AJ Four Ways: Text Only (by date) | headlines only
DANCE
IDEAS
- The war made a quick mess of the family. I.B. Singer Tells the Bloody, Cold-Blooded Truth
<a href="https://www.artsjournal.com/herman/2026/07/the-war-made-a-quick-mess-of-the-family-i-b-singer-tells-the-bloody-cold-blooded-truth.html" title="The war made a quick mess of the - Charlie Ortiz shares the ethos behind building sustainable partnerships
Charlie Ortiz, Founder & Executive Director of the WHIN Music Community Charter School, shares the ethos and best practices of building sustainable partnerships.
- The Original Graphic Novel Returns
Good Morning,
The Bayeux Tapestry has crossed the Channel under armed guard, its first visit to Britain in 900 years (The Guardian). It’s 230 feet of pictorial storytelling made for an audience that mostly couldn’t read. Which gives it plenty to discuss with The Atlantic’s big new essay arguing that the literate era may prove “a brief interlude between the oral and digital ages” (The Atlantic).
If reading fades, what we chose to keep matters more. The Schomburg Center turns 100 — an archive that exists because a teacher told young Arturo Schomburg that Black people had no history, and he spent a lifetime assembling a refutation of that notion (The Guardian). Collections are arguments. So is refusing to open one: The New York Times and other publishers now accuse OpenAI of hiding evidence that its training data was searchable all along (Variety).
At PEN America, Dinaw Mengestu resigned the presidency after just seven months, and neither side is saying why (The New York Times).
And Anthony Hopkins, 88, releases his first album of his own classical compositions — Dudamel conducting (The Hollywood Reporter). Some first loves have long fuses.
All of our stories below.
- Community Music Center of Boston seeks Chief Executive Officer
Organization
Community Music Center of Boston is an arts education nonprofit founded in 1910 with a mission to transform lives by providing equitable access to excellent music education and arts experiences. Originally established to provide lessons and classes to a wave of new American immigrants, CMCB has spent 116 years as a leader in connecting music education to social impact, responding to Boston’s evolving civic needs.
CMCB was one of the agencies tapped at the height of Boston’s 1970s school desegregation crisis, providing music classes in newly integrated schools to support community-building and help bridge divides. Years earlier, CMCB had already become an early pioneer in using music to support social-emotional development, work that would later evolve into what is now the board-certified profession of music therapy. Across generations, CMCB has continued to demonstrate how music education and music-based experiences can respond to municipal opportunities, foster belonging, and strengthen community connection.
Today, CMCB operates a large community music school, serves as a first touchpoint in music education for thousands of participants each year through schools and social services agencies, and is one of the largest external providers of arts education to Boston Public Schools. Supporting more than 2,500 students of all ages each week, CMCB is an anchor for local arts education, supporting learner-centered and culturally inclusive musical instruction in one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Approximately 80% of CMCB’s students are youth of color and 70% are economically disadvantaged. Through its Community Music School, Community Engagement Programs, Music Therapy, and nationally recognized Youth Employment Program, CMCB provides music learning opportunities across virtually every Boston neighborhood. CMCB’s Community Music School sees over 400 households through private lessons, semester-based group classes for ages five and up, individual music therapy, small chamber groups, chamber orchestra, music theory, music production, and the Summer Arts and Music Program. CMCB’s Community Engagement Programs extend this work to over 2,000 more households through partnerships with public, charter, parochial, and independent schools, as well as health and human services organizations, community centers, and civic programs.
CMCB’s recent innovations are focused on a broadened impact of music. For example, CMCB is pioneering more inclusive and realistic pathways for pursuing music. CMCB’s new “Student Pathways” celebrate the range of musical interests and futures that bring people to music lessons. The four pathways, Musical Explorers, Community Musicians, Citizen Musicians, and Performing Musicians, recognize that students may be motivated by discovery, collaboration, social impact, performance, or a combination of these interests. Rather than requiring students to choose one fixed track, the pathways are flexible and intended to support ongoing conversations about growth, curiosity, and personal expression throughout a student’s journey at CMCB.
Another example of CMCB’s innovation and impact is the Youth Employment Program, which provides young people ages 14 and up with hands-on, part-time experience in arts administration within a nonprofit music education setting. Over 70 students participate each year in this nationally recognized program that supports workforce development, college and career mentorship, and youth economic empowerment. The program is strengthened by partnerships with organizations across the city of Boston, including strategic program partnerships with the Boston Bloomberg Arts Internship, Franklin Cummings Tech, and The Clubhouse Network, as well as employment partnerships with several local colleges and nonprofits.
CMCB is also expanding to a new 13,000-square-foot home in Nubian Square. This state-of-the-art facility, featuring ample private-lesson space, a recital hall, a recording studio, administrative offices, and generous gathering spaces, demonstrates CMCB’s commitment to our communities. With more than a century of service, CMCB continues to advance a vision that welcomes all voices and supports students, families, schools, and communities across Greater Boston.
The CMCB Corporation, consisting of 83 members of the larger CMCB community, elects and supports a 20-member board of directors led by President Dr. George Blount. The CEO reports to the board of directors and has five direct reports: the Chief Financial & Operating Officer, Chief Programming Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, Executive Assistant, and Human Resources Manager. The budgeted revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, is $4.6 million, including 64% from contributions, 26% from earned revenue sources, and 10% from other revenue sources.
Sources: cmcb.org; propublica.org
Community
One of the nation’s most historic metropolitan areas, Boston is a vibrant, diverse, and deeply rooted city known for its rich history, distinctive neighborhoods, world-class educational and cultural institutions, and strong civic identity. Founded in 1630 and incorporated as a city in 1822, Boston is home to more than 670,000 residents and serves as the center of a metropolitan region of more than five million people. Boston is especially distinguished by its neighborhoods, each contributing to the city’s character, community life, and sense of place. CMCB’s new headquarters, opening in 2027, will be located in Boston’s historic Nubian Square in Roxbury, a culturally rich neighborhood shaped by African, Latin, and other diverse heritages. It is also in close proximity to the Boston Public Schools and other community groups we serve. In addition to their headquarters, CMCB’s activities take place at over 30 partner sites throughout Greater Boston and also at CMCB’s current location.
Boston’s identity is shaped by both its historic legacy and its contemporary role as a center for arts, culture, education, innovation, and public life. The city’s history includes major stories from the American Revolution, the nation’s first public school, historic districts, landmarks, archives, and public spaces that connect residents and visitors to Boston’s past. Today, Boston’s cultural landscape includes major arts institutions and venues such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston; the Boston Symphony Orchestra; and the historic Strand Theatre, alongside neighborhood-based arts organizations, festivals, public art, and community cultural programming. The City of Boston also supports equitable access to arts and culture through grants, cultural planning, public art, neighborhood activations, and investments in arts spaces. Together, these assets make Boston both a historic American city and a dynamic contemporary community for residents, families, students, artists, businesses, and visitors.
Sources: boston.gov; artsboston.org; census.gov
Position Summary
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be a visionary leader responsible for Community Music Center of Boston (CMCB)’s strategic direction, public visibility, and managerial operations. Joining CMCB following a successful building acquisition and capital campaign, the CEO will lead CMCB at an exciting time of possibility and broadened impact. As CMCB’s primary spokesperson, the CEO will co-develop and execute a new strategic plan that builds on the success of the past and brings CMCB into an even brighter future. The CEO will nurture a unique mix of multi-generational relationships with board, faculty, staff, parents, students, strategic partners, and donors that comprise the core of CMCB’s culture and identity and the essence of their special community. The CEO will exude warmth and energy while leading this vibrant community music education organization through this time of growth and transition. The CEO will embrace joyful, culturally inclusive, and student-centered collaboration with a student body as diverse as the city CMCB calls home. The CEO will guide, advise, and mobilize board members as they embrace their roles as fundraisers, policymakers, and community ambassadors while overseeing staff leadership, operations, and earned and contributed revenue growth.
