As of Fall 2006
Jay Zorn, Music Education
Jay Zorn, a noted educator, conductor, musician and author, died this past July at age 75. He has been on USC faculty since 1972. After graduating from the Oberlin Conservatory, Zorn served in the Air Force as a trumpet performer and conductor of the Air Force Band of Europe, touring 20 countries over a four-year period. After completing his active duty, Zorn became the band director at Mamaroneck (N.Y) High School, and over the next two decades, he conducted numerous honors bands and orchestras throughout the country. As a trumpet performer, Zorn played with television, recording and Broadway musical orchestras. He also appeared with international orchestras, including the Darmstadt (Germany) Symphony and the Bolshoi and Ukrainian Ballet Orchestras. Zorn was the author or 12 published books in several languages, including the bestselling music appreciation textbook, Listening to Music, which he wrote with his wife June August. He was a past president of the California Music Education Assn. A Jay D. Zorn Music Education Scholarship Fund is being established at the USC Thornton School of Music to commemorate his legacy.