Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Arts

All of the materials listed below must be received by the December 1st deadline. Any application not complete by December 1 may be removed from consideration.

Required items:

• USC Undergraduate Application- the following documents will also be submitted online with the USC application:
  • Résumé
  • Repertoire List
  • Statement of Objectives
• Materials to be delivered to USC Admission (click here for the "USC Contact Us" page, then select "USC Office of Admission" to obtain the correct mailing address)
• Official transcripts
• SAT or ACT test scores
• TOEFL score report - required from all applicants for whom English is a second language, regardless of educational background or immigration status
• Prescreen Recording to be mailed directly to the Thornton Admission Office (see address below)

  USC Thornton Office of Admission
  927 West 35th Street- PIC 212
  Los Angeles, CA 90089-0021
  

**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.

Recordings must be received by the Thornton admission office by the December 1st deadline to be pre-screened by the faculty. The recording must be labeled with the following information:

First and Last Name

Date of Birth

USC ID#

Program to which you are applying (i.e. BM Music Industry: Oboe)

Year you are applying for (i.e. Fall 2010)

Anticipated Class standing (Freshman, Transfer, or Grad)

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING SPRING ADMISSION: Applications are not accepted for Spring admission to this program unless the applicant is already enrolled at USC. Current USC students for spring admission are not required to submit a recording for pre-screening. Spring applicants must contact the Jazz Studies department directly at (213) 740-3119 to arrange for an audition.

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 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.

Additional Information

The jazz studies department will accept applications for admission to fall semesters only. Only current USC students applying for admission to the Thornton School of Music may apply for spring admission.

Graduate Certificate, Master of Music (Instrumental only)

All of the materials listed below must be received by the December 1st deadline. Any application not complete by December 1 may be removed from consideration

Required items:

• USC Graduate Application to be submitted with the following documents online
• Résumé
• Repertoire List
• Statement of Objectives
• 1-3 Letters of Recommendation (see the USC online application for instructions on how to submit)
• Materials to be delivered to USC Admission (click here for the correct mailing address)
• Official Transcripts
• TOEFL score report - required from all MM applicants for whom English is a second language, regardless of educational background or immigration status
• Prescreen Recording- to be mailed directly to the Thornton Admission Office (see address below)

USC Thornton Office of Admission
927 West 35th Street- PIC 212
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0021


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

Audition Requirements

PRE-SCREENING: All 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.

Recordings must be received by the Thornton admission office by the December 1st deadline to be pre-screened by the faculty. The recording must be labeled with the following information:

First and Last Name

Date of Birth

USC ID#

Program to which you are applying (i.e. BM Music Industry: Oboe)

Year you are applying for (i.e. Fall 2010)

Anticipated Class standing (Freshman, Transfer, or Grad)

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING SPRING ADMISSION: Applications are not accepted for Spring admission to this program unless the applicant is already enrolled at USC. Current USC students for spring admission are not required to submit a recording for pre-screening. Spring applicants must contact the Jazz Studies department directly at (213) 740-3119 to arrange for an audition.

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 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.

Additional Information

The jazz studies department will accept applications for admission to fall semesters only. Only current USC students applying for admission to the Thornton School of Music may apply for spring admission.

Doctor of Musical Arts (Instrumental only)

All of the materials listed below must be received by the December 1st deadline. Any application not complete by December 1 may be removed from consideration.

Required items:

USC Graduate Application to be submitted with the following documents online

• Résumé
• Repertoire List
• Statement of Objectives

1-3 Letters of Recommendation (see the USC online application for instructions on how to submit)

Materials to be delivered to USC Admission (click here for the correct mailing address)

• Official Transcripts
• TOEFL score report - required from all applicants for whom English is a second language, regardless of educational background or immigration status
• GRE score report (general test only)

Prescreen Recording- to be mailed directly to the Thornton Admission Office (see address below)

USC Thornton Office of Admission
927 West 35th Street- PIC 212
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0021

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

Audition Requirements

PRE-SCREENING: All 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.

Recordings must be received by the Thornton admission office by the December 1st deadline to be pre-screened by the faculty. The recording must be labeled with the following information:

First and Last Name

Date of Birth

USC ID#

Program to which you are applying (i.e. BM Music Industry: Oboe)

Year you are applying for (i.e. Fall 2010)

Anticipated Class standing (Freshman, Transfer, or Grad)

IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING SPRING ADMISSION: Applications are not accepted for Spring admission to this program unless the applicant is already enrolled at USC. Current USC students for spring admission are not required to submit a recording for pre-screening. Spring applicants must contact the Jazz Studies department directly at (213) 740-3119 to arrange for an audition.

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 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.

Additional Information

The jazz studies department will accept applications for admission to fall semesters only. Only current USC students applying for admission to the Thornton School of Music may apply for spring admission.