2026 Thornton Ambassadors
By USC Thornton Office of Communications
Meet the graduating 2026 USC Thornton Ambassadors, who look forward to their professional careers ahead.
Samson Rabinowitz
BM Popular Music Performance; Songwriting minor
What three words would you use to best describe the Thornton School? Collaborative. Inspiring. Hats.
What is one of your favorite memories from your time at USC? I produced a tribute festival showcasing five Thornton artists and bands, each delivering a full set honoring a single artist. I also music directed and played drums for a Bruno Mars set – still my favorite show I’ve ever performed in and produced.
What is the best advice a Thornton faculty, staff or student gave you while studying at Thornton? “Ask yourself: ‘In which room am I a solution to a problem?'” – Professor Sean Holt
What advice would you give to new Thornton students? Say yes to as many opportunities as you can. Take gigs whether it’s a high-paying club in Hollywood or band night at Tommy’s Place. Do a session with songwriters and producers and instrumentalists you met in a class and ones you’ve worked with a million times. As long as your workload allows it, get as many experiences under your belt as possible. And be a diligent responder to text and email!
What will you miss most about USC? Being in close proximity to all my friends. Seeing all the people I love just by being on campus in between classes, at the grocery store, or at the practice rooms.
What has been your favorite thing about going to school in Los Angeles? I feel really connected to the industry that I want to be in. There are so many iconic venues and clubs where all the biggest names performed early in their careers, and I’ve gotten to play at so many of them.
What are your plans for next year? I’m staying in LA! Working full-time towards my career goals of drumming, music direction, arranging, songwriting, concert production, and more.
Maren Alford
BM Popular Music Performance; Music Industry minor
What three words would you use to best describe the Thornton School? Collaborative. Encouraging. Inspiring.
What is one of your favorite memories from your time at USC? One of my favorite moments has to be playing drums for Diane Warren when she was a Pop Forum guest! I’m a huge fan, so getting to play iconic hits I grew up on like “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith for the woman who wrote them in person was such an incredible experience.
What is the best advice a Thornton faculty, staff or student gave you while studying at Thornton? The best advice I’ve been given while studying at Thornton is that you truly know a song when you’re not thinking about it anymore and you’re just living in the moment. It’s so easy to get really in your head and try to think through the music, but when you let the music flow through you and turn your brain off, that’s when the real magic happens.
What advice would you give to new Thornton students? To get to know your cohort! You’re so lucky to come in with a built-in family when starting such a big new chapter in your life and now I have friends for life.
What will you miss most about USC? I’m definitely going to miss the people at USC the most. I came in as an out-of-state student that didn’t know a single soul on campus, and now I’ve met so many incredibly special people that I could never imagine my life without – it’s finally starting to hit that we’re not all going to be together every second of every day anymore.
What has been your favorite thing about going to school in Los Angeles? My favorite thing about going to school in LA has to be all the opportunities off campus music wise, but also just fun wise. We’re so close to the industry and all these iconic concert venues, great restaurants, record stores, art museums, beaches, theme parks, and so much more!
What are your plans for next year? I plan on getting on the road and being a touring and studio drummer! My favorite thing is playing live so that’s 100% what’s in the cards.
Madeline Clara Cheng
BM Composition; Business Law and Music Industry minors
What three words would you use to best describe the Thornton School? Opportunity. Versatility. Community.
What is one of your favorite memories from your time at USC? Writing and producing an entirely original chamber opera for my capstone was an absolute dream. Last fall, I got to collaborate with a team of fellow Thornton students to put on a fully-staged workshop production featuring a cast and band of some of the most brilliant performers our school has to offer. It was so moving to see so many people fill the room with their laughter and tears that day. A special thank you to the Thornton committee and university faculty who recently recognized this project with the USC Discovery Scholar Prize!
What is the best advice a Thornton faculty, staff or student gave you while studying at Thornton? There is no one, linear way to do things. Hearing that from faculty and industry professionals who have achieved success in the business was eye-opening. There are many ways to have a music career, several of which I was completely unaware of until I became a student here; Keep an open mind and stay resilient, and you’ll find your way.
What advice would you give to new Thornton students? You can really make what you want out of your program. Even just within my cohort and department, every student wants to do something completely different with their career or artistic practice. In addition to composition, I’ve been able to music direct nine theatrical shows, take advantage of music industry classes, explore business/legal minors, join a wide variety of pre-professional organizations, and pursue projects and internships that allowed me to fulfill every niche intellectual, creative, and/or professional interest I have.
What will you miss most about USC? The people. I’ve cried at every one of my friends’ senior recitals—they’re just some of the most special people I’ve had the privilege of getting to know. I went into music school worrying it could be difficult to make real friends if the environment felt too competitive, but the genuine community I’ve found who always shows up for each other just blew me away.
What has been your favorite thing about going to school in Los Angeles? Especially in an area as transit-accessible as USC, Los Angeles is a dream to explore for creatives. There’s a wealth of local shows and exhibitions ranging from late-night improv comedy to world-class immersive escape rooms. You’ll find that many productions are free or offer student discounts as well!
What are your plans for next year? I currently work full-time at Sony Pictures Television on their creative music team, so I’m excited to continue doing that! This summer, I’ll also be hosting a half-hour program on Classical California (KUSC/KDFC Radio) featuring excerpts from my opera as well as works that inspired it. Additionally, I’m grateful to say that I’ve been commissioned by the unbelievable Kronos Quartet for their upcoming season. I also hope to use the funding awarded from my Discovery Scholar Prize to create a new opera with the incredible collaborators from my capstone.
Carter Williams
BM Harp; Cinematic Arts minor
What three words would you use to best describe the Thornton School? Encouraging. Collaborative. Thoughtful.
What is one of your favorite memories from your time at USC? One of my favorite memories at USC was playing with the Trojan Marching Band Concert Band at Walt Disney Concert Hall. We performed songs from the musical SIX! It was a ton of fun getting to play the harp with the group and getting to play songs from a musical!
What is the best advice a Thornton faculty, staff or student gave you while studying at Thornton? My favorite piece of advice, from my harp teacher, was to explore all options that my career can offer. I interviewed her for one of my classes, asking what her favorite part of her career was, and she said getting to try every option is the most fulfilling thing she does. It was inspiring to hear that I do not need to settle on one singular genre or job, but I can do a variety of things in my career!
What advice would you give to new Thornton students? One piece of advice I would give to new Thornton students is to get out of your comfort zone and try anything you want! USC has so many clubs, classes, honor groups, and more to offer. It might feel uncomfortable going to try something new or being in an environment with people you don’t know, but you are not locked into doing anything and you will be happy later on when you are settled in!
What will you miss most about USC? Luckily I am staying at USC for graduate school! I will miss my minor classes for my cinematic arts minor, but I am excited to dive deeper into studying music and I know that I can still explore clubs to fulfill the need to do other activities!
What has been your favorite thing about going to school in Los Angeles? My favorite thing about going to school in Los Angeles are the diverse environments! LA is such a widespread area with so much to do. I never feel bored with the beaches, restaurants, concerts, sporting events, theme parks, museums, etc. I always have things to look forward to, plus the weather is great!
What are your plans for next year? Next year, I will be studying Harp Performance for graduate school at USC! I am excited to continue working with JoAnn Turovsky and the other Thornton faculty! I feel that I have found a musical family here, and I can’t wait to keep learning more skills from them!
Learn more about our USC Thornton Student Ambassadors here.
