Recent Stories

Members of the Carolina Band perform on the field at halftime of a USC football game

Carolina Marching Band selected to perform in the 2024 Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

September 08, 2023, Thom Harman

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® committee has announced the Carolina Band as one of their premier bands selected to perform in the 2024 parade. The announcement was made at halftime of the South Carolina vs. Furman football game on Saturday (Sept. 9). The band was one of just 10 chosen from more than 100 applicants. This is the first time in the band’s 100+-year history that it’s been given this opportunity.

Topics: Students, University Leadership, Experiential Learning, Recognition, School of Music

School of Music senior Madie Willard stands in front of the Koger Center wearing a gray jacket and pink top

Student organizes event to share joy of music with Deaf community

April 18, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward

An interactive, multisensory Music Field Day organized by School of Music senior Madie Willard will offer children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families an opportunity to experience music through the senses. Headlining the event will be DEAFinitely Dope, an internationally recognized deaf hip hop (dip hop) artist based in the Atlanta area.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Experiential Learning, Diversity, Service, Student Voices, School of Music, Arnold School of Public Health

David Cutler in steampunk style

Music professor gets creative in managing change

April 05, 2022, Dan Cook

When you think of change management, you might think of the Harvard Business Review or McKinsey’s global consultants. You probably don’t think about musicians. But in David Cutler’s new book, the distinguished professor of entrepreneurship and innovation in the School of Music takes lessons that began in the arts and translates them into a broad-based way of thinking about change in any other facet of life.

Topics: Faculty, University Leadership, Research, Experiential Learning, Initiatives, Recognition, Economic Engagement, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Careers, School of Music

photo illustration of Black hands playing a piano

Professor Birgitta Johnson connects music with culture, experience and emotion

February 02, 2022, Carol J.G. Ward

As a professor of ethnomusicology, Birgitta Johnson studies the interaction of music and culture – why and how people make music and why it's important as a part of their identity or tradition. Much of her research is done in the field talking with and engaging with communities, including public events such as an upcoming music series she is hosting with the Columbia Museum of Art.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Diversity, Student Voices, Darla Moore School of Business, School of Music

Colleen Clark headshot

New faculty spotlight: Colleen Clark

October 15, 2021, Dan Cook

When Colleen Clark signed up to play drums as an elementary school student, she was initially told to play flute instead. In 2019, she became the first woman — and first drummer — to earn a doctorate in jazz performance from the University of North Texas. At South Carolina, she wants to ensure that the jazz program is welcoming to all.

Topics: Faculty, Diversity, School of Music

A student taking notes in a classroom

New degree programs debut in Fall '21

August 12, 2021, Cam Adams

The University of South Carolina is expanding its degree offerings with 13 new programs set to launch this fall that will better prepare students for careers in cybersecurity, education, nursing, business and music among other fields.

Topics: Students, Faculty, University Leadership, Academics, Careers, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Education, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, School of Music, College of Nursing

Sydney Womack, graduating senior May 2021

Class of 2021: Sydney Womack

April 15, 2021, Chris Horn

Sydney Womack’s calendar has been booked nearly solid during her four years at South Carolina and little wonder — she majored in biomedical engineering, minored in mathematics, earned a performance certificate in the School of Music, conducted undergraduate research and co-authored a scholarly article and three poster presentations. She also attended football, basketball and baseball games whenever she could, held leadership positions in two engineering student societies and regularly volunteered to pitch STEM career opportunities to high school students.

Topics: Students, Student Voices, College of Engineering and Computing, School of Music, South Carolina Honors College

photo of a bridge over a river with blue sky in the background

Concerts honor frontline workers, aim to strengthen community through music

March 22, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward

Celebrating Local Heroes with The Concert Truck, a series of 10 events performed aboard a mobile music venue will honor 10 frontline heroes with video vignettes that highlight personal stories of sacrifice and courage and live music composed and performed by music students and alumni.

Topics: Students, Alumni, Faculty, Service, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Music, South Carolina Honors College

Reggie, Connor and Ian Bain

3 brothers, 3 Goldwater Scholarships, 1 passion

March 15, 2021, Aïda Rogers and Chris Horn

Reggie, Connor and Ian Bain all double majored in mathematics and a field of science, they’re all alumni of the University of South Carolina’s Honors College (Ian graduates in May) and Carolina Scholars and each was named a Goldwater Scholar, which is considered the nation’s most prestigious undergraduate award for STEM majors.

Topics: Students, Scholarships, Student Voices, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Music, South Carolina Honors College

Maxcy Monument on the Historic Horseshoe with sunlight streaming through the trees.

Character Counts: 2020 in Review

December 18, 2020

It’s been a year — but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty to celebrate, recognize and honor at the University of South Carolina in 2020. UofSC rose to each and every challenge this year and raised the bar for the year to come.

