"Music Director - Department of Dance"

Music Director

Department of Dance

College of Fine and Applied Arts

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Job Summary

The Music Director is responsible for administering all musical aspects of the department, which includes providing live musical accompaniment for classes, teaching or co-teaching courses that relate music and dance, selecting and preparing music for performances, and overseeing all technology/audio equipment housed in the Dance Department. Other responsibilities include serving as a musical consultant and mentor for students and faculty and recruiting and training dance musicians for accompanying wide-ranging genres of dance classes.

The Department of Dance has a long history of embedding music in the dance curriculum, from including live music in dance technique classes, to offering coursework in western classical and non-western music theory and literature, to collaborating with composers and musicians in classes and performances. A Music Director position was established in the early 1960s and continues to be a priority as an integral component of the department's faculty.

Duties & Responsibilities

Teaching

• Provide musical accompaniment in dance classes; collaborate with dance instructors to offer music that supports and interacts with the intent of the movement language and goals of the class.
• Provide musical accompaniment and support for performances, showings, and other events as needed.
• Serve as guest lecturer/music expert in various required graduate and undergraduate courses.
• Lead relevant professional development workshops, such as music for dance classes, summer workshops and/or classes about music for dance for dance instructors and graduate assistants.
• Serve as a creative advisor on music for choreography and thesis courses.
• Teach students the use of audio playback systems and software for student productions
• Teach or co-teach courses such as:
  • Explore Music Through Dance (online gen ed course)
  • Collaborative Performance (COLAB)
  • Individual Study/Creative Investigations
  • Composer-Choreographer Workshop
  • Music and creative process course

Administration

• Maintain department's AV equipment in collaboration with KCPA Audio Department
• Maintain an inventory of department instruments and sound equipment, seeing to instrument care and identifying repair and purchasing needs. This includes overseeing maintenance and tuning of the pianos in the Nevada Studios, maintaining the instrument/piano areas in the Nevada Studios, and maintaining the DRK sound/lighting booth.
• Serve as liaison between choreographers and composers/performers for live performances. Work with the Department Head to facilitate payment for composers/performers.
• Facilitate connections between music student composers and student choreographers.
• Serve as copyright advisor to students and faculty.
• Manage all departmental accompanists:
  • Identify for-hire professional accompanists and assist with completion of new employee paperwork
  • Manage appointments/reappointments of accompanists in College of FAA system
  • Inform Human Resources of any irregular appointments (graduate students, international students, employees with appointments in other departments) and complete paperwork as directed
  • Train and supervise accompanists, including timesheets and payroll
  • Schedule substitute accompanists as needed
  • Schedule accompaniment for admissions entrance auditions, concert auditions, and other events as needed

Production

• Serve as liaison to audio advisor and student audio designers for departmental concerts.
• Provide sound design and/or audio editing for departmental productions and showings, as well as any requested academic courses. Provide recording support as requested.
• Identify and hire live musicians as requested by choreographers

Research

• Could include composing and/or performing for departmental productions or other venues, publishing articles in print or online, or recording original works or musical performances.

Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in music or related field
• At least 3 years of experience as a dance musician
• Demonstrated experience with sound, media, and digital technologies
• Experience teaching and/or demonstrated ability to teach music and dance-related courses

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in music, or equivalent professional experience.
• Proficiency as a musician in piano and percussion for a variety of dance forms
• 3-5 years of teaching and accompanying experience in higher education
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and support other musicians who accompany classes
• Demonstrated experience with composing music and/or sound scores for dance performance, and/or with music improvisation

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is 8/16/2026. The budgeted salary range for the position is $60,000 - $75,000 annually. We strive to provide a competitive salary, considering factors such as available market data, internal equity, candidate experience and qualifications, collective bargaining agreements, and budget constraints. The final salary offer will be determined through a thorough assessment of these elements. Work authorization sponsorship is not available for this position.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on January 5th, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. Application materials should include a cover letter, a current resume, and contact information for at least three professional references. For further information about this specific position, please contact Micki Hallam, HR Generalist at mhallam@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.