Moonchild makes NPR Tiny Desk debut
USC Thornton alumni trio Moonchild made their debut on NPR’s Tiny Desk series this week, performing two songs from their new album, Little Ghost, and one from their previous album, Voyager. With their unique blend of soul, jazz and R&B, the group pulled out all the stops for their set, bringing in additional percussion and… Continue reading Moonchild makes NPR Tiny Desk debut
Nate Sloan talks pop evolution with The Wall Street Journal
Musicology faculty member Nate Sloan and podcast co-host Charlie Harding recently sat down with The Wall Street Journal to talk about the pop history and analysis they cover in both their popular podcast, Switched on Pop, and now their book of the same name which released on Dec. 13. Sloan, who studies the history and… Continue reading Nate Sloan talks pop evolution with The Wall Street Journal
King Princess performs for Cindi Lauper’s annual benefit show for LGBTQ homeless youth
Mikaela Straus, a non-degreed Popular Music alum who performs under the name King Princess, recently performed for Cindi Lauper’s annual benefit concert, Home for the Holidays, which supports LGBTQ homeless youth. Straus sang her hit single “Hit the Back” off of her debut album “Cheap Queen,” before joining a duet of Lauper’s “Time After Time”… Continue reading King Princess performs for Cindi Lauper’s annual benefit show for LGBTQ homeless youth
Laura Karpman “Sitara” score wins Best Music Score at Los Angeles Animation Festival
Emmy-winning composer and Screen Scoring faculty member Laura Karpman’s score of the animated short film “Sitara: Let Girls Dream” won the award for Best Music Score at the Los Angeles Animation Festival on Dec. 8. Directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the film also won the award for Best Produced Screenplay and the Humanitarian Award. The film’s… Continue reading Laura Karpman “Sitara” score wins Best Music Score at Los Angeles Animation Festival
Austin Wintory interviews Bear McCreary about composing for video games
As a guest host of The Game Maker’s Notebook podcast from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, Composition alum Austin Wintory (BM ’07) recently interviewed fellow Trojan and video game composer, Screen Scoring alum Bear McCreary (BM ’02). Both composers are widely known for their award-winning video game scores, and even worked together on… Continue reading Austin Wintory interviews Bear McCreary about composing for video games
Angela Little wins AGSC Screen Music Award for Best Music for a Short Film
Screen Scoring alum Angela Little (MM ’19) won an AGSC Screen Music Award in the category of Best Music for a Short Film for her score of the short film “For the Girl in the Coffee Shop.” Little worked collaboratively with director Rebekah Jackson to create a score that expresses the nuances of the film’s… Continue reading Angela Little wins AGSC Screen Music Award for Best Music for a Short Film
Armen Movsesyan announced as semi-finalist in International Guitar Competition
Studio Guitar alum Armen Movsesyan (BM ’15) has been announced as a semi-finalist in the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Guitar Competition. Movsesyan and 11 other guitarists will compete in the semifinals on Dec. 2 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Three finalists will be selected to compete at the Kennedy… Continue reading Armen Movsesyan announced as semi-finalist in International Guitar Competition
John Storie performs on new album by Jeff Goldblum and Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
Studio Guitar alum John Storie (BM ‘06) performed and arranged music for the recently released album by Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra titled “I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This.” The album features guest artists Miley Cyrus, Fiona Apple, Inara George, Anna Calvi, Gina Saputo, Sharon Van Etten and Gregory Porter. The album is… Continue reading John Storie performs on new album by Jeff Goldblum and Mildred Snitzer Orchestra
King Princess to make SNL debut and open for Harry Styles on tour
Mikaela Straus, who performs under the name King Princess, will make her Saturday Night Live debut on Nov. 23 with host Will Ferrell. Straus is a non-degreed alum of the USC Thornton Popular Music program, and has become an emerging alt-pop sensation. Her band includes Popular Music alum Melody Ector (BM ’19) on keyboard. The… Continue reading King Princess to make SNL debut and open for Harry Styles on tour
Karen Parks performs in Off-Broadway production and charity concert
Vocal Arts and Opera faculty member Karen Parks has recently performed in an off-Broadway musical in New York City, and will perform in a charity concert in New York City in December. On Nov. 8, Parks performed in a musical titled “Mighty Funny Kinda’ Love,” that focused on eight women dealing with forbidden love and… Continue reading Karen Parks performs in Off-Broadway production and charity concert