Percussion Accompanist (Part-time)

Pointpark; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 28,000 - 48,000; Part time

Job summary

Pointpark seeks a part-time Percussion Accompanist to provide drum/percussion accompaniment for studio and class dance work. The role requires excellence in percussion performance and improvisation, with knowledge of Modern and West African dance repertoires, and strong organizational skills to handle university scheduling.

The accompanist will perform live, improvised music to support students, select appropriate material, emphasize counts and transitions, and collaborate with faculty to meet

Qualifications

• Excellence in percussion performance and improvisation.
• Experience accompanying live dance classes.
• Knowledge of Modern and West African dance repertoires.
• Strong organizational skills for university scheduling.

Responsibilities

• Provide live, improvised percussion accompaniment for dance classes.
• Select and perform material with accurate meter, tempo, dynamics.
• Support dance structure with rhythm, counts, transitions, and cues for dancers.
• Accompany Modern and West African dance classes, incl. Graham and Horton exercises.
• Develop a broad dance-accompaniment vocabulary through observation of others and exploration of diverse traditions.
• Collaborate with faculty and staff and adapt to changing instructional and scheduling needs.

Skills

Percussion performance

Live dance accompaniment

Improvisation

Time management

Tools

Percussion instruments

Job description

POSITION: Percussion Accompanist (Dance)

STATUS: Part-time, Hourly, As Needed

DEPARTMENT: Conservatory of Performing Arts (COPA)

REPORTS TO: Accompanist Supervisor

PRIMARY FUNCTION: Responsible for providing drum/percussion accompaniment for studio/class dance work.

REQUIREMENTS: Excellence in percussion performance, live dance accompaniment, and improvisation. Knowledge of Modern and West African dance repertoire. Organizational skills appropriate to the variances of university course time scheduling.

DUTIES:

1. Provide live, improvised percussion accompaniment that supports dance students and responds to the needs of the class.
2. Select and perform appropriate musical material with accuracy and responsiveness, maintaining appropriate meter, tempo, phrasing, dynamics, rhythm, and musical structure.
3. Clearly support the structure of dance exercises by emphasizing rhythms, phrases, counts, transitions, and exercise lengths, and providing effective cues for dancers during traveling exercises.
4. Accompany Modern and West African dance classes, providing music appropriate to the specific technique and instructional goals, including Graham and Horton exercises.
5. Develop and maintain a broad dance-accompaniment vocabulary through observation of other accompanists, collaboration with instructors, and exploration of diverse musical traditions and resources.
6. Collaborate with faculty and staff and adapt to changing instructional and scheduling needs, while performing other related duties as assigned.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Must have percussive skills able to withstand several hours of accompanying per day.