Popular Music Teaching and Learning

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. All transcripts are due December 1st for the priority deadline or May 1st for the final deadline. 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.

This could be an academic paper written for a class, a thesis or other written capstone project, a literature review, a research report, an opinion piece, or other sample of writing that demonstrates strong writing skills.

A video recording of the applicant teaching in any setting, for the purpose of evaluating teaching skills and level of experience. Applicants should also provide a performance of one selection that demonstrates experience in popular music. This performance can be vocal, instrumental, an original song, or a “cover” from popular music repertoire. The applicant may also demonstrate proficiency in music production with a video selection of their work station and creative process. The complete video recording should be approximately 15 minutes in length.

This should include musical, professional and academic experience, including job descriptions. Teaching experience can be private, public, studio teaching, or in a community music setting.

All applicants must prepare a 3-5 minute introductory video where they express why they are interested in this degree, why Thornton is a good fit, and what their career plans are.

Applicants are required to submit all of the three portfolio components described below for an original song that has been composed by the applicant.

The original song (composed by the applicant) should:

• Be a minimum of two minutes in length, and
• Have at least two formal sections, and
• Effectively utilize harmonic concepts from American popular music (these harmonic concepts could include but are not limited to: borrowed chords from parallel minor, descending fourths progressions, mode mixture, leading-tone and/or common-tone diminished 7th chords, chromatic mediants, etc.).

All three of the following components must be submitted for the popular music skills portfolio:

1) Song Analysis – select a section (minimum of 8 bars in length) from the original song (composed by the applicant) and conduct an analysis of each selected song section. The analysis must contain all of the following elements:

• Notated melody and chords on a standard grand staff, including clefs, key signature, and time signature. The melody should be notated on the top staff; on the lower section of the grand staff, chords should be notated on the treble staff and the bass line on the bass staff.
• Chord names above the top staff (as would appear on a lead sheet)
• Chromatic interval melodic analysis under the melody line on the top staff
• The key of the song, indicated below the bottom staff just below the time signature
• Roman numeral choral analysis below the bottom staff

2) Arrangement – arrange the original song (composed by the applicant) in its entirety for a basic rhythm section of drums, bass, keyboards, two guitars, and voice. Slash notation may be used where appropriate, but it must also be combined with elements of standard notation (drum notation, guitar notation, etc.). The arrangement must be notated in Sibelius, Finale, or a similar notation program.

3) Demo recording – provide a simple demo recording the original song (composed by the applicant), utilizing a combination of MIDI and real instruments.

All Thornton graduate applicants must upload transcripts into both the USC Graduate Application (Liaison) AND Thornton SlideRoom Application. All transcripts are due December 1st for the priority deadline or May 1st for the final deadline. 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.

3 recommendation letters are required from Popular Music Teaching and Learning applicants. Letters should speak to musicianship and potential as a teacher. Recommendation letters are to be submitted online through the Thornton SlideRoom portal via the “References” section by December 1st for the priority deadline or May 1st for the final deadline. We cannot guarantee the review of any material received after the aforementioned deadlines.

TOEFL or IELTS scores are required from International applicants for whom English is a second language. Please include your scores on the application form where indicated, and be sure that an official score report is sent to USC’s Graduate Admission office by the application deadline. Minimum test score requirements and other relevant information can be found here. Please note that scores well beyond the minimum acceptable are preferable.

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

• Consent and Release Form (if applicant is under 18 years of age by December 1, 2024)

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