Bachelor of Music (BM) or Bachelor of Arts (BA)

***IMPORTANT NOTE: The Thornton Prescreen Information Form is REQUIRED for this program. See below for more details.***

The USC Online Application and Prescreen Recording must be received by the December 1st deadline. Any application not complete by December 1 may be removed from consideration. Using a permanent marker, please label the actual DVD itself with the following information (the case that the DVD comes in will be removed during processing):

• First and Last Name
• Date of Birth
• Program to which you are applying (i.e., BM Vocal Arts)
• Year you are applying for (i.e., Fall 2012)

The prescreen recording MUST be accompanied by a completed Thornton Prescreen Information Form. Both the recording and the form should be mailed directly to the Thornton Admission Office:

Mailing Address:
(for United States Postal Service only)

Jazz Studies Admission Review
USC Thornton School of Music
Office of Admission
University Park Campus- LPB 200
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0851

Street Address:
(for private mail carriers only- e.g., Fed Ex, UPS, etc.)

Jazz Studies Admission Review
USC Thornton School of Music
Office of Admission
3450 Watt Way- LPB 200
Los Angeles, CA 90089

**Please do not send any additional materials to the USC Thornton Office of Admission.

Audition Requirements

PRE-SCREENING: Fall applicants to programs in jazz studies and jazz voice must submit an audition recording (in DVD format) to be pre-screened by the faculty. The results of this pre-screen will determine whether or not an applicant will be invited to perform a live audition on the USC campus in Los Angeles.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING SPRING ADMISSION: Applications are not accepted for Spring admission to this program.

The audition recording must include three to five selections of contrasting styles from the standard jazz repertoire. All selections must be on the applicant’s primary instrument or voice.

Instrumentalists must include “Au Privave” and “All the Things You Are” as two of the selections on their audition recording.

• Lead trumpet players must also include two lead trumpet excerpts of contrasting styles (e.g., up-tempo, ballad) from the big band literature.
• Bassists should play the head, a walking bass line, and a solo for each of the three to five selections. Bassists should also include four 2-octave major scales and four 2-octave minor scales; two of each should be played arco, two of each should be played pizzicato.
• Drummers must play through the melody, the form and a solo for each selection on the recording. Drummers should also include several bars of a rhythm pattern in each of the following styles: swing, be-bop, latin, funk and rock. Drummers should also demonstrate the use of brushes on one or more of the selections included on the recording.
• Pianists, reed players and brass players should be sure to play the melody and an improvised solo on all selections.

Vocalists may only audition for the BM Music Industry program and/or the Bachelor of Arts program. Vocalists must include “It Could Happen to You” (medium swing feel, performed with live accompaniment) and “Body and Soul” (slow tempo ballad but not in a 12/8 time feel, performed with live accompaniment—please sing unaccompanied at the beginning and the piano can come in at the bridge) as two of the selections on their audition recording, as well as one other selection of the applicant’s choosing. Improvisation is highly encouraged.

LIVE AUDITION: Based on the results of this pre-screen, the faculty will choose to invite a select group of applicants to the USC campus in Los Angeles for a live audition. At the live auditions, accompaniment will be provided and instrumentalists should perform the same repertoire that was included on their pre-screen recording, while vocalists should perform repertoire different from the pre-screen recording. Applicants must bring legible lead sheets for all of their prepared tunes to the audition. All applicants must also be prepared to demonstrate skills in jazz improvisation and sight-reading at the audition. Drummers must also carefully note that they must bring their own cymbals to the audition.

Graduate Certificate, Master of Music (Instrumental only)

The USC Online Application and Prescreen Recording must be received by the December 1st deadline. Any application not complete by December 1 may be removed from consideration. Using a permanent marker, please label the actual DVD itself with the following information (the case that the DVD comes in will be removed during processing):

• First and Last Name
• Date of Birth
• Program to which you are applying (i.e., BM Vocal Arts)
• Year you are applying for (i.e., Fall 2012)

The prescreen recording MUST be accompanied by a completed Thornton Prescreen Information Form. Both the recording and the form should be mailed directly to the Thornton Admission Office:

Mailing Address:
(for USPS only)

Jazz Studies Admission Review
USC Thornton School of Music
Office of Admission
University Park Campus- LPB 200
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0851

Street Address:
(for private mail carriers only- e.g., Fed Ex, UPS, etc.)

Jazz Studies Admission Review
USC Thornton School of Music
Office of Admission
3450 Watt Way- LPB 200
Los Angeles, CA 90089

**Please do not send any additional materials to the USC Thornton Office of Admission.

Please Note: Current USC Thornton students applying for a graduate program are not required to submit a prescreen recording, however they must indicate on the application that they are a current Thornton student or they will not automatically be scheduled for a live audition. Current USC students are encouraged to contact Kit Bellamy in the Thornton Admission office with any questions or concerns regarding audition scheduling.

