 off
• 8 paid sick days per year
• 100% company funded individual health, dental, and vision insurance
• Life insurance
• Optional short-term and long-term disability insurance
• 401K plan with 3% safe harbor contribution and company matches that could aggregate up to an additional 3% (6% total)
• High-engagement staff environment with regular team building and social activities throughout the year
• A chance to make a difference in the lives of others

As a key component of our vision of Everyone in Harmony, the Barbershop Harmony Society is committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and skills. We believe that employees who feel valued and encouraged to share their ideas are empowered to foster innovation that leads to both personal and professional growth.

The Barbershop Harmony Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This company does not and will not discriminate in employment and personnel practices on the basis of race, sex, age, handicap, religion, national origin or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.  The Barbershop Harmony Society values and actively seeks a diversified workforce.