Faculty

Having been recently promoted to full Professor of Practice as a member of the faculty of the Flora L. Thornton School of Music at USC, Dr. Jacob Vogel enters his sixth season as the director of The Spirit of Troy. Under his baton, The Spirit of Troy has shown tremendous growth and member retention, bringing in record-setting new member cohorts over the past three seasons. The Spirit of Troy currently holds 380 student members representing all schools on USC’s campus. Given the broad reach of The Spirit of Troy’s membership, Dr. Vogel has made it a program goal to collaborate with campus partners and fellow faculty members to create truly unique USC experiences for the students, alumni, and fans. Recently, The Spirit of Troy has shared the stage with the USC School of Dramatic Arts, inviting them to star as Henry VIII’s wives in a concert production of SIX: The Musical. Following the success of this performance, The Spirit of Troy and USC SDA went on to produce a stunning Wicked halftime show, and members of the Drumline and USC Silks were invited to join in SDA’s production of Legally Blonde. To close out the academic year, Dr. Vogel relinquished his conducting duties at USC’s Commencement and was delighted to watch guest conductor Gustavo Dudamel lead The Spirit of Troy in their performance of All Hail, the alma mater of USC. Looking ahead, Dr. Vogel is thrilled to invite USC’s University Chorus to next year’s spring concert, bringing his collaborative efforts to another large community here at USC.

Dr. Vogel’s work continues to cement The Spirit of Troy’s legacy as “Hollywood’s Band”, working with musical artists, stars of film and television, famed film composers, and being featured in film soundtracks and on the silver screen. Under his direction, The Spirit of Troy has collaborated with The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Will Smith & Martin Lawrence at the premiere of Bad Boys: Ride or Die, and Megan Thee Stallion, as well as performing alongside AJR, The Rose, Atarashii Gakko, Mick Fleetwood, and famed rapper Xzibit in a Rams halftime performance at SoFi Stadium honoring famed NFL player Aaron Donald. In a joint performance never before seen, The Spirit of Troy joined forces with the UCLA Bruin Band, YOLA, and the LA Phil to back up Gwen Stefani in celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the Hollywood Bowl. The Spirit of Troy made their first appearances via streaming platforms, being featured in the Netflix special, Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef and joining Questlove and “Jake from State Farm” as part of Kai Cenat’s Mafiathon 3. As no stranger to television, The Spirit of Troy has made appearances on Nickelodeon’s Kid’s Choice Awards, The Masked Singer, NASCAR’s Clash at the Coliseum, The ESPY’s honoring Lee Corso, and in promotional spots for the Olympic games in Paris 2024 and alongside Samuel L. Jackson for the 2026 games in Milan. Dr. Vogel has had the wonderful opportunity to work with many famed composers for film and television, collaborating with Alan Silvestri, Lorne Balfe, Ramin Djawadi, as well as bringing Theadore Shapiro’s vision to life, performing the music of Severance in a surprise performance at Paley Fest with guest drum major, Tramell Tillman. 

Previous to his full-time post at USC, Dr. Vogel served as an adjunct faculty member at Chapman University’s Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music, teaching undergraduate courses in ear training and music theory. In his final semester with Chapman University, Vogel was awarded the “Shaun Naidoo Legacy Award,” a distinction voted on by the student body, which is intended to honor a faculty member who has made a substantial impact on the students and has had a positive effect on the Conservatory of Music. While in his undergraduate studies at Chapman University, he founded the “Pride of Chapman” pep band, a 40-piece ensemble whose style and energy had brought life to that campus. Dr. Vogel served as director and arranger of that ensemble for seven seasons following his graduation from the university. In addition to his posts at Chapman University, Dr. Vogel acted as the coordinator for the Frederick Fennell Wind Studies Program at the Orange County School of the Arts, as well as teaching courses in music theory and ensemble performance.

Dr. Vogel has received a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Teaching and Learning, under the careful tutelage of Drs. Susan Helfter, Beatrice Ilari, and Peter Webster, as well as a Master’s Degree in Music Education from USC’s Thornton School of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and French Horn performance from Chapman University’s Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music. Upon his graduation from Chapman University, Dr. Vogel received the Conservatory of Music Award. During his studies in music education, Dr. Vogel actively studied conducting with exemplary master teachers, including Daniel Alfred Wachs, Joe Modica and Larry Livingston.

Dr. Vogel is an active clinician and adjudicator, working with groups such as the Trombone Shorty Foundation, the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra, World Strides, KI Concerts, Music Celebrations International, Accent Concerts, and Affinity Group Tours, a Canadian-based tour company that specializes in musical tours in the United States and throughout the world. Vogel was born and raised in Southern California and currently resides in the San Gabriel Valley with his wife and three children and is an avid movie fan.