News Stories

Emerging from a swirl of sonic influences, reggaeton began as Panamanian protest music long before Puerto Rican artists turned the genre into a global phenomenon.

From Coltrane’s Circle of Tones to the shared skills required for both, discover how math and music intertwine in creative expression.

This May, Brian Femminella and Lucy Schafer will receive their diplomas, become military officers, then continue their work on their music therapy app now headquarted at Tik Tok’s former office.

An experimental album created by USC Dornsife fellow Jonathan Leal and producer Charlie Vela celebrates the musical traditions of the South Texas borderlands, while also warning us of what the future could hold. [4½ min read]

Thanks to a prestigious Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, Isis Galeno ’21 explores the history of Mexican American ska music in Los Angeles. [3¾ min read]

Graduating USC Dornsife senior Elaine Huang led the student orchestra through the COVID-19 pandemic as it produced a unique set of virtual concerts. [4¼ min read]

Cameron Audras learns how to interweave his passion for conservation and his skill with the viola while earning a degree in environmental sciences. [4½ min read]

With concerts canceled due to COVID-19, Etienne Gara, artist-in-residence at the USC Dornsife Brain and Creativity Institute, along with USC Thornton alumna YuEun Kim, take the show on the road with outdoor performances for field workers across California. [5½ min read]