Roles and Responsibilities
Program Development, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Champion equitable access to arts education and arts-based experiences, and foster an inclusive culture where students, families, faculty, staff, and community partners from all backgrounds can thrive.
• Identify and promote innovative programming that will enable a successful transition from one to two campuses, in the context of CMCB footprint expansion.
• Foster and leverage CMCB’s strong reputation as an extraordinary community music school to sustain current programming and to ensure opportunities for growth come to fruition.
• Create and sustain mutually supportive relationships with leadership at Boston Public Schools and similar institutions.
• Develop new partnership agreements with schools and community organizations to advance CMCB’s outreach activities throughout the Greater Boston Area.
• Ensure high-quality programs, services, and facilities that are accessible, welcoming, and responsive to the needs of the communities CMCB supports.
• Collaborate with CMCB’s staff and faculty to develop innovative ways to grow earned revenue.
• Continue to develop existing programming initiatives in such diverse areas as student-centered music education, Youth Employment, Music Therapy, ensemble programming, contemporary genres, impacts of AI on music education, and other areas.
• Expand and build on CMCB’s national presence and reputation as an innovator and best-practitioner.
• Embrace other program development, diversity, and inclusion responsibilities as needed.Contributed Revenue Enhancement
• Provide organizational leadership in all aspects of fundraising and development by establishing personal relationships with key funders and donors to support CMCB’s strategic and capitalization goals.
• Identify and maintain strong relationships with key community partners to continue to diversify and expand the organization’s individual, foundation, corporate, and government donor base.
• Broaden CMCB’s public image and increase brand awareness for the organization, clearly articulating the mission, vision, programs, and impacts of CMCB.
• Define contributed revenue opportunities with board and development staff in annual and long-term fundraising plans.
• Cultivate existing donors for ongoing support while seeking new prospects to ensure a robust and diversified funding base.
• Embrace other contributed revenue enhancement responsibilities as needed.Stakeholder Cultivation and Community Engagement
• Work with the board and other stakeholders to develop a new strategic vision and plan, enabling CMCB to successfully manage its integration into the Roxbury community and its transition to a multi-campus footprint.
• Listen carefully, speak persuasively, and anticipate concerns of parents, students, faculty, staff, board members, external partners, donors, and the public.
• Foster an inclusive workplace that attracts, develops, and retains talented faculty and staff from a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
• Guide board prospect identification, cultivation, and recruitment by utilizing participation on board committees that develop future board members and leaders.
• Mobilize the talents, connections, and resources of the board to stimulate their continued active involvement.
• Embrace other stakeholder cultivation and community engagement responsibilities as needed.Financial Acumen and Organizational Management
• Lead all aspects of the CMCB’s financial management and business operations, including budgeting, forecasting, performance monitoring, risk management, and resource allocation.
• Ensure the long-term financial sustainability of CMCB while balancing mission impact, earned and contributed revenue goals, and strategic investments in growth.
• Translate strategic priorities into operational and financial plans, using data and performance metrics to drive decision-making, assess organizational effectiveness, and ensure accountability for results.
• Oversee, direct, develop, and manage CMCB’s staff and faculty to perpetuate the organizational culture of trust, cooperation, and collaboration.
• Supervise and integrate all aspects of CMCB, including faculty, administrative staff, facilities, and technology.
• Guide marketing, branding, and public relations programs that highlight CMCB’s impacts and reputation.
• Spearhead innovation and creativity to allow CMCB to continue to flourish.
• Lead day-to-day operations to ensure that faculty, staff, students, and parents have a memorable experience that leaves a legacy on their future growth and personal development.
• Empower and build camaraderie among senior management to recognize and leverage individual strengths that contribute to organizational success.
• Embrace other financial acumen and organizational management responsibilities as needed.Traits and Characteristics
The Chief Executive Officer will be a resourceful and engaging leader who is energized by practical results, effective action, and making the most of time, talent, energy, and resources. Highly interactive and people-oriented, they will bring a visible, relationship-centered leadership style that supports frequent communication, meaningful engagement, and strong rapport with a wide range of individuals. The CEO will be versatile and receptive, adapting easily to different situations while welcoming new ideas, methods, and opportunities. With a harmonious approach grounded in experience, perspective, and balance, they will lead with sound judgment and an altruistic commitment to creating benefits for others.
Other key competencies include:
• Leadership and Diplomacy – The ability to inspire, build trust, and create a sense of purpose and direction while tactfully handling challenging and sensitive issues.
• Interpersonal Skills – The commitment to building rapport while effectively communicating with diverse stakeholders nationally and internationally.
• Personal Accountability – The capacity to self-evaluate by utilizing and analyzing feedback and data and taking responsibility for actions and results.
• Customer Focused – The flexibility to anticipate and exceed student and stakeholder needs or expectations.
• Decision Making – The capability to analyze all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions.
• Planning and Organizing – The ingenuity to collaboratively establish strategic goals while assessing risks, organizing activities, people, and operational priorities to meet mutually-agreed-upon expectations.Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree is required, a master’s degree preferred, plus a minimum of five to seven years of related senior management experience. Expertise in planning, organizational development, relationship building, and team building in a collegial environment of mutual respect is needed. Executive-level competencies, political savvy, strategic vision, and the ability to lead change are essential, along with the creativity and technical credibility to advance strategic priorities. A successful track record in best practices within the nonprofit, education, or music field and a high level of leadership and fundraising experience are expected. The successful candidate should have a passion for music and music education, as well as enthusiasm for CMCB’s dual mission of excellence and access. They must also be skilled at building partnerships, developing metrics to measure their success, and valuing the neighborhood relationships essential to helping CMCB be welcomed into its new community.
Compensation and Benefits
CMCB provides a competitive and equitable compensation package with an estimated salary in the range of $170,000 to $200,000. Benefits include medical insurance (group health and flexible spending account), paid time off, non-contributory 403(b) retirement plan, long-term disability insurance, and the quality of life that Greater Boston has to offer.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/community-music-center-of-boston-seeks-chief-executive-officer/
CMCB provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.
- Director of Operations for Conservatory of Music
Full-time, 12-month, Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Additional time may be required.
University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music seeks an innovative and broadly minded colleague to advance and professionalize operations in the Conservatory as their Director of Operations. The successful candidate will be versed in and model the connections between performing, music industry, recording, and administrative careers emerging in creative sector industries. In partnership with Pacific faculty and staff colleagues, the successful candidate will help supervise staff and students and oversee all music facilities activities in six spaces on Pacific’s Stockton Campus. To learn more about the Conservatory, visit https://www.pacific.edu/music.
Hiring Range: $70,304 to $82,000 per year. We consider factors such as, but not limited to, scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s qualifications, internal equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.
Apply online at https://pacific.peopleadmin.com/postings/32472.
Essential Functions
•Oversee Conservatory concerts and events (150 + per year).
•Supervise a Stage and Technical Director (12 month staff role).
•Lead Weekly Operations Team Meetings.
•Coordinate scheduling for Conservatory performance, rehearsal, and classroom facilities.
•Operate and/or supervise the usage of event-based lighting, sound, recording, and stage equipment supportive of live music and/or recorded/streamed events.
•Supervise, train, assign, and coordinate the work of employees, including staff, students, and student employees.
•Manage daily, weekly, and annual rehearsal and performance logistics across six facilities.
•Recommend the purchase of technical equipment.
•Manage Conservatory inventory and equipment.
•Model precision, calm, and clarity in preparation for and during live performance settings.
•In consultation with Pacific’s Facilities teams, generate invoices and prepare quotes and contracts for the use of Conservatory concert facilities.
•Perform other duties as assigned or requested.
