Raphael Saadiq Announced as Inaugural Member of the Dean’s Creative Vanguard Program
Raphael Saadiq is the USC Thornton School of Music’s inaugural member of the Dean’s Creative Vanguard Program. Under the leadership of Dean Jason King in conjunction with key USC Thornton instructors, Saadiq will mentor students through the spring of 2025, offering his expertise to the next generation of musical innovators.
The award-winning, multi-talented artist, producer, instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter with over thirty-five years of groundbreaking influence in popular music, Saadiq brings a wealth of experience to the program. Currently nominated for four Grammy Awards (including Best Country Song, Song of the Year and Record of the Year for Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” and Album of the Year for Cowboy Carter), he will work closely with senior students in the Pop Performance program, guiding them in developing their original songwriting and live performance skills. Saadiq will collaborate with USC faculty member and artist/producer Tim Kobza to help students refine their craft, culminating in a special showcase on March 9 at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. In his capacity as the inaugural member of the Dean’s Creative Vanguard Program, Saadiq will dedicate his time at USC to active collaboration with students and faculty, toward the goal of supporting a vibrant and interdisciplinary community.
In addition to Saadiq’s mentorship, select students at USC Thornton School of Music will have the exclusive opportunity to work with Saadiq at his renowned Blakeslee Recording Studio, gaining firsthand experience in the creative process and music production.
This partnership represents an exciting new chapter for USC Thornton School Of Music, providing additional opportunities for students across various stylistic divisions of the school to learn from a legend in contemporary music. Saadiq’s wide-ranging experience—including his work as a film and TV composer on projects like Insecure, his label expertise, and his ability to seamlessly transition between solo performance, bandleading, studio production and songwriting—is perfectly aligned with USC Thornton’s diverse array of programs and its expansive commitment to empowering students to experiment and thrive as creative leaders.
On his new role, Saadiq exclusively shared with Billboard, “I was thrilled to hang out with the Thornton music students and the faculty members who so graciously makes this program work. I was surprised and somewhat nervous for a second; it took me back to my time as a student at YMP, the Young Musicians Program at the University of Berkeley, California.
The students at USC had great questions, well-thought-out, and clever; that’s all I needed to hear to get my wheels spinning. The insights and experiences I’ve gathered could be beneficial as we share, grow, and inspire each other. Here’s to the great exchange of ideas and the bright future we’re building. I look forward to the next wave of great musicians and songwriters at USC.”
Additional members of the Vanguard will be announced over the course of the year, with selections guided by a committee committed to upholding the program’s mission.
“Raphael Saadiq, in my opinion, is one of the MVPs of popular music of the last 40 years. He has excelled at incredibly high levels as a songwriter, as a producer, as a performer, and so much more. He’s a visionary in the music industry, so what a joy to be able to bring him to meet the students, to work with the students who are graduating, to help them with their songs, to help them with their arrangements and their productions, and to be able to give them some guidance as they move into their professional careers post-graduation,” said USC Thornton School Dean Jason King.
Limited tickets are available for the showcase performance at the El Rey Theatre on March 9. More information and RSVP link are available on music.usc.edu.
For inquiries, please contact Gretchen Meier, head of communications at the USC Thornton School of Music, at gmeier@usc.edu or 213-740-3229.