Audition Requirements

PRE-SCREENING: All applicants to programs in jazz studies must submit an audition recording (in DVD format) to be pre-screened by the faculty. The results of this pre-screen will determine whether or not an applicant will be invited to perform a live audition on the USC campus in Los Angeles.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING SPRING ADMISSION: Applications are not accepted for Spring admission to this program.

The audition recording must include three to five selections of contrasting styles from the standard jazz repertoire. All selections must be on the applicant’s primary instrument or voice.

Applicants must include “Dolphin Dance” and “One Finger Snap” as two of the selections on their audition recording. One original composition is highly encouraged.

• Lead trumpet players must also include two lead trumpet excerpts of contrasting styles (e.g. up-tempo, ballad) from the big band literature.
• Bassists should play the head, a walking bass line and a solo for each of the three to five selections. Bassists should also include four 2-octave major scales and four 2-octave minor scales; two of each should be played arco, two of each should be played pizzicato.
• Drummers must play through the melody, the form and a solo for each selection on the recording. Drummers should also include several bars of a rhythm pattern in each of the following styles: swing, be-bop, latin, funk and rock. Drummers should also demonstrate the use of brushes on one or more of the selections included on the recording.
• Pianists, reed players and brass players should be sure to play the melody and an improvised solo on all selections.

LIVE AUDITION: Based on the results of this pre-screen, the faculty will choose to invite a select group of applicants to the USC campus in Los Angeles for a live audition. At the live auditions, a rhythm section will be provided and applicants should perform the same repertoire that was included on their pre-screen recording. Applicants must bring legible lead sheets for all of their prepared tunes to the audition. All applicants must also be prepared to demonstrate skills in jazz improvisation and sight-reading at the audition. Drummers must also carefully note that they must bring their own cymbals to the audition.

Doctor of Musical Arts (Instrumental only)

The USC Online Application and Prescreen Recording must be received by the December 1st deadline. Any application not complete by December 1 may be removed from consideration. Using a permanent marker, please label the actual DVD itself with the following information (the case that the DVD comes in will be removed during processing):

• First and Last Name
• Date of Birth
• Program to which you are applying (i.e., BM Vocal Arts)
• Year you are applying for (i.e., Fall 2012)

The prescreen recording MUST be accompanied by a completed Thornton Prescreen Information Form. Both the recording and the form should be mailed directly to the Thornton Admission Office:

Mailing Address:
(for USPS only)

Jazz Studies Admission Review
USC Thornton School of Music
Office of Admission
University Park Campus- LPB 200
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0851

Street Address:
(for private mail carriers only- e.g.,Fed Ex, UPS, etc.)

Jazz Studies Admission Review
USC Thornton School of Music
Office of Admission
3450 Watt Way- LPB 200
Los Angeles, CA 90089

**Please do not send any additional materials to the USC Thornton Office of Admission.

Please Note: Current USC Thornton students applying for a graduate program are not required to submit a prescreen recording, however they must indicate on the application that they are a current Thornton student or they will not automatically be scheduled for a live audition. Current USC students are encouraged to contact Kit Bellamy in the Thornton Admission office with any questions or concerns regarding audition scheduling.

Audition Requirements

PRE-SCREENING: All applicants to programs in jazz studies must submit an audition recording (in DVD format) to be pre-screened by the faculty. The results of this pre-screen will determine whether or not an applicant will be invited to perform a live audition on the USC campus in Los Angeles.

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING SPRING ADMISSION: Applications are not accepted for Spring admission to this program.

The audition recording must include three to five selections of contrasting styles from the standard jazz repertoire. All selections must be on the applicant’s primary instrument or voice.

Applicants must include “Giant Steps” and “Evidence” as two of the selections on their audition recording. One original composition is highly encouraged.

• Lead trumpet players must also include two lead trumpet excerpts of contrasting styles (e.g. up-tempo, ballad) from the big band literature.
• Bassists should play the head, a walking bass line and a solo for each of the three to five selections. Bassists should also include four 2-octave major scales and four 2-octave minor scales; two of each should be played arco, two of each should be played pizzicato.
• Drummers must play through the melody, the form and a solo for each selection on the recording. Drummers should also include several bars of a rhythm pattern in each of the following styles: swing, be-bop, latin, funk and rock. Drummers should also demonstrate the use of brushes on one or more of the selections included on the recording.
• Pianists, reed players and brass players should be sure to play the melody and an improvised solo on all selections.

LIVE AUDITION: Based on the results of this pre-screen, the faculty will choose to invite a select group of applicants to the USC campus in Los Angeles for a live audition. At the live auditions, a rhythm section will be provided and applicants should perform the same repertoire that was included on their pre-screen recording. Applicants must bring legible lead sheets for all of their prepared tunes to the audition. All applicants must also be prepared to demonstrate skills in jazz improvisation and sight-reading at the audition. Drummers must also carefully note that they must bring their own cymbals to the audition.