Erik Hammer performs in Super Bowl halftime show
USC Thornton alum Erik Hammer had the best seat in the house for Sunday night’s Super Bowl halftime show: on stage, playing guitar with Shakira. Hammer is no stranger to playing with the stars—he was previously guitarist for rapper Lupe Fiasco.
Daniel Weidlein produces debut album by vocal artist Julie Craig
USC Thornton Jazz Studies alum Daniel Weidlein (BM ’12) recently produced, arranged and orchestrated the debut album by vocal artist Julie Craig, From Here, released on Jan. 10. On the album, Craig, who is known for her roles in Broadway shows such as “Les Miserables” and “West Side Story,” performs classics and original music, backed… Continue reading Daniel Weidlein produces debut album by vocal artist Julie Craig
NEA grants to fund new and continued work by USC Thornton faculty and alumni
The latest round of grants awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts will fuel new and continued work by USC Thornton faculty and alumni. The LA Master Chorale, led by artistic director and USC Thornton Keyboard Studies alum Grant Gershon (BM ’85), was awarded funding for a series of contemporary choral music concerts, as… Continue reading NEA grants to fund new and continued work by USC Thornton faculty and alumni
King Princess nominated for GLAAD Media Award
King Princess, known off-stage as Mikaela Straus, has been nominated for a 2020 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Music Artist. Her nomination comes after the success of her debut album, Cheap Queen, that released in the fall of 2019. Straus is a non-degreed USC Thornton alum who studied in the popular music program. Her keyboardist,… Continue reading King Princess nominated for GLAAD Media Award
Celka Ojakangas selected as resident composer for Mizzou International Composers Festival
Composition alum and current DMA candidate Celka Ojakangas (MM ’18) has been selected to appear as one of eight resident composers at the 2020 Mizzou International Composers Festival (MICF). Ojakangas was selected from among a record 346 entrants from 24 countries. As a resident composer, Ojakangas will give presentations about her work, take composition lessons… Continue reading Celka Ojakangas selected as resident composer for Mizzou International Composers Festival
Sara Gazarek performs live set at Paste Studio NYC
USC Thornton alum and current Jazz Studies faculty member Sara Gazarek (BM ’04) recently performed a live set at Paste Studio NYC, performing three tracks from her latest album Thirsty Ghost. “The record is a truly, beautifully authentic representation of a very specific story, at a very particular time of my life,” Gazarek says of… Continue reading Sara Gazarek performs live set at Paste Studio NYC
Alan Smith to premiere song cycle at NYC songSLAM Festival
Pianist Alan Smith, chair of Keyboard Studies and director of Keyboard Collaborative Arts at USC Thornton, will be premiering a new song cycle on Saturday, Jan. 18 at the final event of the songSLAM Festival in New York City, organized by the art song consortium Sparks and Wiry Cries. The five-song piece, titled “Surfing the… Continue reading Alan Smith to premiere song cycle at NYC songSLAM Festival
Ludwig Göransson shares experimental recording techniques from work with Childish Gambino
Screen Scoring alum Ludwig Göransson (GC ’08) recently shared some of the experimental recording techniques he used when producing tracks on the Childish Gambino album Because of the Internet, such as experimenting with iPhone recordings in order to generate new sounds. Göransson shares that they used low-fi iPhone recordings of sound effects and vocals for… Continue reading Ludwig Göransson shares experimental recording techniques from work with Childish Gambino
Thornton alumni end 2019 with awards nominations
Composition alumni Michael Abels (BM ’84) and Austin Wintory (BM ’07), and USC Thornton Board of Councilors member Thomas Newman, are all ending 2019 with nominations for the 2020 awards season. All three composers are nominated for the inaugural SCL Awards, granted by the Society of Composers & Lyricists: Abels’ “Us” score is nominated for… Continue reading Thornton alumni end 2019 with awards nominations
Andris Mattson of Moonchild remixes Sara Gazarek’s “Cocoon”
Andris Mattson (BM ’13), Jazz Studies alum and one third of neo-R&B trio Moonchild, recently released a remix of Björk’s “Cocoon” performed by Jazz Studies faculty member Sara Gazarek, skillfully merging faculty and alumni talent. Though Mattson primarily performs with Moonchild, a band of Jazz Studies alumni, he also releases music independently. Gazarek originally recorded… Continue reading Andris Mattson of Moonchild remixes Sara Gazarek’s “Cocoon”