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
• Audition (see below)
• 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)

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

Audition Information - Percussion

A live audition at USC on the scheduled date is preferred. If this is not possible, a convenient time can be arranged with Professor Erik Forrester as necessary. DVDs of the highest possible quality will be accepted if travel to Los Angeles is not possible. A CD can be included if desired. CDs alone will not be accepted without the prior approval of Professor Forrester. Any questions regarding percussion audition repertoire may be directed to Professor Forrester via email: lisrik@earthlink.net. Please visit our Audition page for more specific information regarding audition dates and locations.

Please note: while specific examples of acceptable repertoire are given below, these examples are not required repertoire. Applicants are welcome to prepare selections of similar technical difficulty and musical substance.

Marimba: A substantial work for marimba using either two or four mallets.

• Examples: Bach: A Minor Violin Concerto; Peters: Yellow After the Rain
• A contrasting second work for keyboard percussion may be included
• Knowledge of major and minor scales and arpeggios is required.

Snare Drum: One or two solos or etudes for snare drum in concert style. These solos should include rolls of various lengths, embellishments and a variety of dynamics. Emphasis should be given to careful musical phrasing and interpretation.

• Examples: Peter Intermediate or Advanced Snare Drum Studies, Keith Alea Etudes, Cirone Portraits in Rhythm, Whaley Audition Etudes.
• A rudimental style solo and orchestral excerpts may be included if desired. A long roll beginning with a diminuendo to pianissimo and crescendo to fortissimo will likely be requested at the audition.

Timpani: A timpani etude or solo for two to four drums that demonstrates tone production and a musical sense of the drums. This selection need not include tune changes.

• Examples: Etudes by Mitchell Peters, Raynor Carroll, Richard Hochrainer, Gar Whaley, Alexander Lepk
• Applicants will also be asked to vocally match pitches from the piano and the timpani, sing intervals up and down and tune them on the drums.

Sight Reading: Applicants will be asked to sight-read on each instrument, and a portion of the reading will be conducted by Professor Forrester. The reading on snare drum will include mixed meters and basic polyrhythms.

Graduate Certificate, Master of Music

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.
• Audition (see below)

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

Because of the variety of percussion programs and musical backgrounds, USC Thornton percussion Professor Erik Forrester encourages graduate applicants to contact him directly to discuss audition repertoire as early in the application process as possible. He may be contacted at lisrik@earthlink.net. Please visit our Audition page for more specific information regarding audition dates and locations.

Audition Information

Keyboard Percussion

• Two substantial works for marimba or vibes, only one of which may be a transcription or arrangement. A contrast of technical and compositional styles is desired.
• Four orchestral excerpts divided between bells and xylophone. Excerpts should show various techniques and styles.

Snare Drum

• Three contrasting etudes or solos showing advanced technique and sophisticated interpretation.
• Four orchestral excerpts.

Timpani

• A solo or etude for four drums which includes tuning changes and emphasizes timpanistic use of the timpani.
• Orchestral excerpts, including: Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, 4th movement; Mozart, Symphony No. 39; Hindemith, Symphonic Metamorphosis; Brahms, Symphony No. 1, 4th movement

Multiple Percussion

• Required: One substantial solo or ensemble work utilizing challenging multiple set-up.
• Preferred: One solo work and one work from the chamber music repertoire such as Stravinsky Histoire; Bartok Sonata; Milhaud Le Creation.

Doctor of Musical 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 Graduate Application to be submitted with the following documents online
• Statement of Objectives
• Résumé
• Repertoire List
• 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
  • GRE score report (general test only)
  • TOEFL score report (required from all applicants for whom English is a second language, regardless of educational background or immigration status)
• Audition (see below)

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

Audition Information

Because of the variety of percussion programs and musical backgrounds, USC Thornton Percussion Professor Erik Forrester encourages graduate applicants to contact him directly to discuss audition repertoire as early in the application process as possible. He may be contacted at lisrik@earthlink.net.

An audition program should include the following:

Keyboard Percussion

• Two substantial works for marimba or vibes, only one of which may be a transcription or arrangement. A contrast of technical and compositional styles is desired.
• Four orchestral excerpts divided between bells and xylophone. Excerpts should show various techniques and styles.

Snare Drum

• Three contrasting etudes or solos showing advanced technique and sophisticated interpretation.
• Four orchestral excerpts.

Timpani

• A solo or etude for four drums which includes tuning changes and emphasizes timpanistic use of the timpani.
• Orchestral excerpts, including: Beethoven, Symphony No. 9, 4th movement; Mozart, Symphony No. 39; Hindemith, Symphonic Metamorphosis; Brahms, Symphony No. 1, 4th movement

Multiple Percussion

• Required: One substantial solo or ensemble work utilizing challenging multiple set-up.
• Preferred: One solo work and one work from the chamber music repertoire such as Stravinsky Histoire; Bartok Sonata; Milhaud Le Creation.

The percussion faculty generally prefers that applicants to the doctoral program have been out of school for at least one year, either following completion of a BM degree or following completion of an MM degree.