Wrapped inside the warm acoustics at Carson Soundstage, the distinguished Studio Guitar Program at the Thornton School of Music brought together students, families and music lovers for an electrifying evening that pushed the envelope of studio jazz guitar into new realms of virtuosic contemporary fusion.

From Charles Mingus to King Crimson to original never-before-heard songs, guitar students in Thornton’s Studio Guitar program showcased the full range of the academic experience with an eclectic selection of 12 arrangements across three separate guitar performances.

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The evening began with the graduate ensemble who goes by the name of Superaxe. Under the skillful direction of Tim Kobza, assistant professor of practice in the contemporary music program at Thornton, Superaxe is comprised of three guitar players, two pursuing master’s degrees and one pursuing a doctorate of musical arts in studio guitar performance. 

“The level of our students is super high and inspiring,” Kobza said. “These students didn’t arrive there overnight. They log in, they have the passion to put the time in on their instrument … When you know that this is what you want to do, you’re in it, and it’s a lot of fun. The journey is pretty awesome.”

Since the beginning of the semester, endless hours of practice and passion led up to Thursday’s showcase.

“The students are asked to get together outside of class to practice with each other as well to start to develop that communication chemistry and ensemble blend,” Kobza said.

Collaboration, music directing, arranging skills, tone and musical literacy are all core skills students get to nurture while performing in ensembles.

Superaxe opened the show with a classic rendition of “Red” by progressive rock band King Crimson, followed by two original ensemble arrangements, one by Scott Parker and the other by  Stuart Crespo, who wrote an otherworldly cumbia arranged for three guitars.

Sam Shinnick, a second-year graduate student studying Studio Guitar Performance led his ensemble as they finished with two performances comprised of “Have You Heard” by Pat Metheny Group and “Flashback” by Hiromi Uehara.

“I hope people come out to listen and get a taste of what’s going on at USC in our ensembles,” Shinnick said. “I think it’ll be a good chance for people to hear what is going on at the Studio Guitar program; I get that question all the time. People [ask] ‘What exactly is Studio Guitar?’ It’s a good way to answer that.”

At the heart of the showcase was the trio performance by Jordan Samuels, who is in his final semester of his doctoral program in studio guitar performance. Samuels, accompanied by an upright bass and drummer, played three songs: a colorful blues piece, a chilling ballad and an uptempo arrangement that filled the room up with his impressive phrasing and solo technique. The rhythm section for the trio performance added an extra texture and heartbeat to each composition that sent chills across the audience, making for a captivating listen.

Throughout the evening, the energy of each musician reached for new heights in their respective ensemble blend, exploring each others’ sound and allowing one another to develop their improvisational and stage prowess.

“Philosophically, I think it’s important that the students play music that they feel excited about,” said Nick Stoubis, current chair and head of the Studio Guitar program at Thornton. “It’s meant to represent where they are at this moment. It’s not necessarily the destination, [but] the target. We encourage them to try new things, and not be worried about just executing it on a performance, but [to] try to do the best work they can.”

The freshman ensemble, introduced by adjunct instructor of studio guitar Molly Miller, closed the show with exciting arrangements of “Fables of Faubus” by Charles Mingus, “I Blew it Off” by the Punch Brothers, “Kyoto” by Tomo Fujita and the finale of the night, “Lingus” by Snarky Puppy.

“They did such a great job, all of them really showed up and put a ton of time and love into their work,” Miller said. “Each of their arrangements are really different and showcase [the] different styles that they’re into. I’m really proud of these guys … I think these sorts of milestone moments help push you to the next level, you get to hone in on different skills and focus at a deeper level, which is great for artistry.”

Jack Simpson, a freshman majoring in jazz studies, was excited to take his first stage at USC with fellow freshmen Casey Kendrick and Michael Zhang, also majoring in jazz studies. Joining them were Luke Chaplain on drums and Andy Brems, a doctoral candidate in Studio Guitar who played bass to support the freshmen.

“It’s been a great environment. Very supportive. A lot of work but really fun.” Simpson said. “I love the other guitarists. They’re all great guys.”

The Studio Guitar program at the Thornton School of Music is home to a promising group of gifted musicians and an accomplished faculty who aim to celebrate their artistry with the world. On Thursday evening, all of their hard work was on display as they shared with the USC community the power of the guitar and the profound language of music that connects us all together.