Topics: Students, Faculty, University Leadership, University President, Diversity, Recognition, Partnerships, Health Sciences, Campus Construction, COVID-19, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering and Computing, The Graduate School, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, School of Law, Medicine (Greenville), School of Music, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, Arnold School of Public Health, College of Social Work, South Carolina Honors College, University Libraries

Catherine Howland

Music grad ready to inspire the next generation of vocalists

November 25, 2020, Megan Sexton

Catherine Howland will earn her Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in music education summa cum laude in December. The School of Music and Honors College grad will start her career as a choir teacher at a middle school in South Carolina starting in January.

Topics: Students, Alumni, Academics, Undergraduate Admissions, Recognition, Leadership, Careers, Student Voices, School of Music, South Carolina Honors College

podcast artwork

Podcast Episode 13: 100 years of the Mighty Sound

September 18, 2020, Chris Horn

The Mighty Sound of the Southeast, the University of South Carolina's Marching Band, celebrates its 100th anniversary this fall, and what a century it's been! Find out what the band has in common with Elvis Presley and how you can enjoy a virtual concert on Facebook. 

Topics: School of Music

Thomas Palmer

Class of 2020: Thomas Palmer

May 06, 2020, Megan Sexton

Thomas Palmer chose UofSC because of the opportunities offered by a large university, along with its top-flight School of Music and impressive Honors College. Playing in the orchestra during the production of Leonard Bernstein’s MASS, he was reminded that he made the right decision

Topics: Students, Faculty, Academics, Experiential Learning, Undergraduate Admissions, Careers, Student Voices, School of Music, South Carolina Honors College

piano professor phillip bush

5 questions with Phillip Bush

December 10, 2019, Dan Cook

While many of us were eyeing the end of the semester, University of South Carolina music professor Phillip Bush was eyeing his piano — gearing up for an early December trip to Paris, where he performed with acclaimed American composer Philip Glass.

Topics: Faculty, School of Music

map of South Carolina with UofSC Alumnni mayor's cities pinned

Keys to the City

August 05, 2019, Craig Brandhorst and Megan Sexton

You don’t need a degree from the University of South Carolina to get elected mayor in the Palmetto State, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. This summer, Carolinian magazine traveled the state, from the Lowcountry to the Upstate, from the Midlands to the Pee Dee, interviewing South Carolina alumni who hold the esteemed office.

Topics: Alumni, Diversity, Recognition, Leadership, Careers, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Education, School of Law, School of Music, College of Pharmacy

yearly planner with a pen

Keeping it classy

April 04, 2019, Mia Grimm

Stuck on what to do with your class schedule for next semester?  We've compiled a list of cool, unconventional classes in every college.

Topics: Students, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering and Computing, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, College of Information and Communications, School of Music, Arnold School of Public Health, College of Social Work, South Carolina Honors College

New music explores Confederate monuments

'Red Hot Sun Turning Over'

March 26, 2019, Megan Sexton

A new composition, "Red Hot Sun Turning Over," by School of Music assistant professor David Garner uses music, sounds and images from the Civil War era and the early 20th century to explore the story of Confederate monuments. It will be premiered Sunday (March 31) at the Koger Center.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Experiential Learning, Undergraduate Admissions, Initiatives, History, Careers, Student Voices, School of Music, University Libraries

Miracle Kid Ellington Hewitt at Dance Marathon 2018

For the Kids

February 28, 2019, Allen Wallace

A year ago, University of South Carolina Dance Marathon made history, raising more than a million dollars for the kids at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital (then known as Palmetto Health). Just days after that success, they began working to do it again. That yearlong effort concludes Saturday with the student organization’s annual Main Event.

Topics: Students, Experiential Learning, Philanthropy, Service, Leadership, Student Voices, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering and Computing, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, College of Information and Communications, School of Music, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, Arnold School of Public Health, College of Social Work, South Carolina Honors College

Creative degree programs

USC Creativity

December 03, 2018, Megan Sexton

The university has established several new degree programs that illustrate creative curricula by adding innovation, an entrepreneurial approach or other types of value to traditional degrees.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Academics, Research, Experiential Learning, Undergraduate Admissions, graduate-studies, Initiatives, Entrepreneurship, Careers, Student Voices, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Engineering and Computing, School of Music, South Carolina Honors College

freeman series

Carry on and keep playing

October 11, 2018, Annika Dahlgren

What do you get when you combine four guitarists, a bassist and a drummer? You get an ensemble that creates new tunes you can sway to. Sometimes the group doesn’t even know what they are planning to play, they just go with the flow and improvise. On Oct. 14, this unique group will be playing at the Freeman Sundays @ 3 concert series at the School of Music Recital Hall.

Topics: Alumni, Faculty, School of Music

conservatory

Making an impact

August 15, 2018, Ross Stevens

Some professors at the University of South Carolina have waited a long time for a charter school in the Midlands that would provide a free public education to middle and high school students interested in the arts. After years of planning and preparation, that wait is finally over.

