This weekend, the USC Thornton community had more than one reason to celebrate, as its alumni and faculty clinched over 15 Grammy awards. Nominees ranged from performers, song-writers, arrangers, posers and music industry professionals from across the school.
The Grammys are the most prestigious awards within the music industry, setting a new benchmark for success and inspiring the next generation of Thornton students.
Lira Steiner, a junior studying music industry at Thornton, spoke to us about how it feels to be mentored by professors and alumni who are excelling in the industry.
Steiner: It’s great to be going to a school where, like, I can say that my professors have won Grammys. It gives me a lot more confidence in, like, what I’m who I’m learning from.
She noted that her classes at USC allow for unique opportunities to meet industry professionals.
Steiner: I actually, tonight have a guest speaker in one of my classes. That’s the attorney for, Victoria Monet. So it’s just it feels really surreal to have that, like, close of a connection to people who are, like at the ceremony on TV.
Steiner also shared some of the unique opportunities that she’s had access to while being in Thornton.
Steiner: I, through a certain alum, I was invited to like a party hosted by the Recording Academy. And it it just I didn’t expect, like, that much access to that sort of world when I came here initially.
Leo Mermelstein, a sophomore jazz voice and cognitive science major in Thornton, was happy to see one of his professors clinch a Grammy win this year.
Mermelstein: One of the winners was sage. Which one of the people in sage? It’s only four people. Is Sara Gazarek. And she was my professor for 11 hours a week last year. Like, we spent so much time together. And the entire time she had just been nominated for three Grammys. And I’m like, what’s she gonna do now? She’s won a Grammy. It’s pretty groovy.
Professor Arc who teaches jazz studies at USC won the Grammy for best arrangement instruments and vocals.
In an effort to promote student musicians, student-run record label 840 West was created.
Juan Razuri, co-director of artist development at 840 West and a music industry major at Thornton, gave us his insight on how his four years have prepared him to excel in the music industry.
Razuri: I think the, the Thornton community is just like an amazing, bubble of, like, incredibly talented, artists, songwriters, producers, engineers, and and also incredibly talented and forward thinking, business people who will for sure be, like, taking charge of the industry as a whole later on.
Razuri hopes to see his peers thrive alongside him in their respective musical journeys.
Razuri: Every time I’m on campus and I walk around, I can’t help but feel, yeah, like the future is right here. The people who I’m going to be working with for the rest of my life are here, and they’re walking around me. They’re in my classes, they’re my friends.
He now thinks success is more achievable than ever as he wraps up his final year of school and reflects on all of his accomplishments.
Razuri: It isn’t impossible that it isn’t like some crazy far out dream anymore, you know, to, to be involved with the Grammys, to even one day people from Thornton, people, they look up to all of us, like they even possibly get a Grammy. Like, that’s crazy. But it doesn’t feel impossible anymore. It feels slightly more in reach.
As the echoes of USC Thornton’s Grammy triumphs resonate through its halls, it sheds light on its great program and opportunities.