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Pianist skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
1 min read
Quoted Experts
Bill Boris,
Brandon Matthews Ph.D.
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical pianist skills. We ranked the top skills for pianists based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 36.0% of pianist resumes contained piano performance as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a pianist needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 pianist skills for your resume and career

1. Piano Performance

Here's how pianists use piano performance:
  • Recruited and instructed entry level/intermediate students in voice, keyboard and piano performance and music theory.
  • Explain and demonstrate piano performance technique.

2. Chamber Music

Here's how pianists use chamber music:
  • Perform concerts with nationally touring classical chamber music ensemble
  • Participated in Soochow University's Chamber Music Festival as part of a Piano Trio.

3. Classical Music

Here's how pianists use classical music:
  • Performed classical music in many Italian cities
  • Provide classical music for patron galas and events Perform regularly for community events both social and charitable

4. Chorus

Here's how pianists use chorus:
  • Played piano for rehearsals and performances, assisted Freshman Chorus director Tom May.
  • Worked in a jazz Band Worked in a concert Band Worked with A chorus

5. Music Theory

Here's how pianists use music theory:
  • Tutored for music theory classes * Accompanied vocal soloists and Choirs
  • Established curriculum for, and taught courses in African American Music History, Music Theory, and Dramatic Performance.

6. Piano Music

Here's how pianists use piano music:
  • Provided piano music from 6 to 9 p.m. from Fridays through Sundays
  • Plan, practice and play piano music for the church service.

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7. Piano Accompaniment

Here's how pianists use piano accompaniment:
  • Provided piano accompaniment for beginning to advanced ballet classes.
  • Provided piano accompaniment for rehearsal and performance of Peter Pan
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8. Private Parties

Here's how pianists use private parties:
  • Perform and entertain at weddings, corporate events, restaurants, churches, and private parties.
  • Performed at the French Embassy, corporate events and private parties.

9. Easter

Here's how pianists use easter:
  • Worship musician for all Services, including 4 services on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, Thanksgiving, and Easter Services.
  • Perform public concerts on various occasions such as Christmas, Mother's day, Easter and classical concerts.

10. Private Lessons

Private lessons provide knowledge, learning, or practice to an individual on a one on one basis.

Here's how pianists use private lessons:
  • Played piano for vocal and instrumental students, private lessons, performances, and competitions.
  • Experience in teaching both private lessons and group lessons.

11. Baptist

A baptist is a member of the protestant Christians sharing the beliefs and insist that believers must get baptized through immersion into water and not pouring or a sprinkling of water.

Here's how pianists use baptist:
  • Played piano for worship services for Community Christian Church and First Baptist Church Rowlett
  • Shared responsibilities as the Searsville Baptist Church pianist for four years.

12. NYC

NYC stands for New York City.

Here's how pianists use nyc:
  • Performed in piano bars, cabarets, and clubs all over NYC, Off-Broadway, and in summer stock
  • Performed Clause Bolling Suite for Violin and Jazz Piano Trio with NYC Ballet Orchestra Concertmaster, Kurt Nikkanem 05/2017!

13. Contemporary Music

Here's how pianists use contemporary music:
  • Provided traditional and contemporary music for worship and special events.
  • Lead and accompanied traditional and contemporary music

14. Piano Lessons

Here's how pianists use piano lessons:
  • Teach private piano lessons & sustain student progress.
  • Played piano on Friday's and Sunday's for church services Independently instructed piano lessons to grade school students

15. Gospel

Here's how pianists use gospel:
  • United Black Voices Gospel Choir" (Music Director).
  • Played piano during the praise and worship portion of the church service Performed songs in the contemporary and gospel style for worship
top-skills

What skills help Pianists find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on Pianist resumes?

Bill Boris

Associate Chair, Coordinator of Guitar and Bass Studies, Fusion Ensemble Director, Columbia College Chicago

Performance: All professional musicians should have a website that includes a bio, a list of noted performances, recording credits, teaching experience, and, most importantly, videos of live performances. A musician's skill and talent are evident in the first 10 seconds of a video.

Teaching/Theater: A resume for a teaching position should include education and past teaching experience. A degree from a highly regarded music school will stand out. Graduate assistantships and other teaching experience also are extremely important to potential employers. Musical directors from theater companies are looking for a list of past productions. Musicians who perform theater work are often recommended by music directors or other theater musicians.

A positive letter of recommendation is crucial for both teaching positions and theater work. (I just wrote a letter of recommendation for a former student who was being considered for the national tour of TOOTSIE.)

What Pianist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

B

Brandon Matthews Ph.D.

Chair and Professor of Music Director of Orchestral Activities Metropolitan State University of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver

Maximizing salary potential for musicians typically requires us to be able to do many things. It is not enough to simply play an instrument or sing well; now musicians need to be able to act as teachers, communicators, promoters, marketers, and entrepreneurs. The more skills you have in your tool box, the more access you have to revenue.

What type of skills will young Pianists need?

A

A.J. MerlinoA.J. Merlino LinkedIn Profile

Associate Dean, Albright College

I believe young graduates need to be well versed in all areas of the music industry. New graduates in music should understand how the entertainment industry ecosystem works, balancing artistry, business, and technology. Specifically, understanding intellectual property law, event promotion, marketing, artist management, music production/engineering, composing/songwriting/arranging, and technical mastery of their instrument(s). Relevant knowledge of hardware and software such as ProTools, Ableton, Logic, Sibelius, Artist Growth, and Photoshop to reinforce the aforementioned content areas will allow students to apply their knowledge. Besides skills directly related to the entertainment industry, employers will be looking for competencies in critical thinking, oral/written communication, teamwork/collaboration, digital technology, and leadership.

What soft skills should all Pianists possess?

S

Steve Parker

Professor, The University of Texas at San Antonio

The music field is vast and constantly changing, so it is difficult to generalize. The best suggestion I can give is to follow the 10 Rules for Students and Teachers, which is attributed to John Cage and Sister Corita Kent.

RULE ONE: Find a place you trust, and then try trusting it for a while.

RULE TWO: General duties of a student - pull everything out of your teacher; pull everything out of your fellow students.

RULE THREE: General duties of a teacher - pull everything out of your students.

RULE FOUR: Consider everything an experiment.

RULE FIVE: Be self-disciplined - this means finding someone wise or smart and choosing to follow them. To be disciplined is to follow in a good way. To be self-disciplined is to follow in a better way.

RULE SIX: Nothing is a mistake. There's no win and no fail; there's only make.

RULE SEVEN: The only rule is work. If you work, it will lead to something. It's the people who do all of the work all of the time who eventually catch on to things.

RULE EIGHT: Don't try to create and analyze at the same time. They're different processes.

RULE NINE: Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. It's lighter than you think.

RULE TEN: "We're breaking all the rules. Even our own rules. And how do we do that? By leaving plenty of room for X quantities." (John Cage)

HINTS: Always be around. Come or go to everything. Always go to classes. Read anything you can get your hands on. Look at movies carefully, often. Save everything - it might come in handy later.
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about Pianist

List of pianist skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a pianist resume and required skills for a pianist to have include:

  • Piano Performance
  • Chamber Music
  • Classical Music
  • Chorus
  • Music Theory
  • Piano Music
  • Piano Accompaniment
  • Private Parties
  • Easter
  • Private Lessons
  • Baptist
  • NYC
  • Contemporary Music
  • Piano Lessons
  • Gospel
  • Musical Accompaniment
  • International Music
  • Musical Styles
  • Music Ministry
  • Service Music

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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