Bridging Communities
By Mia Arevalo
The Thornton Community Engagement Program (TCEP) bridges USC and local communities through music and cultural connection.
For students at USC Thornton, the Thornton Community Engagement Program (TCEP) is a bridge between their campus experience and making an impact in their surrounding communities. Under the leadership of program administrator and Thornton alum Chrysa Kovach, TCEP has become a cornerstone of music education and community service, fostering the relationships between Thornton students and the neighborhoods surrounding USC’s campus near downtown Los Angeles.
TCEP offers a wide range of music education opportunities for 15 local schools that are a part of USC’s Family of Schools. “TCEP is basically an experience-share program at its core,” said Kovach. “We have our Thornton students who are sharing their musical experiences with students in different schools or different community members at, say, a senior living faculty. But then the people who are also on the other end of that exchange are sharing their experiences back.”
One standout memory for Kovach involves coaching flute students at Manual Arts High School. Together, they reimagined Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” as a flute quartet, complete with Freddie Mercury-inspired mustaches. “The music-making was the main thing there, but the little conversations as we got to know each other better, having them share bits of their lives with me; That exchange of experiences made it even more meaningful,” she recalled.
A key focus for TCEP is addressing inequities in music education. Many partner schools lack dedicated music teachers, making Thornton’s mentorship all the more vital. To ensure accessibility, the program utilizes open-source materials, such as training videos on YouTube, so students can revisit lessons. Instrument accessibility unfortunately remains a challenge, but Kovach emphasizes resourceful solutions, like repurposing donated instruments for schools affected by crises like the January 2025 Southern California wildfires.
Curriculum development is another priority. Kovach collaborates with Thornton students to refresh lesson plans and integrate culturally relevant teaching and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). “Relevance is a moving target, especially with TikTok-era attention spans,” she said. “But by listening to our partners and staying flexible, we create programs communities actually want.”
Kovach’s commitment to community was shaped by a pivotal experience teaching a virtual musicianship class for cochlear implant users during the pandemic. Initially unprepared for the group’s hearing needs, she overhauled her approach, embracing UDL principles. Today, TCEP mentors collaborate with the Bionic Ear Lab through USC Keck, offering instrument demos tailored for hearing-impaired participants.
TCEP is a training ground for empathy and adaptability for Thornton students. “Community engagement gives you a grounding perspective,” Kovach noted. Whether coaching a school ensemble or leading a drum circle, mentors learn to balance artistic rigor with accessibility. “It’s very easy to have this vision of yourself as a musician playing on a big stage, but community engagement is all those other little interactions. It teaches you to connect with audiences wherever they are.”
As TCEP continues to grow, Kovach aims to deepen partnerships and explore new formats, like composition residencies. But the program’s heartbeat remains focused on mutual exchange: “This is my responsibility as the person who’s in charge of this program,” said Kovach. “To make these matches, make these connections, and show Thornton students, regardless of where your career goes, your gift of music can always be sharing and always be connecting with other people.”
