After completing her studies, Chance worked as a piano teacher, composer and arts administrator. She received the ASCAP/Nissim prize for orchestral composition in 1981 for Liturgy and in 1984 for Odysseus. She also received two awards from the NEA, and fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and Sundance Film for composition in 1988. Her works have been performed at venues such as the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Carnegie Hall. Laird Chance lived and taught in Kenya from 1974-1978.