Accompanying

(updated August 24, 2026)

Please see the information below for all matters related to accompanying services provided by the MTSU School of Music. 

Accompanist Request Forms

Please click on the appropriate link below to submit a request for an accompanist. Before submitting your form, please review the Accompanying Policies below. You will be asked to verify that you understand the eligibility requirements, deadlines, and expectations. All requests are routed to the Coordinator of Accompanying, Ms. Gyuhee Kim. Please allow up to one week for a response. 

• Degree recital requests – August 2 and Dec 15 deadlines
• Instrumental requests (non-recital) – submit at least 4 weeks prior to first rehearsal
• Vocal area requests (non-recital) – submit by the end of week 2 of classes

Staff Pianists

Gyuhee Kim (Coordinator of Accompanying) – Gyuhee.Kim@mtsu.edu

Sandy Arndt (trumpet only) – Sandra.Arndt@mtsu.edu

Paula Bell – Paula.Bell@mtsu.edu

Wenwen Che – Wenwen.Che@mtsu.edu

Grace Thompson – Grace.Thompson@mtsu.edu

Christine Whelchel – Christine.Whelchel@mtsu.edu

Amelia Ochoa (Graduate Teaching Assistant) – ago3d@mtmail.mtsu.edu

Abigail Barton (Graduate Teaching Assistant) – agb9h@mtmail.mtsu.edu

Contact

Ms. Gyuhee Kim
Coordinator of Accompanying
Wright Music Building Room 261
Gyuhee.Kim@mtsu.edu

ACCOMPANYING POLICIES

Revised July 2026

Students enrolled in MUAP (applied music lessons) may utilize the services of a school-paid accompanist according to the following designations below. MUAP applied lesson fees are used, in part, to cover the cost of accompanists. 1-credit lessons carry a $190/semester fee and 2-credit lessons carry a $340/semester fee.

Instrumental; no recital	Up to 3 hours per semester
Instrumental; required recital	Up to 10 hours during the recital semester
Vocal; no recital	Up to 8 hours per semester
Vocal; required recital	Up to 12 hours during the recital semester

General Guidelines

• Eligible services include lessons, studio classes, studio recitals, juries, recital hearings, Student Recital Hour, the Tom Naylor Competition, required recitals, and related rehearsals. Other services require approval.
• A minimum of 15 minutes is charged per service. Any service less than 15 minutes will be recorded as a 15-minute service. Student Recital Hour performances and studio recital performances will not be deducted from a student’s allotted hours.
• Unused hours do not roll over to the following semester.
• Students may not exceed 90 minutes of accompanist time per week during non-recital semesters, unless prior agreement is made with their assigned pianist.
• Instrumental students may request an accompaniment for repertoire equivalent to one complete work per semester (e.g., a sonata movement or comparable piece). Requests to perform more than one piece or movement per semester will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Pianists (full- and part-time) are not obligated to accept all requests. Repertoire difficulty, preparation time, and accompanist availability are factored into each decision.  
• Students must pay pianists directly for any hours beyond their allotted time, and payment must be made in advance. Pianists are not permitted to perform without payment.
• Pianists are not obligated to exceed a student’s allotted hours, even if additional payment is offered.
• Students who choose to hire non-MTSU accompanists are responsible for ensuring the accompanist’s availability for all required events and are required to pay accompanists directly. MTSU will not pay for non-MTSU accompanists and will not provide substitutes.

Communication

• All requests must be submitted through the Accompanist Request Forms available on the School of Music website. Requests made otherwise will not be approved.
• Requests for fall semester required degree recitals should be made no later than August 2.  Requests for spring semester required degree recitals should be made no later than December 15.
• Requests for single pieces or movements should be made no later than 4 weeks prior to the first rehearsal.

Cancellations and Attendance

• Cancellations by the instructor or student less than 24 hours in advance will deduct from the student’s allotted hours. Accompanists are not obligated to attend makeup sessions. If a makeup session is held, it will also be deducted from the student’s allotted time.
• Cancellations by the instructor or student more than 24 hours in advance will not deduct from a student’s allotted hours. Accompanists are not obligated to attend makeup sessions.
• If an accompanist must cancel, notification should be given as early as possible and the accompanist should attempt to reschedule or secure a substitute. Frequent cancellations should be discussed with the Coordinator of Accompanying.
• Missed appointments without notice result in a 30-minute deduction. Repeated absences may result in loss of accompanying privileges.

Important Information for Vocal Students

Voice students may utilize the services of a school-paid accompanist for up to 8 hours per semester (or up to 12 hours during the semester of a required recital). For students taking 1-hour lessons, these hours are generally not sufficient to cover an entire semester and are often supplemented with payments by students directly to an accompanist. Since faculty expectations and student financial situations vary widely, please indicate your level of comfort in paying for hours over your allotted 8. This information will be shared with your applied instructor in hopes that an arrangement agreeable to all can be made.

Note: Freelance accompanist fees are $35/hour [MTSU standard hourly rate]. Accompanist availability for hours beyond the allotted 8 is not guaranteed.

On the accompanist form, you will be asked to indicate the total number of hours you wish to work with an accompanist, based on 13 lessons per semester:

• 8 hours maximum (approx. 30 mins/week with accompanist) – I do not wish to pay for hours above the allotted 8 hours.
• 10 hours (approx. 45 mins/week) – Willing to pay for 2 additional hours.
• 13 hours (1 hour/week) – Willing to pay for 5 additional hours.
• 16.25 hours (75 mins/week) – Willing to pay for 8.25 additional hours.
• 19.5 hours (90 mins/week) – Willing to pay for 11.5 additional hours.