<p>I am a guy who loves singing and creating songs, especially Top 40 music. Although it is a pipe dream, I dream of becoming a pop star, and getting signed to either Jive Records or Island Records. Sorry if you don't like that type of music. That is just the type of music I love. Would the Popular Music Performance Major at USC (which I know is very competitive) be something worth thinking about, if I get in, where it would help me to further my career, or even just have fun creating that type of music? If it is not, is there a way to possibly minor in this? I guess what I am asking is, when they say "Popular Music," do they mean pop as in current Top 40 type of music, or as in some other kind, or is it a mixture, or your choice, and do you make valuable contacts in the field that could help you to get a record deal (which, again, I know is extremely difficult and a matter of who you know)? By the way, I would be double-majoring with either most likely Radio and TV or Broadcast Journalism, so this wouldn't be throwing my 4 years away if I never get a record deal or take this anywhere. Thanks a bunch! :)</p>
<p>My son just completed his freshman year as a singer/songwriter in the popular music program at USC. I’m not sure what definition they would have of popular music but I would say music that is relatively current but not classical or jazz which have their own programs. So, it can be top 40, rap, grunge, whatever. Most of the folks in the program lean toward indie rock or top 40 with a little country twinge for some. My son and his friends are working on “their own sound” sort of, but I would view them as indie rock.</p>
<p>There are a lot of connections through the program. The idea of focusing on getting signed to a record label is a little old fashioned according to my son, especially if you write original music. Better to build your own following and try one of the other financing mechanisms to launch your career. </p>
<p>This is a full fledged music major with music theory, aural skills, etc. along with songwriting, drumming, individual instruction and a lot more core music instruction. If you want a music major this is a good program. If you want to form a band and perform your music, you can do that without the major. </p>
<p>You say that you love singing and creating songs. Are you doing this in a serious way already? Are you in a garage band or two. Are you performing at local venues? Demonstrating this love and creativity? I ask this because many people like to sing and dream of being a pop star, but the kids in this program have been pursuing their love of music while in high school and have been performing at least moderately for several years in their own garage bands or building youtube followings or going to Grammy Camp or Berkeley summer programs etc. </p>
<p>If this is your passion in life, then great, but you talk about your dream which is a pretty common dream.</p>
<p>The people in the program and the people who run the program are a pretty talented bunch. Being around these talented people day in and out is one of the bigger advantages of being in this or any other top music program. </p>
<p>If you really love music and want to see if you can make a living at it somehow and have the talent to get admitted, then this is a phenomenal program. This isn’t an easy path, but I have accepted after one year in the program that my son is going to make his living in music for poorer or richer (poorer listed first on purpose) and that he will be good at it and he will be happy.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for such a detailed response! I really hope your son does well and succeeds in the program. I’m writing songs that I hope to get on Youtube at some point in the near future. Also, my school has one of the top music programs in my area. I’m not in a garage band, but who knows? Maybe at some point! I know it’s a very common dream, so I hope if I can get into this program that it can help me with my possible future music career. Thanks again! :)</p>
<p>rad dad that was a great respsonse!! do you guys know the acceptance rate for the popular music major in thornton? and how does your son like it there?? is LA a good place to be for a musician?</p>
<p>I know a female vocalist in this program who is very well established in CA as a vocalist before she attended USC. I don’t know her personally, but she was in a summer program that my daughter attended in 2008 and I saw her perform at the concert at the end of the 5-weeks where the best kids perform, and she had a great solo performance and it was clear she had been doing this for much more than the 5-week summer program. She already had tons of experience performing cover songs in bands and in an a cappella group she ran, and then I happened across this program and found out she was in this new program at USC. I don’t know the full range of students that get accepted there, but would suspect that she was on the more experienced end. It’s good to have a backup career in mind, but you should look to see if you would have to jump in with both feet to have any hope of making it, or if you could really do broadcast journalism in parallel.</p>
<p>Glamorprincess,</p>
<p>Just returned from parents weekend. Son is very happy in the program. We got to sit in on one of his classes where the speaker is a working musician in a band on a late night show and he talked about his experiences, how the industry is changing etc. He then played some music he is working on for the class. Very interesting and caring individual who is planning to bring students onto the set to see how the day is run and get more understanding. Also said that if anyone ever is auditioning for the same gig as him, he intends to own them and send them home crying. That’s just the way the business is. He’ll help until your competing. Son has performed for and been critiqued by Randy Newman and Steve Miller in classes so far this year. His performance class instructor is the musical director for the Eagles the last many years and currently. Asked a housemate who is a drummer who his instructor for private lessons is and it is a guy who toured with Santana, Michael Jackson and I forget who else and he is a great instructor. All of these are examples of why LA is not a good, but a great place to be for a musician. New York is probably better for classical and New Orleans and Chicago can make some pretty strong claims for Jazz, but LA probably is tops for contemporary with New York second. Nashville of course wins for country. There are great schools in many places, but if you want to be where the business is, those are my thoughts. </p>
<p>I don’t really know what the acceptance rates are but if you want my guess, about a third of the people who apply get to audition and about a third of them get an offer. Somewhere around 10% get acceptances and most of those choose to come. Dean told me everyone in my son’s class that was offered accepted. </p>
<p>My perception is that there are three main types of folks in the program,
Singers who have big voices and generally have been singing covers or other people’s songs. Most of the singers in the program would meet the description Snowflake gives in terms of extensive public experience.
