Peter T. Jones

Peter T. Jones is a Senior Lecturer and Accompanist in the Department of Dance at Mount Holyoke College. A composer, multi-instrumentalist, and improviser with over thirty years of experience, he specializes in creating music for dance education and performance. He holds a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts.

Jones teaches intermediate-level Analysis of Rhythm and senior-level Analysis of Rhythm II, where students create music and dance suites. He co-teaches Composition II: Music and Choreography with colleague Jim Coleman. His academic guidance extends to independent student projects in ethnomusicology, drum technique, and blues history.

His research focuses on rhythmic structures from a dancer's perspective, musical improvisation techniques for dance accompaniment, and cross-cultural music traditions. Jones has conducted workshops internationally at institutions including Bates Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow, and universities across the United States and Europe.

As a performer, Jones leads a jazz/rock trio and collaborates with artists like percussionist Tigger Benford. He has composed scores for dance companies including Kevin Wynn, Danny Buraczeski's Jazzdance, and Sean Curran, with premieres at New York's Joyce Theater.