•Collaborate with other campus support units and administrators to ensure efficient operations and act as a liaison to ensure compliance with institutional rules and regulations.
•Be responsible for emergency response plans for the Conservatory; liaison to the University’s Pacific alert team.University of the Pacific recognizes that diversity, equity, and inclusion is foundational to the success of our valued students and employees. We prioritize policy and decision-making that demonstrates awareness of, and responsiveness to, the ways socio-cultural forces related to race, gender, ability, sexuality, socio-economic status, etc. impede or propel students, faculty, and staff.
Minimum Qualifications
- Undergraduate degree in performing arts related field(s), or two (2) years of full-time experience in the same or similar position is equal to one (1) year of completed post high school education coursework.
- Two (2) or more years of experience in an evolving work environment with regularly changing priorities, schedules, or operational demands.
Preferred Qualifications
•Three (3) or more years of increasing experience in venue management field.
•Experience in producing and streaming live performance events and in post-production archival procedures.
•Experience in musical theater and/or opera productions as stage and/or technical director roles.
•Knowledge of standard operating procedures for performing arts spaces, inclusive of theater spaces, concert halls, rehearsal halls, and in academic instruction and event management and the ability to implement and sustain them in academic settings.
•Demonstrated operations ability and success in highly volume performing arts fields.
•Excellent customer service orientation skills.
•Excellent organizational skills, especially in managing event logistics, calling shows, and establishing sustainable and written facilities operations protocols.
•Excellent oral and written communication skills.
•Proven staff and operations management and supervision.
•Demonstrated ability to set goals, manage time and assignments and achieve outcomes.
•Positive attitude, proven ability to work successfully with diverse populations and demonstrated commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity in all its forms.
•Flexible and effective when experiencing changes in work task, environment, or conditions.
•Experience and sensitivity in working with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures.
•Demonstrated experience in advancing social justice, equity, and inclusion in a university setting.
•Ability to engage and integrate culturally responsive practices and knowledge in their work.Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative but not definitive of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Requires extended periods of sitting and repetitive hand/wrist motion while using computer keyboard and phone. Occasional standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending, stooping and reaching. Occasional lifting up to 50 pounds.
Work Environment/Workweek/Travel:
Work is primarily performed in the standard office environment with use of computer and phone, occasionally requires work out of doors or in large auditoria with exposure to warmer or cooler temperatures.
Valid driver’s license required. Incumbent must also be able to meet the University’s fleet rules and be eligible to drive for University business. The University and its insurance carrier reserves the right to exclude applicants based on their driving record.
Background Check Statement
All applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment are required to execute a release and authorization for a background screening.
AB 810 Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: University of the Pacific complies with California Assembly Bill 810, requiring candidates accepting conditional job offers to disclose any final administrative or judicial findings, ongoing proceedings, allegations, resignations under investigation, or appeals related to sexual harassment or misconduct within the past seven years.
Anti-Discrimination/EEO Policy Statement
University of the Pacific is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to workforce diversity across backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. Pacific does not unlawfully discriminate in its hiring of faculty and staff, or in the provision of its employment benefits to its faculty and staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sex/gender, marital status, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, medical condition, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, or mental or physical disability, or other legally protected characteristics or combination of such characteristics. While we strive to attract a broad and representative pool of candidates, all hiring decisions are made based on merit, selecting the most qualified individual for each position.
ISSUES
- Anish Kapoor And The Meaning Of The Void
“When Kapoor first made one of these works in Prussian blue, he was stunned to find ‘it wasn’t an empty space painted blue,’ he said. ‘It was full of blueness or, as I say, darkness. What was empty became full. How can that be?’” – ArtNet
- The Bayeux Tapestry Arrives In Britain, Under Armed Guard, For The First Time In A While
Where “a while” equals 900 years. – BBC
- The Bacteria That Causes Legionnaire’s Disease Has Been Found In The Guggenheim’s Cooling Tower
But, er, don’t freak out, New York. “The building remains safe for employees and visitors, according to both the museum and the union that represents its workers.” – The Art Newspaper
- Bayeux Tapestry Arrives Safely At British Museum
“The secretive operation was the result of years of negotiations, tricky logistical planning and multiple technical studies to ensure the integrity of the 70-metre-long (230ft) medieval artwork.” – The Guardian
- Have Two English Preservation Societies Been Exaggerating About ‘Witch Marks’ On Old Buildings?
One architectural historian might go even farther: “Anything on a stone building that looks like a design gets picked up as these damn things now. There’s absolutely no evidence they were ever used like that.” – The Guardian (UK)
MEDIA
- A Lot Of True Believers Sponsored ‘The Chosen’ Before It Became A Money-Printing Juggernaut
But they seem to have been left behind. “A shareholder lawsuit, quietly filed this past week against 5&2 Studios in the Delaware Court of Chancery, alleges that some of those early acolytes were prevented from sharing in the miracle.” – Puck
- New York Times, Ziff Davis, The Intercept, Others Accuse OpenAI Of Possible Obstruction Of Justice
As part of their broader lawsuits against OpenAI for copyright infringement for training its software on their media products without consent or compensation, the plaintiffs filed a motion accusing the company of lying during discovery by deliberately hiding evidence that its training datasets and output logs are searchable. – Variety
- Will The Kennedy Center Survive This ‘Open,’ Empty Time?
“What’s left has the air of a ghost ship, as the center’s board prepares to reconsider to what degree the building will remain open. The Kennedy Center declined to comment.” – Washington Post
- Smithsonian Chief Rebuts Trump Administration Report Accusing American History Museum Of Extremism
In a staff-wide email, Lonnie Bunch wrote that “there will always be room for improvement,” but the report “is not a fair characterization of … the National Museum of American History. At the Smithsonian, our work is driven by scholarship, accuracy, and an uncompromising commitment to tell the fullness of America’s story.” – The Washington Post
- Ukrainian Troops Get Handbook On Protecting Cultural Property
“The handbook sets out Ukrainian soldiers’ main obligations under international humanitarian law, the different levels of protection afforded to cultural property, the precautions to be integrated into operational planning, and the procedures for identifying, reporting and documenting attacks against heritage.” – The Art Newspaper
MUSIC
- Reckoning With Beat Poet Allen Ginsburg’s Complicated Legacy
The great poet of Howl and defender of free speech has one (pretty huge) legacy problem during his centennial celebration: His defense of, and membership in, the North American Man-Boy Love Association. – The Guardian (UK)
- Dinaw Mengestu Resigns As President Of PEN America After Only Seven Months
“Mengestu declined to provide further details. PEN America confirmed that he had resigned and also declined to say more. The organization has been on shaky ground in recent years because of backlash from writers and activists over its response to the war in Gaza.” – The New York Times
- Emily Wilson Knows From Angry ‘Odyssey’ Bros
“Wilson’s translations of The Odyssey and The Iliad are some of the best-known pieces of contemporary translation, and they’ve turned the University of Pennsylvania professor into both a star and a specter of controversy.” – Vulture
- Man Sentenced For Theft Of Rare Chinese Manuscripts From UCLA Library
Jeffrey Ying, a 39-year-old resident of Fremont, Cal., gets a year of house arrest and three years of probation for a scheme in which he reserved and checked out, under false names, several 17th-century manuscripts, then returned fake dummy copies. – San Francisco Chronicle (Yahoo!)
- The UK’s New Children’s Laureate Is Neither White Nor Dead
Patrice Lawrence “has a practical vision for her laureateship. ‘To change policy you need evidence,’ she says. ‘We say stories work, let’s show how they work.’” – The Guardian (UK)
PEOPLE
- The war made a quick mess of the family. I.B. Singer Tells the Bloody, Cold-Blooded Truth<a href="https://www.artsjournal.com/herman/2026/07/the-war-made-a-quick-mess-of-the-family-i-b-singer-tells-the-bloody-cold-blooded-truth.html" title="The war made a quick mess of the
- Charlie Ortiz shares the ethos behind building sustainable partnerships
Charlie Ortiz, Founder & Executive Director of the WHIN Music Community Charter School, shares the ethos and best practices of building sustainable partnerships.