singer/songwriters who are strong instrumentalists and whose main strength is songwriting and playing who have been writing songs for quite a while. These folks tend to have good or interesting voices although there are some big voices here too.<br>
intstrumentalists (drummers, bassists, sax, violin, guitar, etc). </p>
<p>Most of the people in the singer and instrumentalists groups want to be involved in creating/writing music but they are typically newer to it or do it more as a part of a band.</p>
<p>There is some level of balance between the categories I used so they can form groups etc. If you put a gun to my head I would guess 20% vocalists, 30% singer/songwriters and 50% instrumentalists, but I don’t really know.</p>
<p>Hope this is helpful and if you have questions that you think are broadly useful, I am happy to post here. If you have a private question, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>Best Wishes</p>
<p>Last year (first year of the program) there were about 350 applications for 25 spots (about a 7% admission rate). This year there should be significantly more applications for the same 25 spots. I would expect the admission rate to be under 5% this year. Please note that this is not official. For confirmation and additional information, you should check directly with the admissions office for Thorton.</p>
<p>My d is a freshman in the program and I second Raddad’s response. One would major in popular music, it is not a minor. In addition to being talented, the kids are smart and have good grades and scores. It is important to have a love of performing and to show that at audition. We heard the acceptance rate this past year was 7%. It is an incredible program now with Steve Miller as the adjunct professor. And LA is THE place to be if you want to be in the entertainment business. Finally, my d also has been involved with students at the film school writing a movie score-there are so many opportunities.
Good luck!</p>
<p>I just want to say to the two parents above, congrats to you and your children for making it into the popular music at usc. My daughter applied for the fall 2011 as a singer/songwriter and did not receive an invite for live audition. She is very talented, but with large of competition, I’m afraid she just didn’t have the experience. We live in a small town without much opportunities. I have searched high and low for other schools in California with a similar major and there is nothing. It was her dream to get in. If accepted to the school, she still wants to go, but will have to find another major and try to find where she can perform and share her music, it was a very big disappointment. Anyone who makes it in should feel very lucky.</p>
<p>I assume that the “USC” yall are refering to is U of Southern California. I just wanted to point out that when we use inititals, not everyone will pick up on what school you are refering to. Because of my location, to me, USC means U of South Carolina. With both schools having around 30,000 students, it is very possible that some people may get confused which school you are refering to.</p>
<p>When I was in the military I was very amused listening to a soldier from NC discussing college sports with a soldier from SC. They were both discussing “Carolina”, but they werent discussing the same “Carolina” (one was talking about UNC, the other USC).</p>
<p>^ Point made, but within the context of discussing career track undergrad music pursuits, USC is normally interpreted as Thornton School of Music. </p>
<p>Alas, most of us sickies just drop the USC altogether and just refer to Thornton.</p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>Sorry lindem100 that your daughter did not make the cut. If she gets in USC, she should attend because she can still take some of the music classes and perform at the cafes on the campus. It is very tough with so few accepted and I am sure the numbers of applicants will keep increasing. Best of luck to your d.</p>
<p>lindem100, my son started Thornton this year as a freshman studio/jazz guitar major (also a prescreen/audition major), but switched to popular music this semester (although please note this program typically only accepts transfer applicants in fall, even from within USC). </p>
<p>I know that there are some pop classes for non-majors and/or some non-majors in some of the classes. And as Smithanan says, lots of places to perform. Good luck to your daughter!</p>
<p>According to an extremely reliable source, there were 500 applications for the Popular Music program this year compared with 350 last year and fewer the year before (its first year). About a quarter of those 500 auditioned this weekend for the 25 spots.</p>
<p>There must be more than one audition date for the popular music program. My son is auditioning tomorrow.</p>
<p>Sorry, I meant there WOULD be about 125 total auditioning, including this weekend. My son is a popular music freshman - good luck!</p>