Our Joyful Noise Baltimore
Our Joyful Noise Baltimore
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  • More
    • WELCOME
    • ABOUT/JOBS
    • 2025 MUSIC
    • 2024 MUSIC
    • GIVE
    • AZURE
    • EXPERIENCE
      • 2022-23 MUSIC
      • 2021 MUSIC
      • 2020 PANDEMIC RESPONSE
      • 2020-21 CANCELLED SEASON
      • ABOUT OUR CONCERTS
      • 2019-2020 MUSIC
      • 2018-2019 MUSIC
      • OUR MUSICIANS
      • ARCHIVE OF PAST CONCERTS
      • VETERANS' MUSIC LESSONS
      • THE BEETHOVEN PROJECT
    • CONTACT US
  • WELCOME
  • ABOUT/JOBS
  • 2025 MUSIC
  • 2024 MUSIC
  • GIVE
  • AZURE
  • EXPERIENCE
    • 2022-23 MUSIC
    • 2021 MUSIC
    • 2020 PANDEMIC RESPONSE
    • 2020-21 CANCELLED SEASON
    • ABOUT OUR CONCERTS
    • 2019-2020 MUSIC
    • 2018-2019 MUSIC
    • OUR MUSICIANS
    • ARCHIVE OF PAST CONCERTS
    • VETERANS' MUSIC LESSONS
    • THE BEETHOVEN PROJECT
  • CONTACT US

OUR MISSION AND VISION

With “Kinship and the Power of Music” as our motto, Our Joyful Noise Baltimore serves the essential human need for beauty and connection with art through free live musical performances of the highest professional quality presented for underserved and often forgotten communities in the Baltimore area. 


Our vision is of a world where all people- regardless of economic situation, disability challenge or circumstance- have easy access to the life affirming  splendor of live music. 


The visionary pianist Moisès Fernández-Via perfectly captures the spirit of our vision when he writes: “Music dignifies the process of recovery, honors the depths of experience, infuses beauty and carries the message of palpable hope, strength, compassion and celebration.”



WE BRING LIVE MUSIC TO:


AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY HOPE LODGE RESIDENCE FOR CANCER PATIENTS


AZURE CONCERTS FOR AUTISTIC INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES


THE BALTIMORE STATION RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT PROGRAM FOR VETERANS


EDENWALD MEMORY CARE


KIRBY LANE PARK


MARYLAND CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION

FOR WOMEN


THE SHARP-LEADENHALL COMMUNITY OF SOUTH BALTIMORE/SENIORS WITH DISABILITIES


ST. LUKE'S YOUTH CENTER: SUPPORTING UNDERSERVED YOUTH IN WEST BALTIMORE 


THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF MUSIC...

From Maria Lambros, Founding Executive Director   


While a cancer patient at Mass General Hospital in 2015, I happened upon a beautiful concert presented by a professional chamber music ensemble in the hospital lobby. To hear a live concert from the other side- as a listener and patient and not as a musician- was to deeply experience how beauty and grace can be found, and felt, even in the face of difficulty, despair, and challenge. That powerful encounter became the catalyst for starting Our Joyful Noise Baltimore, in the city that I love and call home. Welcome to our exciting musical adventure!


"It's not about fixing, helping or even 'making a difference.' It's all about kinship and connection."   

-Father Gregory Boyle


"This will be our response to challenge... to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”  -Leonard Bernstein


OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

BILLY DALY

MARGO HALLE

FRED MOSS

ELISSA SACHS-KOHEN

TODD TROESTER

CLAUDIA ELIAZA ZANES 


Our Joyful Noise Baltimore was founded in 2018 and is a 501(c) 3 organization.


PHOTOS:

LEFT: Musicians Dan + Claudia Zanes and Tyree Austin with residents at the Baltimore Station Residential Treatment Program for Veterans 2023


RIGHT: The Nightingale Trio's Patricia Tsagalakis at an Azure Concert for Autistic Individuals and Their Families 2023



OJN is looking to hire a new Executive Director!

OUR JOYFUL NOISE BALTIMORE: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR


Position Title: Executive Director
Location: Baltimore, MD (in-person)
Position Type: Part-time (20 hours per week flexibly distributed throughout the month; includes some weekends and evenings)
Start Date: July 1, 2025 (FY2026)
Transition Period: Hands-on training with current Executive Director beginning on July 1, 2025

Salary Range: $35/hour for 20 hours/week on average


About Our Organization

Founded in 2017, Our Joyful Noise Baltimore (OJN) serves the essential human need for beauty and connection through music. Our motto, "Kinship and the Power of Music," reflects our commitment to providing free, professional-quality live musical performances and educational experiences to underserved and often forgotten communities in the Baltimore area. Our vision is of a world where all people—regardless of economic situation, disability challenge, or circumstance—have easy access to the life-affirming splendor of live music.