- The Original Graphic Novel Returns
Good Morning,
The Bayeux Tapestry has crossed the Channel under armed guard, its first visit to Britain in 900 years (The Guardian). It’s 230 feet of pictorial storytelling made for an audience that mostly couldn’t read. Which gives it plenty to discuss with The Atlantic’s big new essay arguing that the literate era may prove “a brief interlude between the oral and digital ages” (The Atlantic).
If reading fades, what we chose to keep matters more. The Schomburg Center turns 100 — an archive that exists because a teacher told young Arturo Schomburg that Black people had no history, and he spent a lifetime assembling a refutation of that notion (The Guardian). Collections are arguments. So is refusing to open one: The New York Times and other publishers now accuse OpenAI of hiding evidence that its training data was searchable all along (Variety).
At PEN America, Dinaw Mengestu resigned the presidency after just seven months, and neither side is saying why (The New York Times).
And Anthony Hopkins, 88, releases his first album of his own classical compositions — Dudamel conducting (The Hollywood Reporter). Some first loves have long fuses.
All of our stories below.
- Community Music Center of Boston seeks Chief Executive Officer
Organization
Community Music Center of Boston is an arts education nonprofit founded in 1910 with a mission to transform lives by providing equitable access to excellent music education and arts experiences. Originally established to provide lessons and classes to a wave of new American immigrants, CMCB has spent 116 years as a leader in connecting music education to social impact, responding to Boston’s evolving civic needs.
CMCB was one of the agencies tapped at the height of Boston’s 1970s school desegregation crisis, providing music classes in newly integrated schools to support community-building and help bridge divides. Years earlier, CMCB had already become an early pioneer in using music to support social-emotional development, work that would later evolve into what is now the board-certified profession of music therapy. Across generations, CMCB has continued to demonstrate how music education and music-based experiences can respond to municipal opportunities, foster belonging, and strengthen community connection.
Today, CMCB operates a large community music school, serves as a first touchpoint in music education for thousands of participants each year through schools and social services agencies, and is one of the largest external providers of arts education to Boston Public Schools. Supporting more than 2,500 students of all ages each week, CMCB is an anchor for local arts education, supporting learner-centered and culturally inclusive musical instruction in one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Approximately 80% of CMCB’s students are youth of color and 70% are economically disadvantaged. Through its Community Music School, Community Engagement Programs, Music Therapy, and nationally recognized Youth Employment Program, CMCB provides music learning opportunities across virtually every Boston neighborhood. CMCB’s Community Music School sees over 400 households through private lessons, semester-based group classes for ages five and up, individual music therapy, small chamber groups, chamber orchestra, music theory, music production, and the Summer Arts and Music Program. CMCB’s Community Engagement Programs extend this work to over 2,000 more households through partnerships with public, charter, parochial, and independent schools, as well as health and human services organizations, community centers, and civic programs.
CMCB’s recent innovations are focused on a broadened impact of music. For example, CMCB is pioneering more inclusive and realistic pathways for pursuing music. CMCB’s new “Student Pathways” celebrate the range of musical interests and futures that bring people to music lessons. The four pathways, Musical Explorers, Community Musicians, Citizen Musicians, and Performing Musicians, recognize that students may be motivated by discovery, collaboration, social impact, performance, or a combination of these interests. Rather than requiring students to choose one fixed track, the pathways are flexible and intended to support ongoing conversations about growth, curiosity, and personal expression throughout a student’s journey at CMCB.
Another example of CMCB’s innovation and impact is the Youth Employment Program, which provides young people ages 14 and up with hands-on, part-time experience in arts administration within a nonprofit music education setting. Over 70 students participate each year in this nationally recognized program that supports workforce development, college and career mentorship, and youth economic empowerment. The program is strengthened by partnerships with organizations across the city of Boston, including strategic program partnerships with the Boston Bloomberg Arts Internship, Franklin Cummings Tech, and The Clubhouse Network, as well as employment partnerships with several local colleges and nonprofits.
CMCB is also expanding to a new 13,000-square-foot home in Nubian Square. This state-of-the-art facility, featuring ample private-lesson space, a recital hall, a recording studio, administrative offices, and generous gathering spaces, demonstrates CMCB’s commitment to our communities. With more than a century of service, CMCB continues to advance a vision that welcomes all voices and supports students, families, schools, and communities across Greater Boston.
The CMCB Corporation, consisting of 83 members of the larger CMCB community, elects and supports a 20-member board of directors led by President Dr. George Blount. The CEO reports to the board of directors and has five direct reports: the Chief Financial & Operating Officer, Chief Programming Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, Executive Assistant, and Human Resources Manager. The budgeted revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, is $4.6 million, including 64% from contributions, 26% from earned revenue sources, and 10% from other revenue sources.
Sources: cmcb.org; propublica.org
Community
One of the nation’s most historic metropolitan areas, Boston is a vibrant, diverse, and deeply rooted city known for its rich history, distinctive neighborhoods, world-class educational and cultural institutions, and strong civic identity. Founded in 1630 and incorporated as a city in 1822, Boston is home to more than 670,000 residents and serves as the center of a metropolitan region of more than five million people. Boston is especially distinguished by its neighborhoods, each contributing to the city’s character, community life, and sense of place. CMCB’s new headquarters, opening in 2027, will be located in Boston’s historic Nubian Square in Roxbury, a culturally rich neighborhood shaped by African, Latin, and other diverse heritages. It is also in close proximity to the Boston Public Schools and other community groups we serve. In addition to their headquarters, CMCB’s activities take place at over 30 partner sites throughout Greater Boston and also at CMCB’s current location.
Boston’s identity is shaped by both its historic legacy and its contemporary role as a center for arts, culture, education, innovation, and public life. The city’s history includes major stories from the American Revolution, the nation’s first public school, historic districts, landmarks, archives, and public spaces that connect residents and visitors to Boston’s past. Today, Boston’s cultural landscape includes major arts institutions and venues such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston; the Boston Symphony Orchestra; and the historic Strand Theatre, alongside neighborhood-based arts organizations, festivals, public art, and community cultural programming. The City of Boston also supports equitable access to arts and culture through grants, cultural planning, public art, neighborhood activations, and investments in arts spaces. Together, these assets make Boston both a historic American city and a dynamic contemporary community for residents, families, students, artists, businesses, and visitors.
Sources: boston.gov; artsboston.org; census.gov
Position Summary
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be a visionary leader responsible for Community Music Center of Boston (CMCB)’s strategic direction, public visibility, and managerial operations. Joining CMCB following a successful building acquisition and capital campaign, the CEO will lead CMCB at an exciting time of possibility and broadened impact. As CMCB’s primary spokesperson, the CEO will co-develop and execute a new strategic plan that builds on the success of the past and brings CMCB into an even brighter future. The CEO will nurture a unique mix of multi-generational relationships with board, faculty, staff, parents, students, strategic partners, and donors that comprise the core of CMCB’s culture and identity and the essence of their special community. The CEO will exude warmth and energy while leading this vibrant community music education organization through this time of growth and transition. The CEO will embrace joyful, culturally inclusive, and student-centered collaboration with a student body as diverse as the city CMCB calls home. The CEO will guide, advise, and mobilize board members as they embrace their roles as fundraisers, policymakers, and community ambassadors while overseeing staff leadership, operations, and earned and contributed revenue growth.
Roles and Responsibilities
Program Development, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Champion equitable access to arts education and arts-based experiences, and foster an inclusive culture where students, families, faculty, staff, and community partners from all backgrounds can thrive.
