Percussion

The application fee for the USC Graduate application is $90. Application fee waivers are available to qualified applicants, and must be requested before submitting the USC Graduate Application. If you plan to apply for a waiver of the USC Graduate Application fee, please do so at least two weeks before the application deadline. The deadline will not be extended for applicants who fail to request a fee waiver in time. Details and instructions can be found here.

All Thornton graduate applicants must upload transcripts into both the USC Graduate Application (Liaison) AND Thornton SlideRoom Application. The transcript submission deadline is October 1st. Please carefully read the instructions below.

Step 1– You must obtain official transcripts from the registrar’s office of each of your prior institutions before you can complete and submit the application forms. This may take some time, please plan accordingly.

Step 2– Upload Scans (PDF format) of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended into the “Academic History” section of the USC Graduate application (Liaison).

Step 3– Upload Scans (PDF format) of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended into the SlideRoom application where indicated.

Unofficial transcripts or documents printed from an on-line student system will not be accepted. Failure to upload scans of official transcripts in both application forms may significantly delay the release of a final admission decision.

When completing the USC Graduate application, it is important to pay special attention to the following items that you will find in the “program materials” section of the application:

• Thornton SlideRoom portal – A link to access the Thornton SlideRoom portal will be provided in this section.
• The Documents tab – Documents submitted in this section will not be accessible to the Thornton faculty. Thornton faculty will only be able to review documents submitted via the Thornton SlideRoom portal. In order to complete this section, you must check the box indicating that you do not wish to upload documents in this section.
• The Questions tab – Enter your SlideRoom Confirmation number where indicated (you will receive your SlideRoom confirmation number upon submission of the SlideRoom form).

Click here for important additional requirements and instructions.

A link to the SlideRoom portal is located inside the USC Application for Graduate Admission, in the “Program Materials” Section.

The SlideRoom application fee is $25 (fee waivers are not available). Thornton supplemental materials will not be accepted via mail or email.

The SlideRoom form must be submitted before the USC Application for Graduate Admission (Applicants can start both forms and work on them at the same time). Once SlideRoom is submitted, you will need to enter your SlideRoom confirmation number into the “Questions” tab, also located in the “program materials” section of the USC Graduate application.

Applicants to programs in Percussion must submit video recordings to be prescreened by the faculty. Only video recordings are acceptable. The results of this prescreen will determine whether an applicant will be invited to perform a live audition. Applicants will be notified of prescreen results and live audition details via email from the corresponding Thornton department.

Persons failing to prepare the full pre-screen requirements described below will not be permitted to perform a live audition nor offered admission to the program.

For all graduate applicants, the prescreen recordings should include the following:

Snare Drum

• Long Roll-Start pp and gradually crescendo to ff, hold at ff for a few seconds, and gradually diminuendo back to pp for a total duration of 25-30 seconds.
• Pratt “Drum Corps on Parade from 14 Modern Contest Solos for Snare Drum”– From the beginning to the downbeat of measure 28 (1/4 note = 108)
• Delecluse “Etude No. 1 from 12 Etudes pour Caisse Claire”. Play from the beginning to the downbeat of measure 46. (1/4 note = 76).

Mallets

Two mallets

• Any two mallet movements from J.S. Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin or Suites for Solo Cello (no repeats).

Four mallets

• A 2-3 minute excerpt from a work of your choice.

Timpani

(Please tune exclusively with an A440 tuning fork, and without the use of an electronic tuner)

Record the following excerpts in one take without stopping as if playing a live audition.

• Beethoven “Symphony no. 9” coda (1st mvt., 18 before S to the end).
• Tchaikovsky “Symphony no. 4” (1st mvt., 2 before T to 3 before U).
• Bartok Concerto for Orchestra – Mvt. 4, bars 42-50.

The résumé should list musical, professional, and academic experience and is generally 1-2 pages in length.

This list should include works studied and performed. Etudes, scale studies, arias, art songs, chamber music, solo pieces, and original compositions are all examples of what could be included in this list.

Graduate applicants are encouraged to prepare a brief statement of their professional goals, as well as their purpose in applying for the Percussion program. The Statement of Purpose is typically 1-2 pages in length.

All Thornton graduate applicants must upload transcripts into both the USC Graduate Application (Liaison) AND Thornton SlideRoom Application. The transcript submission deadline is October 1st. Please carefully read the instructions below.

Step 1– You must obtain official transcripts from the registrar’s office of each of your prior institutions before you can complete and submit the application forms. This may take some time, please plan accordingly.

Step 2– Upload Scans (PDF format) of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended into the SlideRoom application where indicated.

Step 3– Upload Scans (PDF format) of official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended into the “Academic History” section of the USC Graduate application (Liaison).

Unofficial transcripts or documents printed from an on-line student system will not be accepted. Failure to upload scans of official transcripts in both application forms may significantly delay the release of a final admission decision.

1-3 recommendation letters are required from graduate Percussion applicants for the spring semester. Recommendation letters are to be submitted online through the Thornton SlideRoom portal via the “References” section by October 1. We cannot guarantee the review of any material received after October 1.

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.

If invited to a live audition, applicants should bring two bound copies of all materials.

Snare Drum

• Rudimental Solo Etude from Pratt or Wilcoxon books.
• Concert Solo Etude from Delecluse 12 Etudes, Keiskleiriana, or Mitchell Peters Advanced Studies.
• Knowledge of rudiments and ornaments.
• Ability to roll at all dynamic levels.
• Sight-reading.
• Four standard orchestral excerpts.

Mallets

• Two-mallet solo of your choice that would be suitable for a recital.
• Four-mallet Marimba or Vibraphone solo of your choice that would be suitable for a recital.
• Knowledge of scales and arpeggios.
• Sight-reading.
• Three standard orchestral excerpts on Xylophone and 2 on Glockenspiel.

Timpani

• Four standard orchestral excerpts.
• Ability to tune accurately.
• Sight-reading.