Currently, our concerts reach diverse audiences including:

  • Military veterans facing homelessness and substance addiction
  • People with disabilities (autism and Alzheimer's) and their families
  • Incarcerated women and correctional officers
  • Cancer patients and their caregivers
  • Residents of underserved South and West Baltimore neighborhoods, including an after school program


Position Overview

Our Joyful Noise Baltimore seeks a dynamic Executive Director to lead our community music organization. This role combines strategic leadership, community engagement, and hands-on program management. The position requires approximately 20+ hours per week, with time allocation varying seasonally based on programming needs. The ideal candidate will combine administrative and fundraising expertise with a passion for community-based music programming

and a deep commitment to serving diverse audiences.


PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES


Organizational Leadership & Development 

·  Lead fundraising efforts including donor cultivation, grant writing, and management of donor relationships

  • Oversee financial management including budgeting, expense tracking, and tax preparation
  • Maintain 501(c)(3) compliance and board relations
  • Direct strategic planning and seasonal programming
  • Plan and execute annual fundraising gala


Program Management 

  • Coordinate with venue partners, including correctional facility and community venues
  • Schedule and produce five annual residencies plus special events
  • Hire and manage musicians, staff, and volunteers
  • Oversee specialized programming, including Azure concerts for families living with autism
  • Maintain equipment inventory and coordinate technical needs for performances
  • Provide on-site management for all performances


Community Engagement 

  • Serve as the organization's primary representative to audiences and community partners
  • Build and maintain relationships with donors, venue partners, and community stakeholders
  • Manage media presence including website, social media, and promotional materials
  • Create newsletters and other donor communications


Required Skills

  • Experience in fundraising and grant writing
  • Strong organizational and project management abilities
  • Commitment to community engagement through music
  • Knowledge of music and musicians
  • Knowledge of and love for Baltimore
  • Excellence in written and verbal communication
  • Financial management capabilities
  • Leadership and team-building capabilities
  • Ability to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends


Physical Requirements

  • Ability to transport and set up musical equipment
  • Travel between various venues throughout Baltimore
  • Standing for extended periods during events

Time Allocation

Based on our annual activities, the Executive Director's time is typically distributed as follows:


Category Percentage


Fundraising

37%

Grant writing, donor cultivation, campaign management


Event Preparation

23%

Program planning, artist coordination, venue logistics


Events

13%

Direct oversight of performances 


Financial Management

6%

Budgeting, bookkeeping, tax preparation


Gala Coordination

11%

Annual fundraising event planning and execution


Donor Relations

8%

Newsletter creation, acknowledgments, stewardship


Board Activities

2%

Meeting preparation, governance support


Monthly Focus Areas

The Executive Director's work varies throughout the year, with certain periods requiring more intensive focus on specific activities. OJN’s fiscal year runs from July 1-June 30.


  • July-September: Fundraising, FY planning, summer programs, upcoming concert series preparation, staff training, equipment update, supply ordering, 990-EZ preparation 
  • October-November: Concert Series #1, annual gala preparation and execution, newsletter and donor solicitation for end of year campaign, upcoming concert series preparation
  • December-January: Concert Series #2 and #3, donor acknowledgments, 1099 preparation, grant reporting, board meeting, upcoming concert series preparation
  • February-March: Fundraising, Concert Series #4, season scheduling, venue coordination, upcoming concert series preparation
  • April-June: Fundraising, Concert Series #5, artist and staff hiring, budget preparation, board meeting, summer event preparation


Compensation

OJN has a full year of operating expenses, including the salary for this position, secured for FY26 (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026). The new Executive Director will be responsible for fundraising to sustain programming and compensation.


Apply

Interested candidates should send a cover letter and CV to: Maria Lambros Kannen, Executive Director, at maria@ourjoyfulnoisebaltimore.org. Cover letters should include the following:

1)  Describe your background in fundraising, leadership, community engagement and music.

2)  What is it in particular about Our Joyful Noise Baltimore that interests you in this position?

3)  What are your values and skills relevant to this position?

4)  Why do you think you are a good fit for this position?


Review of applications will begin on April 28, 2025.

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