• Identify and promote innovative programming that will enable a successful transition from one to two campuses, in the context of CMCB footprint expansion.
• Foster and leverage CMCB’s strong reputation as an extraordinary community music school to sustain current programming and to ensure opportunities for growth come to fruition.
• Create and sustain mutually supportive relationships with leadership at Boston Public Schools and similar institutions.
• Develop new partnership agreements with schools and community organizations to advance CMCB’s outreach activities throughout the Greater Boston Area.
• Ensure high-quality programs, services, and facilities that are accessible, welcoming, and responsive to the needs of the communities CMCB supports.
• Collaborate with CMCB’s staff and faculty to develop innovative ways to grow earned revenue.
• Continue to develop existing programming initiatives in such diverse areas as student-centered music education, Youth Employment, Music Therapy, ensemble programming, contemporary genres, impacts of AI on music education, and other areas.
• Expand and build on CMCB’s national presence and reputation as an innovator and best-practitioner.
• Embrace other program development, diversity, and inclusion responsibilities as needed.Contributed Revenue Enhancement
• Provide organizational leadership in all aspects of fundraising and development by establishing personal relationships with key funders and donors to support CMCB’s strategic and capitalization goals.
• Identify and maintain strong relationships with key community partners to continue to diversify and expand the organization’s individual, foundation, corporate, and government donor base.
• Broaden CMCB’s public image and increase brand awareness for the organization, clearly articulating the mission, vision, programs, and impacts of CMCB.
• Define contributed revenue opportunities with board and development staff in annual and long-term fundraising plans.
• Cultivate existing donors for ongoing support while seeking new prospects to ensure a robust and diversified funding base.
• Embrace other contributed revenue enhancement responsibilities as needed.Stakeholder Cultivation and Community Engagement
• Work with the board and other stakeholders to develop a new strategic vision and plan, enabling CMCB to successfully manage its integration into the Roxbury community and its transition to a multi-campus footprint.
• Listen carefully, speak persuasively, and anticipate concerns of parents, students, faculty, staff, board members, external partners, donors, and the public.
• Foster an inclusive workplace that attracts, develops, and retains talented faculty and staff from a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
• Guide board prospect identification, cultivation, and recruitment by utilizing participation on board committees that develop future board members and leaders.
• Mobilize the talents, connections, and resources of the board to stimulate their continued active involvement.
• Embrace other stakeholder cultivation and community engagement responsibilities as needed.Financial Acumen and Organizational Management
• Lead all aspects of the CMCB’s financial management and business operations, including budgeting, forecasting, performance monitoring, risk management, and resource allocation.
• Ensure the long-term financial sustainability of CMCB while balancing mission impact, earned and contributed revenue goals, and strategic investments in growth.
• Translate strategic priorities into operational and financial plans, using data and performance metrics to drive decision-making, assess organizational effectiveness, and ensure accountability for results.
• Oversee, direct, develop, and manage CMCB’s staff and faculty to perpetuate the organizational culture of trust, cooperation, and collaboration.
• Supervise and integrate all aspects of CMCB, including faculty, administrative staff, facilities, and technology.
• Guide marketing, branding, and public relations programs that highlight CMCB’s impacts and reputation.
• Spearhead innovation and creativity to allow CMCB to continue to flourish.
• Lead day-to-day operations to ensure that faculty, staff, students, and parents have a memorable experience that leaves a legacy on their future growth and personal development.
• Empower and build camaraderie among senior management to recognize and leverage individual strengths that contribute to organizational success.
• Embrace other financial acumen and organizational management responsibilities as needed.Traits and Characteristics
The Chief Executive Officer will be a resourceful and engaging leader who is energized by practical results, effective action, and making the most of time, talent, energy, and resources. Highly interactive and people-oriented, they will bring a visible, relationship-centered leadership style that supports frequent communication, meaningful engagement, and strong rapport with a wide range of individuals. The CEO will be versatile and receptive, adapting easily to different situations while welcoming new ideas, methods, and opportunities. With a harmonious approach grounded in experience, perspective, and balance, they will lead with sound judgment and an altruistic commitment to creating benefits for others.
Other key competencies include:
• Leadership and Diplomacy – The ability to inspire, build trust, and create a sense of purpose and direction while tactfully handling challenging and sensitive issues.
• Interpersonal Skills – The commitment to building rapport while effectively communicating with diverse stakeholders nationally and internationally.
• Personal Accountability – The capacity to self-evaluate by utilizing and analyzing feedback and data and taking responsibility for actions and results.
• Customer Focused – The flexibility to anticipate and exceed student and stakeholder needs or expectations.
• Decision Making – The capability to analyze all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions.
• Planning and Organizing – The ingenuity to collaboratively establish strategic goals while assessing risks, organizing activities, people, and operational priorities to meet mutually-agreed-upon expectations.Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree is required, a master’s degree preferred, plus a minimum of five to seven years of related senior management experience. Expertise in planning, organizational development, relationship building, and team building in a collegial environment of mutual respect is needed. Executive-level competencies, political savvy, strategic vision, and the ability to lead change are essential, along with the creativity and technical credibility to advance strategic priorities. A successful track record in best practices within the nonprofit, education, or music field and a high level of leadership and fundraising experience are expected. The successful candidate should have a passion for music and music education, as well as enthusiasm for CMCB’s dual mission of excellence and access. They must also be skilled at building partnerships, developing metrics to measure their success, and valuing the neighborhood relationships essential to helping CMCB be welcomed into its new community.
Compensation and Benefits
CMCB provides a competitive and equitable compensation package with an estimated salary in the range of $170,000 to $200,000. Benefits include medical insurance (group health and flexible spending account), paid time off, non-contributory 403(b) retirement plan, long-term disability insurance, and the quality of life that Greater Boston has to offer.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/community-music-center-of-boston-seeks-chief-executive-officer/
CMCB provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.
- Director of Operations for Conservatory of Music
Full-time, 12-month, Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Additional time may be required.
University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music seeks an innovative and broadly minded colleague to advance and professionalize operations in the Conservatory as their Director of Operations. The successful candidate will be versed in and model the connections between performing, music industry, recording, and administrative careers emerging in creative sector industries. In partnership with Pacific faculty and staff colleagues, the successful candidate will help supervise staff and students and oversee all music facilities activities in six spaces on Pacific’s Stockton Campus. To learn more about the Conservatory, visit https://www.pacific.edu/music.
Hiring Range: $70,304 to $82,000 per year. We consider factors such as, but not limited to, scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s qualifications, internal equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.
Apply online at https://pacific.peopleadmin.com/postings/32472.
Essential Functions
•Oversee Conservatory concerts and events (150 + per year).
•Supervise a Stage and Technical Director (12 month staff role).
•Lead Weekly Operations Team Meetings.
•Coordinate scheduling for Conservatory performance, rehearsal, and classroom facilities.
•Operate and/or supervise the usage of event-based lighting, sound, recording, and stage equipment supportive of live music and/or recorded/streamed events.
•Supervise, train, assign, and coordinate the work of employees, including staff, students, and student employees.
•Manage daily, weekly, and annual rehearsal and performance logistics across six facilities.
•Recommend the purchase of technical equipment.
•Manage Conservatory inventory and equipment.
•Model precision, calm, and clarity in preparation for and during live performance settings.
•In consultation with Pacific’s Facilities teams, generate invoices and prepare quotes and contracts for the use of Conservatory concert facilities.
•Perform other duties as assigned or requested.
•Collaborate with other campus support units and administrators to ensure efficient operations and act as a liaison to ensure compliance with institutional rules and regulations.
•Be responsible for emergency response plans for the Conservatory; liaison to the University’s Pacific alert team.University of the Pacific recognizes that diversity, equity, and inclusion is foundational to the success of our valued students and employees. We prioritize policy and decision-making that demonstrates awareness of, and responsiveness to, the ways socio-cultural forces related to race, gender, ability, sexuality, socio-economic status, etc. impede or propel students, faculty, and staff.
