On Nov.1, 2024 USC Thornton School of Music students welcomed 2023 SHOF Inductee Glen Ballard for an inspiring, educational Master Session! Ballard is a six-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter, producer, and musician, an Olivier Award winner, and Academy Award nominee. His diverse and prolific catalog includes some of the biggest hits of all time that remain popular worldwide, such as Michael Jackson’s No.1 “Man In The Mirror”; “Alanis Morissette’s multi-platinum Jagged Little Pill, one of the best-selling albums of all time; Wilson Phillips’s “Hold On”; Josh Groban’s “Believe,” Dave Matthews Band’s “The Voice Within” and “The Space Between,” to name a few. Among the countless other artists he has worked with include Christina Aguilera, George Strait, Josh Groban, Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, Aerosmith, Van Halen, Chaka Khan, Andrea Bocelli, Katy Perry, Ringo Starr, George Benson, Shakira, Idina Menzel, and more.
For decades, Ballard's astonishing career has also thrived in musical theatre as well. He received the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical (with Alan Silvestri) for Back to the Future the Musical, and the hit production continues its successful run on Broadway and London’s West End. He co-wrote music and lyrics for Ghost the Musical (with Dave Stewart and Bruce Joel Rubin), which opened on Broadway in 2012, and the musical based on Jagged Little Pill debuted in 2019 with Ballard having provided much of the lyrics. Today, his production company Augury develops films, TV series, and live music events, and other musical theatre projects, including House of Cards for the stage – another Silvestri collaboration that Ballard calls “a wickedly fun and dark musical” based on the series.
The inspiring SHOF Masterclass moderated by Jason King, Dean of USC Thornton School of Music began as Ballard spoke of his spoke of Alanis Morissette's transformative career and their storied collaboration on their groundbreaking album which sold over 33 million copies. He described their creative process, highlighting how songs like “Ironic” were crafted quickly, often in a single day. He emphasized Alanis’ authenticity, old-soul wisdom, and unique ability to express vulnerability and resilience in writing and performing, which connected deeply with audiences and established her as a music revolutionary.
Ballard shared valuable insights into his creative process, and provided guidance on overcoming numerous challenges faced by aspiring musicians and creatives. His advice for overcoming creative blocks included staying open, writing without judgment, and revisiting ideas regularly, as even seemingly uninspired work can spark something unique. He emphasized the importance of authenticity, persistence, staying grounded, and avoiding reliance on digital tools when starting the songwriting process. Ballard stressed that if an idea feels compelling, it’s worth focus and effort even if it takes time.
Ballard encouraged young creatives to collaborate beyond their music-specific circles, as building connections with individuals across diverse disciplines can foster new opportunities and ideas. He underlined that a music career requires dedication and often versatility, and urged the students to adopt an entrepreneurial spirit, build connections, work hard, and explore every opportunity to create meaningful work and make a lasting impact.
To conclude the Master Session, Glen gave the class a treat by performing his song “For the Dreamers” from Back to the Future the Musical !
