Music performance alumnus Andrew Justice, who now directs the music library at the University of Southern California, reflects on his formative time studying in Community Hall
Andrew Justice
By Colin Bowyer, Communications Manager - March 19, 2025
Andrew Justice, ‘99, started playing violin at the age of six. Inspired by his stepfather’s classical music records, Justice learned to play violin through the Suzuki method, developing an ear for music from the surrounding environment. He took private lessons with Michael Grossman, a violinist who lived in Corvallis, and went on to play violin for Highland View Middle School (now Linus Pauling), Crescent Valley High School, and the Corvallis Youth Symphony, conducted by pianist and educator Charles Creighton.
“Despite its size, Corvallis has an incredible music community,” said Justice. “I have memories of Measure 5 passing, which destroyed music education in Oregon, yet my parents and mentors kept supporting and pushing me to continue on. Looking back, it was these people who kept the musical arts alive in this small town.”
After studying with violinists throughout his teenage years, many of whom had ties to OSU, Justice chose to stay in Corvallis and enroll as a music performance major at the College of Liberal Arts. While at OSU, Justice studied with Marlan Carlson, professor of music, for four years, which Justice described as some of the best musical experiences of his entire life.
“The music program and playing under Marlan’s purview was incredibly formative,” said Justice. “I was able to observe him as a conductor and musician. His teachings were foundational to my growth as a musician and he was overall a fantastic person with stories upon stories to tell.”
Justice also fondly remembered first- and second-year Music Theory (MUS 114) with composer and conductor Ron Jeffers, who passed away in 2017, as well as Music History (MUS 122) with David Eisman.
Feeling he needed more experience in music performance, Justice decided to continue his studies at the University of Oregon, this time as a viola player. At UO, he also received training in historical performance practice that allowed him to learn more about music-making within sociocultural contexts and its impact on composition. Driven by curiosity from a music research methods course and music history, he found a passion for musicology and library science.
After working at Cornell University in central New York and the University of North Texas, Justice is now Head of the Music Library at the University of Southern California, where he maintains a collection of print and digital books, notated music, recordings, and archival collections to support the information needs of students and faculty at the Thornton School of Music, ensuring they have efficient access to materials for study, performance, and research.
“My music skills, both artistic and scholarly, were developed in Benton [Community] Hall,” said Justice. “I cannot speak more highly of my time there or the people who supported me.”