Minimum Qualifications
- Undergraduate degree in performing arts related field(s), or two (2) years of full-time experience in the same or similar position is equal to one (1) year of completed post high school education coursework.
- Two (2) or more years of experience in an evolving work environment with regularly changing priorities, schedules, or operational demands.
Preferred Qualifications
•Three (3) or more years of increasing experience in venue management field.
•Experience in producing and streaming live performance events and in post-production archival procedures.
•Experience in musical theater and/or opera productions as stage and/or technical director roles.
•Knowledge of standard operating procedures for performing arts spaces, inclusive of theater spaces, concert halls, rehearsal halls, and in academic instruction and event management and the ability to implement and sustain them in academic settings.
•Demonstrated operations ability and success in highly volume performing arts fields.
•Excellent customer service orientation skills.
•Excellent organizational skills, especially in managing event logistics, calling shows, and establishing sustainable and written facilities operations protocols.
•Excellent oral and written communication skills.
•Proven staff and operations management and supervision.
•Demonstrated ability to set goals, manage time and assignments and achieve outcomes.
•Positive attitude, proven ability to work successfully with diverse populations and demonstrated commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity in all its forms.
•Flexible and effective when experiencing changes in work task, environment, or conditions.
•Experience and sensitivity in working with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures.
•Demonstrated experience in advancing social justice, equity, and inclusion in a university setting.
•Ability to engage and integrate culturally responsive practices and knowledge in their work.Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative but not definitive of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Requires extended periods of sitting and repetitive hand/wrist motion while using computer keyboard and phone. Occasional standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending, stooping and reaching. Occasional lifting up to 50 pounds.
Work Environment/Workweek/Travel:
Work is primarily performed in the standard office environment with use of computer and phone, occasionally requires work out of doors or in large auditoria with exposure to warmer or cooler temperatures.
Valid driver’s license required. Incumbent must also be able to meet the University’s fleet rules and be eligible to drive for University business. The University and its insurance carrier reserves the right to exclude applicants based on their driving record.
Background Check Statement
All applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment are required to execute a release and authorization for a background screening.
AB 810 Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: University of the Pacific complies with California Assembly Bill 810, requiring candidates accepting conditional job offers to disclose any final administrative or judicial findings, ongoing proceedings, allegations, resignations under investigation, or appeals related to sexual harassment or misconduct within the past seven years.
Anti-Discrimination/EEO Policy Statement
University of the Pacific is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to workforce diversity across backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. Pacific does not unlawfully discriminate in its hiring of faculty and staff, or in the provision of its employment benefits to its faculty and staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sex/gender, marital status, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, medical condition, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, or mental or physical disability, or other legally protected characteristics or combination of such characteristics. While we strive to attract a broad and representative pool of candidates, all hiring decisions are made based on merit, selecting the most qualified individual for each position.
PEOPLE
- The war made a quick mess of the family. I.B. Singer Tells the Bloody, Cold-Blooded Truth<a href="https://www.artsjournal.com/herman/2026/07/the-war-made-a-quick-mess-of-the-family-i-b-singer-tells-the-bloody-cold-blooded-truth.html" title="The war made a quick mess of the
- Charlie Ortiz shares the ethos behind building sustainable partnerships
Charlie Ortiz, Founder & Executive Director of the WHIN Music Community Charter School, shares the ethos and best practices of building sustainable partnerships.
- The Original Graphic Novel Returns
Good Morning,
The Bayeux Tapestry has crossed the Channel under armed guard, its first visit to Britain in 900 years (The Guardian). It’s 230 feet of pictorial storytelling made for an audience that mostly couldn’t read. Which gives it plenty to discuss with The Atlantic’s big new essay arguing that the literate era may prove “a brief interlude between the oral and digital ages” (The Atlantic).
If reading fades, what we chose to keep matters more. The Schomburg Center turns 100 — an archive that exists because a teacher told young Arturo Schomburg that Black people had no history, and he spent a lifetime assembling a refutation of that notion (The Guardian). Collections are arguments. So is refusing to open one: The New York Times and other publishers now accuse OpenAI of hiding evidence that its training data was searchable all along (Variety).
At PEN America, Dinaw Mengestu resigned the presidency after just seven months, and neither side is saying why (The New York Times).
And Anthony Hopkins, 88, releases his first album of his own classical compositions — Dudamel conducting (The Hollywood Reporter). Some first loves have long fuses.
All of our stories below.
- Community Music Center of Boston seeks Chief Executive Officer
Organization
Community Music Center of Boston is an arts education nonprofit founded in 1910 with a mission to transform lives by providing equitable access to excellent music education and arts experiences. Originally established to provide lessons and classes to a wave of new American immigrants, CMCB has spent 116 years as a leader in connecting music education to social impact, responding to Boston’s evolving civic needs.
CMCB was one of the agencies tapped at the height of Boston’s 1970s school desegregation crisis, providing music classes in newly integrated schools to support community-building and help bridge divides. Years earlier, CMCB had already become an early pioneer in using music to support social-emotional development, work that would later evolve into what is now the board-certified profession of music therapy. Across generations, CMCB has continued to demonstrate how music education and music-based experiences can respond to municipal opportunities, foster belonging, and strengthen community connection.
Today, CMCB operates a large community music school, serves as a first touchpoint in music education for thousands of participants each year through schools and social services agencies, and is one of the largest external providers of arts education to Boston Public Schools. Supporting more than 2,500 students of all ages each week, CMCB is an anchor for local arts education, supporting learner-centered and culturally inclusive musical instruction in one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Approximately 80% of CMCB’s students are youth of color and 70% are economically disadvantaged. Through its Community Music School, Community Engagement Programs, Music Therapy, and nationally recognized Youth Employment Program, CMCB provides music learning opportunities across virtually every Boston neighborhood. CMCB’s Community Music School sees over 400 households through private lessons, semester-based group classes for ages five and up, individual music therapy, small chamber groups, chamber orchestra, music theory, music production, and the Summer Arts and Music Program. CMCB’s Community Engagement Programs extend this work to over 2,000 more households through partnerships with public, charter, parochial, and independent schools, as well as health and human services organizations, community centers, and civic programs.
CMCB’s recent innovations are focused on a broadened impact of music. For example, CMCB is pioneering more inclusive and realistic pathways for pursuing music. CMCB’s new “Student Pathways” celebrate the range of musical interests and futures that bring people to music lessons. The four pathways, Musical Explorers, Community Musicians, Citizen Musicians, and Performing Musicians, recognize that students may be motivated by discovery, collaboration, social impact, performance, or a combination of these interests. Rather than requiring students to choose one fixed track, the pathways are flexible and intended to support ongoing conversations about growth, curiosity, and personal expression throughout a student’s journey at CMCB.
Another example of CMCB’s innovation and impact is the Youth Employment Program, which provides young people ages 14 and up with hands-on, part-time experience in arts administration within a nonprofit music education setting. Over 70 students participate each year in this nationally recognized program that supports workforce development, college and career mentorship, and youth economic empowerment. The program is strengthened by partnerships with organizations across the city of Boston, including strategic program partnerships with the Boston Bloomberg Arts Internship, Franklin Cummings Tech, and The Clubhouse Network, as well as employment partnerships with several local colleges and nonprofits.
CMCB is also expanding to a new 13,000-square-foot home in Nubian Square. This state-of-the-art facility, featuring ample private-lesson space, a recital hall, a recording studio, administrative offices, and generous gathering spaces, demonstrates CMCB’s commitment to our communities. With more than a century of service, CMCB continues to advance a vision that welcomes all voices and supports students, families, schools, and communities across Greater Boston.
