Accompanist

University of Utah; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 10,000 - 60,000; Part time

Job summary

The University of Utah seeks a part-time Accompanist for Tanner Dance, providing live music for children's dance classes. Musicians will work with dance instructors to tailor music improvisation for various classes, requiring creativity, punctuality, and teamwork. The role offers flexible scheduling, aligning with dancers' classes primarily during weekday afternoons and weekends.

Benefits

Flexible scheduling

Opportunity to work with children

Collaborative environment

Qualifications

• Demonstrated proficiency in piano, preferably as an accompanist.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service.
• Previous experience in improvisation and composing music is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Accompany dance classes with improvised music in various genres.
• Adjust music energy and tempo based on dancers' movements.
• Communicate effectively with teachers and students.

Skills

Proficiency in piano

Communication skills

Improvisation skills

Job description

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

* Cover Letter –– Your cover letter should include a brief summary of your previous musical experience with your instrument of choice, especially any experience you have had in improvising or composing music.

Announcement

Details

Open Date

Open Date 06/06/2025

Requisition Number

Requisition Number PRN15948N

Job Title

Job Title Accompanist

Working Title

Working Title Accompanist

Job Grade

Job Grade B

FLSA Code

FLSA Code Nonexempt

Patient Sensitive Job Code?

Patient Sensitive Job Code? No

Type

Temporary?

Temporary? No

Standard Hours per Week 10

Full Time or Part Time?

Full Time or Part Time? Part Time

Shift

Shift Day

Work Schedule Summary

The work schedule can be as little as 2 hours a week, or up to 19, depending on applicant’s schedule and departmental need. The most current information will be made available during the interview.

Is this a work study job?

Is this a work study job? No

VP Area

VP Area Academic Affairs

Department

Location

Location Campus

City

City Salt Lake City, UT

Type of Recruitment

Type of Recruitment External Posting

Pay Rate Range

Pay Rate Range 16.83 - 20.98

Close Date

Close Date 09/30/2025

Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time)

Job Summary

Tanner Dance’s accompanists are responsible for providing inspiring, skillful, improvised piano and/or percussion music during our dance classes for children at the Tanner Dance building on the U of U campus, and/or at elementary schools throughout the Salt Lake area. The musician’s improvisations are expected to follow and respond to visual cues and verbal instructions from the dance teachers they work with. In other words, our musicians must be able to creatively modify their music from moment to moment to mirror the observed energies, tempos, accents, cues, and counts that the dancers are exploring in the class.

The accompanist’s role is a part-time position with various weekly shifts available starting in August 2025. Depending on our needs and your availability to commit to certain weekly class times, you could be scheduled to accompany anywhere between 2 hours/week and 19 hours/week.

The following two programs are the primary source of work hours available for Tanner Dance’s musicians:

1. Tanner Dance Studio program — This program offers weekly creative/modern dance classes for dancers ages 2–18 at the Tanner Dance building on the University of Utah campus. Every Studio dance class is taught by one of our experienced teaching artists and assigned a musician to provide live accompaniment each week. Studio classes take place on weekdays mostly between 3:45 PM and 9:00 PM, and on Saturdays between 9:15 AM and 1:15 PM — in other words, mostly outside of the hours when children would be in school. Musicians for this program may sometimes be expected to memorize and be ready to play several traditional children’s songs for the younger classes, in addition to their regular improvised accompaniment. All weekly classes in the Studio program’s 2024-25 session will begin the week of August 18, 2025.

2. Arts-in-Education ( AIE ) program — Throughout the school year, Tanner Dance’s AIE program provides weekly dance classes in elementary schools throughout the Salt Lake area, offering K-6 students a chance to experience an age-appropriate, semester-long or trimester-long class with one of our teaching artists, accompanied by one of our musicians. As such, all classes that are part of the Arts-in-Education program take place during the school day (8:15 AM at the very earliest to 3:45 PM at the very latest). Musicians will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to the schools where they play; compensation is available for using one’s own vehicle to travel between two or more schools in the same day. Weekly classes in the AIE program’s 2025-26 session will begin in late August / early September 2025. Whereas our Studio class schedules remain consistent over the course of the academic year, AIE class schedules can sometimes change at the beginning of the trimester or semester at our partner schools.

Responsibilities

1. Accompany dance classes, workshops and rehearsals with improvised music in a variety of genres and styles.

2. Find creative ways to match your music’s energy, accents, phrasing, etc, to the dancers’ movement.

3. Take cues from the dance teacher’s movement and voice, allowing them to shape and inform the music’s tempo, accents, phrasing, energy shifts, starts and stops, etc.

4. Maintain and continue to develop musical versatility and improvisation skills.

5. Musicians are always expected to be punctual, reliable, professional, courteous, and willing to assist teachers if needed with other basic duties essential to the functioning of the classroom.

Minimum Qualifications

Demonstrated proficiency in piano (preferably as an accompanist for a dance class), and demonstrated communications skills and a commitment to providing excellent customer service is required.

Preferences

Previous experience as a student of creative or modern dance or as a dance class musician is not required, but can certainly be useful preparation for this role.
Sight-reading skills are not critical, but may be helpful in some situations.
Some previous experience with writing music, jamming with other musicians, or working in any setting where real-time musical creativity and quick responsiveness have been required, can also be useful preparation for the job.
Ability to play music continuously for long periods of time while remaining alert, engaged, and attentive.

Ability to take direction, work well with others, and communicate effectively with adults and children.

Special Instructions Summary

* Cover Letter –– Your cover letter should include a brief summary of your previous musical experience with your instrument of choice, especially any experience you have had in improvising or composing music.

Additional Information

The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems (“URS”). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at [phone] for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS’ post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at [phone] or [phone] or University Human Resource Management at [phone] if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules.
This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen.

The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and patients from all backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education and quality healthcare for historically underrepresented students and patients.

All qualified individuals are strongly encouraged to apply. Veterans’ preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
The University of Utah is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran’s status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both.
To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action ( OEO /AA). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator’s office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at: https://www.utah.edu/nondiscrimination/
Online reports may be submitted at oeo.utah.edu

https://safety.utah.edu/safetyreport This report includes statistics about criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, and Violence Against Women Act offenses. They also provide information about safety and security-related services offered by the University of Utah. A paper copy can be obtained by request at the Department of Public Safety located at 1658 East 500 South.

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Required Documents

Cover Letter

Optional Documents

Resume

Historical Only – Do Not Use – See Description for More Information – Appropriate discharge document (such as DD-2214) – Veteran Only

Historical Only – Do Not Use – See Document Description for More Information – Addendum to the University of Utah – Veteran Only

University Human Resource Management
250 East 200 South, Suite 125 Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Contact us: [phone] By Email: [e-mail]