Topics: Faculty, School of Music

Steinway piano

A grand gift

May 30, 2018, Chris Horn

The definition of a grand piano is simple — a large piano with the body, strings and soundboard arranged horizontally and supported by three legs. But what makes a piano “grand?” Willson Powell and Karen Brosius can point to the piano they bought 37 years ago — and have now donated to the University of South Carolina's School of Music.

Topics: Alumni, Philanthropy, School of Music

mass

Peace be with you

January 31, 2018

One of the splendors of music is its power to inspire joy, acceptance and understanding among people of all backgrounds and beliefs. It is widely recognized that Leonard Bernstein’s dramatic "MASS: Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers" does just that, bringing to life diverse views on spirituality, self-reflection and personal responsibility through the musical means only one of America’s greatest composers could envision.

Topics: Students, Faculty, School of Music

chamber music

Pushing musical boundaries

September 28, 2017, Peggy Binette

Pushing boundaries is intrinsic to music. That’s what audiences can expect in the Freeman Sundays @3 concert series, which merges traditional and contemporary classical music to create a bold, new way to experience world music.

Topics: Faculty, School of Music

Leaman

Mungo Distinguished Professor of the Year: Cliff Leaman

July 21, 2017, Megan Sexton

Clifford Leaman's love of teaching and performing is obvious to Leaman’s students and colleagues, who describe him as a master performer and teacher. This year, the university presented Leaman, who has taught saxophone at Carolina for the past 17 years, with its highest teaching honor: the Michael J. Mungo Distinguished Professor of the Year Award.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Recognition, Leadership, School of Music

Year end review

Twenty-Sixteen: By the Letters

December 15, 2016, USC Times

A is for alphabet, at least according to USC Times. To help close out 2016, the University of South Carolina’s monthly magazine for faculty and staff devoted its entire December issue to the ABCs of 2016 — with each letter representing a different accomplishment, announcement or notable arrival from the past year.

Topics: Students, Alumni, Faculty, University Leadership, Academics, Research, Experiential Learning, College of Arts and Sciences, Darla Moore School of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering and Computing, The Graduate School, College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, College of Information and Communications, School of Law, Medicine (Columbia), Medicine (Greenville), School of Music, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, Arnold School of Public Health, College of Social Work, South Carolina Honors College, University System, University Libraries

Ari Streisfeld

The road to the academy

October 18, 2016, Dan Cook

For the past 11 years, Ari Streisfeld has played violin in the JACK Quartet, performing at Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center and on stages throughout the world. Now, he is on to the next chapter — as assistant professor of violin and violin pedagogy in the University of South Carolina School of Music.

Topics: Faculty, Academics, Experiential Learning, School of Music

Greg Stuart

Students perform world premiere in New York City

September 12, 2016, Dan Cook

Imagine the stakes when you enroll in an experimental music class and it turns out that you’ll not only be listening to challenging sounds, but actually performing such pieces yourself. Not only that, but performing them in New York City just one month into the semester as part of a world premiere.

Topics: Students, Faculty, Academics, Experiential Learning, Partnerships, Student Voices, School of Music, South Carolina Honors College

Julie Hubbert, UofSC School of Music professor.

Hollywood bound!

May 12, 2016, Glenn Hare

Julie Hubbert is a film buff, and this summer she's headed to Hollywood. But not to stalk the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio or Jennifer Lawrence. A recipient of a National Endowment of Humanities Summer Stipend and a music historian in the School of Music, Hubbert will busy her days in Tinsel Town combing the documents of legendary filmmakers from the New Hollywood era, also dubbed the American New Wave.

Topics: Faculty, Research, School of Music

Valencia Callens

The making of an opera diva

March 31, 2016, Glenn Hare

Influenced by the likes of opera stars Leontyne Price and Kathleen Battle, USC music student Valencia Callens has high standards. But the master of music in theatre performance is undaunted by the challenge. Callens will showcase what’s she’s learned at Carolina this weekend when performs in “Speed Dating Tonight!” presented by Opera at USC in the School of Music recital hall.

Topics: Students, graduate-studies, School of Music

Sean Heely

It's all about expression

November 04, 2015, Glenn Hare

Sean Heely transferred to UofSC’s School of Music to continue his violin training under William Terwilliger and to refine his playing of classical composers. He has found that, but also discovered a world of opportunities. “The musical progress I’ve made in classical and my new ventures in bluegrass and Gypsy jazz couldn’t have happened elsewhere,” he says.

Topics: Students, Academics, School of Music

rebecca nagel

Art is power

September 20, 2015, Glenn Hare

There are no music stands in Rooms 106 at the School of Music. There’s no podium either. What you will find are spaces for brainstorming and planning — whiteboards and corkboards, flip charts and Post-it notes, books on finance and leadership. And just in case there’s a need play out those ideas, the room has a seven-foot Baldwin piano.

Topics: Faculty, Research, School of Music

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