Posts Tagged ‘Contemporary Music’


Headshot of Christian Amonson, sitting in front of a mixing board.

Christian Amonson records “Spem in Alium: A Choral Adoration” by Christ Cathedral Music

May 19, 2025

USC Thornton Music Technology faculty member Christian Amonson was the recording engineer for the album, Spem in Alium: A Choral Adoration, by the music ministry of Christ Cathedral in Orange County. It is the first-ever choral recording in the cathedral sanctuary that showcases various singers from 30 parishes throughout the Diocese of Orange. The new… Continue reading Christian Amonson records “Spem in Alium: A Choral Adoration” by Christ Cathedral Music


Kevin Randolph surrounded by concert strobe lights.

Kevin Randolph

April 28, 2025

Kevin Randolph is a distinguished music producer, composer and keyboard virtuoso whose dynamic career spans iconic film scores, chart-topping albums and performances alongside legendary artists. With notable contributions to major films like Dreamgirls, Kung Fu Panda, Pitch Perfect, Sing 1 and 2 and The Help, as well as the acclaimed TV show Star. Randolph has… Continue reading Kevin Randolph


Photo of Mark Batson

Mark Batson

April 28, 2025

Mark Batson is a classically trained pianist, award-winning music producer and visionary composer whose contributions have helped sell over 130 million albums worldwide across pop, hip hop, R&B, rock, jazz and classical music. His work has shaped the sound of some of the most influential artists in modern music, including Eminem, Beyoncé, Nas, Alicia Keys, Anthony… Continue reading Mark Batson


Patrice Rushen sitting and smiling at the piano

Patrice Rushen receives Roland Corporation Lifetime Achievement Award

February 20, 2025

USC Thornton Popular Music program faculty member Patrice Rushen received Roland Corporation’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show in Anaheim, CA. Roland Corporation is a manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments. Rushen was awarded for impacting the music industry as a trailblazer and mentor to young musicians.… Continue reading Patrice Rushen receives Roland Corporation Lifetime Achievement Award


A guitarist poses against a wall, coolly leaning back holding their guitar vertical at their side.

Guitarist Xinqian Li to Perform in Disney’s “Newsies”

January 20, 2025

USC Thornton Studio Guitar program doctoral candidate Xinqian Li (MM ’24) will perform in Disney’s Newsies musical, presented by the Conundrum Theatre Company. Performances will take place on January 23, 24 and 26 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. Inspired by the 1899 Newsboys’ Strike in New York City, Newsies follows a charismatic… Continue reading Guitarist Xinqian Li to Perform in Disney’s “Newsies”


Photo of Thanh Tran

Thanh Tran

December 17, 2024

Thanh Tran is a Los Angeles-based music preparation supervisor, music copyist, and music librarian, preparing scores and parts for film, TV, and games recording sessions. Tran’s notable clients include the Grammy Awards, Disney Parks Entertainment, Hollywood Scoring Los Angeles, “Halo 4 & 5” (343 Industries), American Idol (ABC), the film trailers for Avengers: Endgame and… Continue reading Thanh Tran


Amy Blackman backstage.

Amy Blackman 

December 12, 2024

Amy Blackman was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. After receiving an MA in Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University, she began a career in artist management, based in Los Angeles. For 18 years, Blackman managed the global businesses of multi-Grammy Award winning music artists and producers. Between 2007-2011, she was made cultural ambassador for the US… Continue reading Amy Blackman 


Luciana Souza wearing a white shirt looking into the camera in front of a white background.

Luciana Souza

August 23, 2023

Luciana Souza was born in São Paulo, Brazil, in the mid 1960s, and grew up in a family of Bossa Nova innovators—her father, a singer and songwriter, her mother, a poet and lyricist. Her work as a performer transcends traditional boundaries around musical styles, offering solid roots in jazz, sophisticated lineage in world music and… Continue reading Luciana Souza


Photo of electronic musician Tom Hall.

Tom Hall

August 2, 2023

Tom Hall is a Tasmanian, Australian electronic audio-visual artist who now calls Los Angeles, CA his home. With a two-decade career in the music industry across multiple continents, Hall’s journey has been expansive. His educational background includes graduating from the Australian National University, majoring in Media Arts and pursuing further studies in sound at Kyoto… Continue reading Tom Hall


Jane Davidson smiling into the camera in front of a blue painting.

Jane Davidson 

July 12, 2023

Jane Davidson is an attorney who focuses her practice on Entertainment Law and Litigation at Munck Wilson Mandala.  After graduating from USC Thornton’s Music Industry program, Davidson worked full-time in the music industry while pursuing her law degree from Loyola Law School’s evening program.   As a litigator, her primary focus area is intellectual property in entertainment… Continue reading Jane Davidson