Summer Music Educator

Summer Program Dates: June 22 - July 10

Summer Course: Making Beats: From Loops to Tracks

Description

Geffen Academy Educators approach teaching as an intellectual profession of the highest order, one in which knowledge is not only transmitted but created. Geffen Academy Educators possess a sophisticated and reflective understanding of their discipline and a record of achievement which demonstrates their ability to utilize and contribute to the robust connections we have with UCLA, a world-class research institution. Educators' innovation is guided by our school's mission to prioritize proven educational practices while also recognizing that teaching is a complex intellectual endeavor that defies rigid codification. We are committed to a humane working environment and also recognize that teaching goes beyond the life of the mind. Geffen Academy Educators seek to create trusting and caring relationships with their students and with their larger community.

Summary

The Beats Lab: From Loops to Tracks summer course introduces middle and upper school students to music production through a hands-on, project-based approach using GarageBand. Students learn how producers create original music by working with rhythm, harmony, texture, and sound design, moving from simple loops to fully realized tracks.

Through guided instruction and short weekly creative challenges, such as "make a beat that tells a story," "flip a sample into a new genre," or "score a short scene", students explore beatmaking, sampling, recording, layering, arranging, and basic mixing techniques. Beginners receive step-by-step support to build foundational skills, while more experienced students are encouraged to experiment with advanced layering, effects, automation, and arrangement strategies.

By the end of the course, students assemble a small portfolio of completed tracks and participate in a celebratory listening party or showcase, where they present their work, creative influences, and production choices. The course is designed to be developmentally responsive for either middle school or upper school students, with the complexity of tools, challenges, and expectations adjusted based on the enrolled grade band.

Under the direction of the Summer Program Director at Geffen Academy at UCLA, the Educator will design and deliver high-quality, in-person summer instruction. The primary teaching responsibility will be The Beats Lab: From Loops to Tracks; depending on program enrollment and scheduling needs, the Educator may also have the opportunity to teach additional, thematically related summer courses. Courses meet daily for up to 90 minutes over the three-week program. Final teaching assignments and instructional responsibilities will be determined based on enrollment and overall programmatic considerations. The courses are taught in-person on Geffen Academy's Campus.

Job Duties

• Design and deliver a three-week music production course available to students in grades 6-12 using GarageBand.
• Teach foundational music production skills, including beatmaking, looping, sampling, recording, layering, arranging, and basic mixing.
• Introduce students to how producers use rhythm, harmony, texture, and sound design to shape mood and meaning in music.
• Lead short, structured creative challenges that encourage experimentation and iterative skill-building.
• Scaffold instruction to support beginners while providing extension opportunities for more advanced students.
• Support students in developing original musical ideas from initial concepts to finished tracks.
• Facilitate listening sessions and critique that model constructive feedback and reflective discussion about creative choices.
• Guide students in curating a small portfolio of completed tracks and preparing to present their work.
• Establish and reinforce clear norms around respectful collaboration, appropriate content, and responsible use of samples and digital tools.
• Foster an inclusive classroom environment that encourages creativity, risk-taking, and confidence in artistic voice.
• Collaborate with Summer Program leadership and fellow educators to ensure a cohesive program experience.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• This list of duties is not exhaustive.

School: https://www.geffenacademy.ucla.edu

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced training or degree preferred in music, music production, audio engineering, education, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience with music production tools, particularly GarageBand or comparable digital audio workstations (DAWs).
• Experience teaching, mentoring, or facilitating creative, project-based learning with middle and/or high school students.
• Strong understanding of beatmaking, arrangement, sound design, and basic mixing concepts.
• Ability to make technical tools and concepts accessible and engaging for adolescents with varying levels of experience.
• Experience providing constructive feedback and supporting revision in creative work.
• Ability to design curriculum for a short, intensive summer program.
• Familiarity with educational technology and platforms such as Google Classroom and Zoom.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Professional judgment, patience, integrity, and a collaborative teaching approach.
• Comfort working in a fast-paced summer program environment.
• Commitment to Geffen Academy's mission, values, and educational philosophy.

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

References will be checked before an offer is made

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
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  UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
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