Executive Education
Faculty

Dr. McCurdy is a Professor of Music at the USC Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California where he is the Associate Dean of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee. At USC, Dr. McCurdy has served as chair of the Jazz Studies department and as Director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. Prior to joining USC, Dr. McCurdy was chair of the Afro-African American Studies Department and the Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Minnesota. In 1997, Dr. McCurdy was a Visiting Professor at Maria-Curie Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland. In 2001, Dr. McCurdy received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Kansas.

Dr. McCurdy continues to play trumpet professionally and led the touring production of the Langston Hughes Project, a multimedia presentation based on Hughes’ poem, “Ask Your Mama.” This was Hughes’ social commentary on the struggle for freedom and equality among Africans and African Americans. In 2008, he premiered the orchestral version of The Langston Hughes Project, Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra with rapper and television actor, Ice-T.

The multimedia presentation features a jazz quartet, the spoken word, and images from the Harlem Renaissance. Dr. McCurdy’s first album, Once Again for the First Time on the INNOVA label, enjoyed critical acclaim, as well. He has also released an album of The Langston Hughes Project, Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz. Dr. McCurdy has served as a consultant to the Grammy Foundation educational programs, including as Director of the National Grammy Vocal Jazz Ensemble. He was also Director of the Walt Disney All-American Summer College Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Singers for twenty years. A few of the guest artists he has worked with include Joe Williams, Rosemary Clooney, Leslie Uggams, Arturo Sandoval, Diane Schuur, Ramsey Lewis, Mercer Ellington, Dr. Billy Taylor, Maynard Ferguson, Lionel Hampton, Dianne Reeves, Ellis Marsalis, and many others. Dr. McCurdy is also a performing artist for the Yamaha International Corporation.