Rashida Phillips joins Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music in new position of Deputy Director

Rashida A. Phillips

The Old Town School of Folk Music is proud to announce the appointment of Rashida A. Phillips as its new Deputy Director.  At Old Town School, Rashida Phillips will oversee all of the School’s community-based education programs both on campus and off-site, as well as join the executive team in advancing strategic initiatives across the School’s extensive public programs. Phillips will help to guide the next phase of Old Town School’s evolution and growth.

“We’re thrilled to have Rashida Phillips join our team,” says Executive Director Bau Graves.  “This is a new position at the School, and Rashida offers the range of professional experience and strong musical background that we will depend upon every day.  We’re very lucky to have attracted her.”

A native of St. Louis, Phillips comes to Old Town School from her position as Director of Education and Youth Initiatives at the Chicago Humanities Festival.  She has also worked at Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education, the Merit School of Music, and the Chicago Children’s Museum.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College, and a master’s in Jazz Studies from Rutgers University. Phillips has also pursued an extensive career as a jazz vocalist, familiar to local audiences through dozens of performances at Chicago venues over more than a decade.

Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music is the largest community school of the arts in the U.S. and a non-profit organization committed to celebrating American music and global cultures. Founded in 1957, the Old Town School of Folk Music provides a wide range of music, dance, theater, and visual arts courses to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Whatever one’s interest, the Old Town School provides broad access to more than 700 accredited weekly class offerings, private lessons, and over 400 concerts and community events per year.

The Old Town School opened its Lincoln Square facility in 1998 and expanded in 2012. The Old Town School owns and operates three facilities situated in Lincoln Square and Lincoln Park that include 425-seat and two 150-seat concert halls, 64 classrooms, two music stores, a cafe and a resource center. Children’s classes are also held at several suburban satellite locations. More information is available at www.oldtownschool.org.