The CMCB Corporation, consisting of 83 members of the larger CMCB community, elects and supports a 20-member board of directors led by President Dr. George Blount. The CEO reports to the board of directors and has five direct reports: the Chief Financial & Operating Officer, Chief Programming Officer, Chief Advancement Officer, Executive Assistant, and Human Resources Manager. The budgeted revenue for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, is $4.6 million, including 64% from contributions, 26% from earned revenue sources, and 10% from other revenue sources.
Sources: cmcb.org; propublica.org
Community
One of the nation’s most historic metropolitan areas, Boston is a vibrant, diverse, and deeply rooted city known for its rich history, distinctive neighborhoods, world-class educational and cultural institutions, and strong civic identity. Founded in 1630 and incorporated as a city in 1822, Boston is home to more than 670,000 residents and serves as the center of a metropolitan region of more than five million people. Boston is especially distinguished by its neighborhoods, each contributing to the city’s character, community life, and sense of place. CMCB’s new headquarters, opening in 2027, will be located in Boston’s historic Nubian Square in Roxbury, a culturally rich neighborhood shaped by African, Latin, and other diverse heritages. It is also in close proximity to the Boston Public Schools and other community groups we serve. In addition to their headquarters, CMCB’s activities take place at over 30 partner sites throughout Greater Boston and also at CMCB’s current location.
Boston’s identity is shaped by both its historic legacy and its contemporary role as a center for arts, culture, education, innovation, and public life. The city’s history includes major stories from the American Revolution, the nation’s first public school, historic districts, landmarks, archives, and public spaces that connect residents and visitors to Boston’s past. Today, Boston’s cultural landscape includes major arts institutions and venues such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston; the Boston Symphony Orchestra; and the historic Strand Theatre, alongside neighborhood-based arts organizations, festivals, public art, and community cultural programming. The City of Boston also supports equitable access to arts and culture through grants, cultural planning, public art, neighborhood activations, and investments in arts spaces. Together, these assets make Boston both a historic American city and a dynamic contemporary community for residents, families, students, artists, businesses, and visitors.
Sources: boston.gov; artsboston.org; census.gov
Position Summary
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be a visionary leader responsible for Community Music Center of Boston (CMCB)’s strategic direction, public visibility, and managerial operations. Joining CMCB following a successful building acquisition and capital campaign, the CEO will lead CMCB at an exciting time of possibility and broadened impact. As CMCB’s primary spokesperson, the CEO will co-develop and execute a new strategic plan that builds on the success of the past and brings CMCB into an even brighter future. The CEO will nurture a unique mix of multi-generational relationships with board, faculty, staff, parents, students, strategic partners, and donors that comprise the core of CMCB’s culture and identity and the essence of their special community. The CEO will exude warmth and energy while leading this vibrant community music education organization through this time of growth and transition. The CEO will embrace joyful, culturally inclusive, and student-centered collaboration with a student body as diverse as the city CMCB calls home. The CEO will guide, advise, and mobilize board members as they embrace their roles as fundraisers, policymakers, and community ambassadors while overseeing staff leadership, operations, and earned and contributed revenue growth.
Roles and Responsibilities
Program Development, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Champion equitable access to arts education and arts-based experiences, and foster an inclusive culture where students, families, faculty, staff, and community partners from all backgrounds can thrive.
• Identify and promote innovative programming that will enable a successful transition from one to two campuses, in the context of CMCB footprint expansion.
• Foster and leverage CMCB’s strong reputation as an extraordinary community music school to sustain current programming and to ensure opportunities for growth come to fruition.
• Create and sustain mutually supportive relationships with leadership at Boston Public Schools and similar institutions.
• Develop new partnership agreements with schools and community organizations to advance CMCB’s outreach activities throughout the Greater Boston Area.
• Ensure high-quality programs, services, and facilities that are accessible, welcoming, and responsive to the needs of the communities CMCB supports.
• Collaborate with CMCB’s staff and faculty to develop innovative ways to grow earned revenue.
• Continue to develop existing programming initiatives in such diverse areas as student-centered music education, Youth Employment, Music Therapy, ensemble programming, contemporary genres, impacts of AI on music education, and other areas.
• Expand and build on CMCB’s national presence and reputation as an innovator and best-practitioner.
• Embrace other program development, diversity, and inclusion responsibilities as needed.Contributed Revenue Enhancement
• Provide organizational leadership in all aspects of fundraising and development by establishing personal relationships with key funders and donors to support CMCB’s strategic and capitalization goals.
• Identify and maintain strong relationships with key community partners to continue to diversify and expand the organization’s individual, foundation, corporate, and government donor base.
• Broaden CMCB’s public image and increase brand awareness for the organization, clearly articulating the mission, vision, programs, and impacts of CMCB.
• Define contributed revenue opportunities with board and development staff in annual and long-term fundraising plans.
• Cultivate existing donors for ongoing support while seeking new prospects to ensure a robust and diversified funding base.
• Embrace other contributed revenue enhancement responsibilities as needed.Stakeholder Cultivation and Community Engagement
• Work with the board and other stakeholders to develop a new strategic vision and plan, enabling CMCB to successfully manage its integration into the Roxbury community and its transition to a multi-campus footprint.
• Listen carefully, speak persuasively, and anticipate concerns of parents, students, faculty, staff, board members, external partners, donors, and the public.
• Foster an inclusive workplace that attracts, develops, and retains talented faculty and staff from a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
• Guide board prospect identification, cultivation, and recruitment by utilizing participation on board committees that develop future board members and leaders.
• Mobilize the talents, connections, and resources of the board to stimulate their continued active involvement.
• Embrace other stakeholder cultivation and community engagement responsibilities as needed.Financial Acumen and Organizational Management
• Lead all aspects of the CMCB’s financial management and business operations, including budgeting, forecasting, performance monitoring, risk management, and resource allocation.
• Ensure the long-term financial sustainability of CMCB while balancing mission impact, earned and contributed revenue goals, and strategic investments in growth.
• Translate strategic priorities into operational and financial plans, using data and performance metrics to drive decision-making, assess organizational effectiveness, and ensure accountability for results.
• Oversee, direct, develop, and manage CMCB’s staff and faculty to perpetuate the organizational culture of trust, cooperation, and collaboration.
• Supervise and integrate all aspects of CMCB, including faculty, administrative staff, facilities, and technology.
• Guide marketing, branding, and public relations programs that highlight CMCB’s impacts and reputation.
• Spearhead innovation and creativity to allow CMCB to continue to flourish.
• Lead day-to-day operations to ensure that faculty, staff, students, and parents have a memorable experience that leaves a legacy on their future growth and personal development.
• Empower and build camaraderie among senior management to recognize and leverage individual strengths that contribute to organizational success.
• Embrace other financial acumen and organizational management responsibilities as needed.Traits and Characteristics
The Chief Executive Officer will be a resourceful and engaging leader who is energized by practical results, effective action, and making the most of time, talent, energy, and resources. Highly interactive and people-oriented, they will bring a visible, relationship-centered leadership style that supports frequent communication, meaningful engagement, and strong rapport with a wide range of individuals. The CEO will be versatile and receptive, adapting easily to different situations while welcoming new ideas, methods, and opportunities. With a harmonious approach grounded in experience, perspective, and balance, they will lead with sound judgment and an altruistic commitment to creating benefits for others.
Other key competencies include:
• Leadership and Diplomacy – The ability to inspire, build trust, and create a sense of purpose and direction while tactfully handling challenging and sensitive issues.
• Interpersonal Skills – The commitment to building rapport while effectively communicating with diverse stakeholders nationally and internationally.
• Personal Accountability – The capacity to self-evaluate by utilizing and analyzing feedback and data and taking responsibility for actions and results.
• Customer Focused – The flexibility to anticipate and exceed student and stakeholder needs or expectations.
