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School of Music

  • String Project students

About the School of Music

The University of South Carolina School of Music has established a national reputation for artistic and scholarly excellence. An acclaimed faculty teach more than 500 undergraduate and graduate music majors, including students specializing in virtually every orchestra and band instrument, voice, piano, organ and guitar.

Joys of a Musical Life

The JOY we experience with a musical encounter or making music makes us happier, healthier, safer, more fulfilled and more hopeful. The University of South Carolina aims to model these experiences by advancing its comprehensive work in two distinct but related foci: 

Music is for Everyone: The Public Music Initiative

The USC School of Music is a cultural and educational center of excellence. Our students and faculty engage in curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular public education and outreach. In addition to our more than 300 concerts and performances, we offer academic lectures, masterclasses open to the public and opportunities to learn and perform with us. 

  • Music education and pedagogy. USC’s music teacher education programs offer various specializations, including early childhood/elementary, choral, strings and winds/percussion. Music education students are active leaders in the School of Music’s Children’s Music Development Center, the Choirs of Carolina Mentoring Initiative, the Congaree New Horizons Band Program and the USC String Project. In addition, we encourage research and creative activities, offering a wide range of study options. Roughly half of all public school music teachers in SC are USC music education alumni.
  • Teaching artistry. An objective of the USC School of Music is the preparation of musicians as educators and educators as musicians. In addition to our teacher training and teaching artistry programs, the USC School of Music boasts the only comprehensive piano pedagogy program in the United States. Throughout the USC School of Music, our various Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts Pedagogy degrees prepare students for private or faculty-level teaching careers.
  • Community engagement. Our students and faculty engage in curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular public education and outreach. In addition to numerous free or low-cost concerts and performances, the USC School of Music offers academic lectures, masterclasses open to the public and opportunities learn and perform with us. 

Music in Our Time

The USC School of Music provides students with rich learning and performing experiences in a supportive and inspiring atmosphere. Transforming lives through excellence in music teaching, performance, creative activities, research and service is our mission.

  • Degree programs. Our students benefit from the School of Music’s reputation as a leader in the fields of performance, conducting, composition, pedagogy and music education, as well as music leadership, encompassing entrepreneurship, advocacy and community engagement.
  • Student ensembles.  The School of Music has countless opportunities for students to perform in a variety of ensembles; many are open to every student at the university, regardless of major.  
  • Concert series and festivals. From the innovative Southern Exposure New Music Series, critically acclaimed Southeastern Piano Festival and the Luise E. Peake Music & Culture Colloquium guest lecture series, the community can enjoy an extensive variety of music-centric events.

School of Music Vision 2030

The University of South Carolina School of Music aspires to be a national leader in modeling the joys of a musical life. We demonstrate this by our commitment to musical and academic excellence, artistic independence and collaboration, curiosity and exploration, mentorship and leadership, and service and community. Learn more here.

School of Music Hallmarks

  •  The School of Music is peer-evaluated to be among the most highly regarded music schools and conservatories in the U.S.  The University of South Carolina is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
  • The nation's first and most comprehensive leadership institute, the innovative Spark-Carolina's Music Leadership Laboratory, provides students with the entrepreneurship, community engagement and music advocacy education they need to forge successful and meaningful careers in their communities.
  • The USC String Project is a model of community service and teacher education for more than 40 other universities across the nation.
  • Our graduate piano pedagogy program is evaluated annually and rated among the top three such programs in the nation.
  • The annual Southeastern Piano Festival is a high-level training platform for young pianists who take part in a rigorous week-long program with master teachers and concert pianists, culminating in the Arthur Fraser Concerto Competition.
  • Our commitment to new and contemporary music is distinguished through innovative, award-winning programs and the commission of new works every year. Faculty commitment to performing and teaching music of our time is realized through Southern Exposure New Music Series, the experimental music studio xMuse and New Voices concerts by student composers.

 

University of South Carolina Hallmarks

Located just two blocks from the historic Statehouse in the heart of Columbia, South Carolina, the university’s flagship campus is in the middle of a thriving mid-size city that is abundant with cultural and entertainment opportunities.

Three four-year campuses in Aiken, Beaufort and Upstate (Spartanburg and Greenville) and four two-year campuses in Lancaster, Sumter, Salkehatchie (Allendale and Walterboro) and Union, help the university cover the state.

  • South Carolina offers a world of pathways to a life of learning and leadership, with more than 350 degree programs.
  • All South Carolina students who are ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class are guaranteed admission to the University of South Carolina’s Columbia campus. 
  • The Carnegie Foundation has recognized USC with its top classification — R1 university — for its very high level of research activity and number of doctoral degrees awarded. In addition, South Carolina is one of few public universities that has also earned the foundation's community engagement designation. 
  • The University of South Carolina is South Carolina's academic leader, with more U.S. News-ranked graduate programs than all other colleges and universities in the state combined. 
  • South Carolina is the state’s academic leader, with more than 60 nationally ranked academic programs — more than any other institution in the state. (U.S. News & World Report)
  • A model for higher education excellence, the South Carolina Honors College holds the top rating among  public honors college programs (Inside Honors). 
  • South Carolina's student experience is second to none. Led by its pioneering, globally recognized freshman seminar University 101, South Carolina ranks No. 1 among public institutions for first-year experience (U.S. News & World Report). 
  • South Carolina welcomes and supports veterans and military service members: The university is ranked No. 7 on the 2024 Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges list.
  • South Carolina provides more opportunities for African-American and minority students than any other institution in South Carolina, leading in both enrollment and graduation.
  • The University of South Carolina is committed to accessibility and affordability: 2024-25 marks the sixth straight year that tuition has remained unchanged for in-state residents on the Columbia campus. Tuition has not increased on system campuses for seven straight years. 

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