Music Industry

You are required to submit a Statement of Purpose (400 – 550 words) that communicates your plans and goals related to the pursuit of this program. Why do you wish to pursue the BS in Music Industry degree at USC Thornton?

You are required to submit a short essay (100-350 words each) in each of the following two (2) topic areas:

Essay 1

1. Which of the following statements best describes you? Explain why.
   • I want to be a successful artist, songwriter or producer.
   • I want to be successful in assisting artists, songwriters, or producers (who are not me) to develop their careers.

Essay 2

1. Please select one of the prompts below and respond. There are no right or wrong answers. This is your chance to be creative.
   • If Lucy is “in the sky with diamonds”, where is Charlie Brown?
   • “There is no such thing as a new idea.” – Mark Twain. Are any innovations in the Music Industry original, or just a different combination of old ideas?
   • What did Plato mean when he said the following? “Musical innovation is full of danger to the State, for when modes of music change, the fundamental laws of the State always change with them.”
   • According to Harlan Howard, “Country music is three chords and the truth.” Pick a genre of music and define it in a similar style to Harlan Howard and explain why.
   • What would have happened in the song had Olivia Rodrigo not gotten her “driver’s license”? Explain.
   • If you were to develop the next Oreo flavor and size, and associate it with an Artist’s brand – what would you call it, and what size and flavor would it be?

A video submission consisting of two (2) recordings: You are required to submit a video recording in the SlideRoom media section responding to the following two (2) prompts:

• A 1 minute video answering the following question: what will your first job be once you graduate from the Music Industry Program? How will you go about finding and securing this job?
• A 1 minute video addressing the following: many artists and music industry professionals have incorporated philanthropic endeavors into the fabric of their business. Identify one of these artists or industry professionals, explain what philanthropic endeavor they support and why you feel it is important.
  

All applicants to undergraduate Thornton programs are required to submit a single-take, unedited, and preferably unscripted 1-2 minute video that offers a brief personal introduction and answers the following question: How do you envision using your USC Thornton education to become a force for positive change in the evolution of the music profession and music as an art form?

The music profession is changing, and we’re changing with it. USC Thornton’s undergraduate music curriculum maintains a rigorous foundation of the finest professional training, while also offering flexibility for students to chart their own pathway. We aim to develop leaders in the music profession, who can not only take advantage of traditional opportunities, but also discover new ones – and even create their own.

One of the components of this forward-thinking curriculum is the required Final Project, completed in the senior year, which allows students to develop and fully realize a unique project related to their work as young music professionals. This could involve product development, a live music concept, exploring new technologies, addressing a pressing social issue through music, conducting original research, or any number of other possible approaches.

To help us get to know our applicants and their unique identity as young music professionals, all applicants to undergraduate programs in the Thornton School are required to submit (via SlideRoom) a single-take, unedited, and preferably unscripted video of no more than two minutes. In this video applicants must answer the following question: If you were pitching your Final Project idea today, what is the project you would propose and why?”

The résumé is generally 1-2 pages in length and should focus on the following:

• Education- emphasizing your academic history;
• Professional endeavors: identify work, internships, and/or volunteer positions
• Extra-curricular activities: identify activities beyond your classes
• Leadership: identify leadership roles you may have held as part of any of your previous experience(s)

Current USC students are required to submit an unofficial USC transcript and “Registered Course List” available through myUSC.

To access your “Unofficial Transcript,” log into myUSC (my.usc.edu) and click “OASIS.” Under “Course Information,” select “Unofficial Transcript,” which is the history of your completed courses including units and grades. Important note: the STARS report will not be accepted in lieu of the “Unofficial Transcript.”

• Note: If you are currently enrolled in your first semester at USC and have not yet completed any courses, upload a PDF document with the following statement: “I am currently enrolled in my first semester at USC and have not yet completed any courses at USC.”

To access your “Registered Course List,” log into myUSC (my.usc.edu) and click “OASIS.” Click “Continue” to access your course information and then select “Registered Course List.”

• Note: you only need to upload your registered courses for the current fall semester.

Optional letters of recommendation for the Thornton School may be submitted through the SlideRoom References section. Important notes for optional letters of recommendation:

• Any optional letters of recommendation you want reviewed by the faculty must be submitted via the Thornton SlideRoom References form by the appropriate deadline (December 1 for fall admission). We cannot guarantee the review of any material received after the deadline.
• Any recommendations sent via mail or email will not be reviewed by the faculty.

Applicants to the Thornton School will be required to complete and upload the following form in SlideRoom:

• Parental Consent Form (if applicant is under 18 years of age by December 1, 2023)

For helpful Slideroom media upload troubleshooting tips, please click here.