• Decision Making – The capability to analyze all aspects of a situation to make consistently sound and timely decisions.
• Planning and Organizing – The ingenuity to collaboratively establish strategic goals while assessing risks, organizing activities, people, and operational priorities to meet mutually-agreed-upon expectations.Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree is required, a master’s degree preferred, plus a minimum of five to seven years of related senior management experience. Expertise in planning, organizational development, relationship building, and team building in a collegial environment of mutual respect is needed. Executive-level competencies, political savvy, strategic vision, and the ability to lead change are essential, along with the creativity and technical credibility to advance strategic priorities. A successful track record in best practices within the nonprofit, education, or music field and a high level of leadership and fundraising experience are expected. The successful candidate should have a passion for music and music education, as well as enthusiasm for CMCB’s dual mission of excellence and access. They must also be skilled at building partnerships, developing metrics to measure their success, and valuing the neighborhood relationships essential to helping CMCB be welcomed into its new community.
Compensation and Benefits
CMCB provides a competitive and equitable compensation package with an estimated salary in the range of $170,000 to $200,000. Benefits include medical insurance (group health and flexible spending account), paid time off, non-contributory 403(b) retirement plan, long-term disability insurance, and the quality of life that Greater Boston has to offer.
Applications and Inquiries
To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please visit https://artsconsulting.com/opensearches/community-music-center-of-boston-seeks-chief-executive-officer/
CMCB provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.
- Director of Operations for Conservatory of Music
Full-time, 12-month, Monday through Friday during standard business hours. Additional time may be required.
University of the Pacific’s Conservatory of Music seeks an innovative and broadly minded colleague to advance and professionalize operations in the Conservatory as their Director of Operations. The successful candidate will be versed in and model the connections between performing, music industry, recording, and administrative careers emerging in creative sector industries. In partnership with Pacific faculty and staff colleagues, the successful candidate will help supervise staff and students and oversee all music facilities activities in six spaces on Pacific’s Stockton Campus. To learn more about the Conservatory, visit https://www.pacific.edu/music.
Hiring Range: $70,304 to $82,000 per year. We consider factors such as, but not limited to, scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s qualifications, internal equity, as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.
Apply online at https://pacific.peopleadmin.com/postings/32472.
Essential Functions
•Oversee Conservatory concerts and events (150 + per year).
•Supervise a Stage and Technical Director (12 month staff role).
•Lead Weekly Operations Team Meetings.
•Coordinate scheduling for Conservatory performance, rehearsal, and classroom facilities.
•Operate and/or supervise the usage of event-based lighting, sound, recording, and stage equipment supportive of live music and/or recorded/streamed events.
•Supervise, train, assign, and coordinate the work of employees, including staff, students, and student employees.
•Manage daily, weekly, and annual rehearsal and performance logistics across six facilities.
•Recommend the purchase of technical equipment.
•Manage Conservatory inventory and equipment.
•Model precision, calm, and clarity in preparation for and during live performance settings.
•In consultation with Pacific’s Facilities teams, generate invoices and prepare quotes and contracts for the use of Conservatory concert facilities.
•Perform other duties as assigned or requested.
•Collaborate with other campus support units and administrators to ensure efficient operations and act as a liaison to ensure compliance with institutional rules and regulations.
•Be responsible for emergency response plans for the Conservatory; liaison to the University’s Pacific alert team.University of the Pacific recognizes that diversity, equity, and inclusion is foundational to the success of our valued students and employees. We prioritize policy and decision-making that demonstrates awareness of, and responsiveness to, the ways socio-cultural forces related to race, gender, ability, sexuality, socio-economic status, etc. impede or propel students, faculty, and staff.
Minimum Qualifications
- Undergraduate degree in performing arts related field(s), or two (2) years of full-time experience in the same or similar position is equal to one (1) year of completed post high school education coursework.
- Two (2) or more years of experience in an evolving work environment with regularly changing priorities, schedules, or operational demands.
Preferred Qualifications
•Three (3) or more years of increasing experience in venue management field.
•Experience in producing and streaming live performance events and in post-production archival procedures.
•Experience in musical theater and/or opera productions as stage and/or technical director roles.
•Knowledge of standard operating procedures for performing arts spaces, inclusive of theater spaces, concert halls, rehearsal halls, and in academic instruction and event management and the ability to implement and sustain them in academic settings.
•Demonstrated operations ability and success in highly volume performing arts fields.
•Excellent customer service orientation skills.
•Excellent organizational skills, especially in managing event logistics, calling shows, and establishing sustainable and written facilities operations protocols.
•Excellent oral and written communication skills.
•Proven staff and operations management and supervision.
•Demonstrated ability to set goals, manage time and assignments and achieve outcomes.
•Positive attitude, proven ability to work successfully with diverse populations and demonstrated commitment to inclusion, equity, and diversity in all its forms.
•Flexible and effective when experiencing changes in work task, environment, or conditions.
•Experience and sensitivity in working with people of diverse backgrounds and cultures.
•Demonstrated experience in advancing social justice, equity, and inclusion in a university setting.
•Ability to engage and integrate culturally responsive practices and knowledge in their work.Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative but not definitive of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Requires extended periods of sitting and repetitive hand/wrist motion while using computer keyboard and phone. Occasional standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending, stooping and reaching. Occasional lifting up to 50 pounds.
Work Environment/Workweek/Travel:
Work is primarily performed in the standard office environment with use of computer and phone, occasionally requires work out of doors or in large auditoria with exposure to warmer or cooler temperatures.
Valid driver’s license required. Incumbent must also be able to meet the University’s fleet rules and be eligible to drive for University business. The University and its insurance carrier reserves the right to exclude applicants based on their driving record.
Background Check Statement
All applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment are required to execute a release and authorization for a background screening.
AB 810 Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: University of the Pacific complies with California Assembly Bill 810, requiring candidates accepting conditional job offers to disclose any final administrative or judicial findings, ongoing proceedings, allegations, resignations under investigation, or appeals related to sexual harassment or misconduct within the past seven years.
Anti-Discrimination/EEO Policy Statement
University of the Pacific is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to workforce diversity across backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. Pacific does not unlawfully discriminate in its hiring of faculty and staff, or in the provision of its employment benefits to its faculty and staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sex/gender, marital status, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, medical condition, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, or mental or physical disability, or other legally protected characteristics or combination of such characteristics. While we strive to attract a broad and representative pool of candidates, all hiring decisions are made based on merit, selecting the most qualified individual for each position.
THEATRE
VISUAL
- The Schomburg Center Turns A Century Old
“Growing up in Puerto Rico in the late 19th century, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg was told by his teacher that Black people had no significant history or accomplishments.” Just how wrong was that teacher? Very. – The Guardian (UK)
- What Society Is Losing As It Becomes Postliterate
“The literate era will prove to be a brief interlude between the oral and digital ages. Reading shaped the modern mind. Its disappearance will reshape it. Cognitive scientists are starting to understand what these changes might look like.” – The Atlantic
- Does Worldwide Modernization Lead To Reduction In Cultural Differences? Not Necessarily
“When researchers have actually tried to document the size of cultural differences over time, the picture is far more complicated – and more interesting.” – Psyche
- Who Makes Choices When We ‘Choose’?
“The brain initiates voluntary action unconsciously: our conscious sense that we have decided to act is actually the result of this brain activity.” It’s possible that our only choice is in deciding not to do something. – 3 Quarks
- The Effective-Altruism Movement Is About To Make A Comeback, Powered By AI Titans And Their Money
“Since the (Sam Bankman-Fried/FTX) scandal, the movement’s organizations have shied away from the limelight and become extremely concerned with PR. For several years, their growth has been severely curtailed. But they survived. And the new AI money has given EA a chance to come back larger than ever before.” – New York Magazine