<p>I currently plan to hopefully transfer to USC in 2008 as a music major into the Thornton School Of Music. My goals are the following: to be able to write, record, produce, the whole nine yards, etc. So I'm assuming the best way to achieve that would be to major in Music Industry, B.S. However, I am curious as to the quality and the competition of the Thornton School Of Music. Does it rank rather highly amongst the other music schools around the nation? Is it pretty good? Your help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>Thornton School is probably the best music school in the west (at least for performance)... Sorry, I'm not sure aoubt Music Industry.</p>
<p>any one know if the the thornton school of music requires an audition for the music industry major?</p>
<p>You should look at the web site for audition requirements: <a href="http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/prospective_students/%5B/url%5D">http://www.usc.edu/schools/music/prospective_students/</a> but they probably don't want an audition.
Just for the record, Colburn is best in the West for performance, Thonton/USC is the second best.</p>
<p>Colburn best? Maybe someday. But at this point, Colburn is new, has a tiny faculty, which overlaps with USC for some instruments (e.g. piano), and has no opportunity to take any academic courses to round out the experience. It's free, which is nice, but USC would be a fuller experience, at this point.</p>
<p>That may be, but fullness of experience is not a widely accepted criterion for quality of music schools, and there's no denying that the caliber of the students and faculty at Colburn is already the best on the West Coast.</p>
<p>Colburn has no graduates yet, so you can't really evaluate how good its students are. It also has a tiny faculty -- e.g., only one piano professor, who also teaches at USC (and in Toronto), so how is it "better" than USC, for example. It is also in a dreadful location -- downtown L.A., which is a ghost town. The overall experience, at this point, would be one of isolation. Like Bard, it has lovely brochures. Wait 10 years and see how it turns out. Regarding fullness of experience, for the sake of the student, it should be a strong consideration.</p>
<p>I personally think USC is the best music school in the West. It is certainly more diverse than Colburn, with probably the finest jazz faculty in the country, an exceptional film music program, music business, engineering, studio guitar, etc. The classical faculty is also one of the best, drawing from top studio musicians and LA Phil members. </p>
<p>I think USC's campus is important to even the most serious performance major. I have found that the most interesting person is usally the most interesting musician, so the benefits outside of music at USC are enormous.</p>
<p>I think the only reason that USC's Thornton School is not mentioned in the same breath as Julliard, Eastman, etc. is because of an East Coast bias. This has existed in the arts for years. The New York Times rarely gives glowing reviews to any theater piece that began out West. There is also a bias in the art and fashion worlds. And, of course, in the music world. The LA Phil isn't even a member of the Big 5 (Cleveland, Chicago, NY, Philadelphia, Boston) orchestras. So I was quite surprised when the NY Times recently called the LA Phil the top orchestra in the country:</p>
<p>"Yet in 2006, the Los Angeles Philharmonic tops the list of America's premier orchestras and serves as a lesson in how to update an august cultural institution without cheapening its work." (NY Times, Jan. 16, 2006)</p>
<p>Sorry for the rant, but I felt like defending the left coast after having been born and raised back East.</p>
<p>Back on topic, I'm sure Colburn is excellent but I don't think you can compare it to USC at this juncture, although their buiding is pretty and I was impressed with the restoration of the Heifetz studio from the original Frank Llyod Wright design.</p>
<p>However stellar USC's jazz faculty is, I've heard that since they are so high profile, teachers are often on tour and lessons are in reality given by grad students....</p>
<p>True, some of the jazz teachers at USC are often unavailable because they are touring, giving clinics, or recording. However, the undergraduate students are not taught by grad students. Somtimes the teachers send in subs (who are often almost as well known and respected in the field) and sometimes students are given longer lessons (i.e. 2 hours at a time) to make up for missed lessons.</p>
<p>Mamenyu, I suppose tinax980 and I have fallen into the trap of equating selectivity with quality. Still, it would be a mistake to dismiss a school offering completely free education with stellar teachers to highly talented students, even if it is still very much in its early stages.</p>
<p>I agree, but students should visit and be wary. USC is generous with scholarships.</p>
<p>USC gives scholarships to 1/3 of the music students, which is nice. They can vary significantly in range. I know from experience. A music student is not likely to get the same benefits Reggie Bush received.</p>
<p>USC also give large scholarships to music students who are National Merit Finalists (1/2 tuition) or otherwise top students academically (up to full tuition). Of course, it's tuition is high to begin with.</p>
<p>Does anyone know much about double major/degree opportunities there?</p>
<p>Not from experience, but it appears to be easy to do.</p>
<p>I just auditioned for the Music Industry program for Thornton. If you're applying for the Music Industry, B.M., you're required to audition. If it's just the Music Indsutry, B.S., there's no audition. Unless of course you want a double major or want scholarships I think.</p>