What is your title at Man Made Music?
VP/Executive Music Supervisor
What were you doing before Man Made? How did you get into music supervision?
I’ve been a music supervisor or in film and TV music for over 15 years. I started as an a&r scout for Warner/Chappell Music Publishing. I had a love for all types of music and for the way music and images fit together…as such I pursued music supervision and got a great break at Epic Soundtrax, a division of Sony Music.
Is there such a thing as a typical day -- what kinds of things are you responsible for in your job?
There is no typical day as each project and client is different. Sometimes we work on several different projects at a time and the pace is frenetic, and lots of fun but quite challenging. Other times we get the luxury of one project at a time. The pace may be different and the genre of music but the common thread is that we always try to help our clients tell great stories thru the use of music that bests serves their piece.
In your opinion, what are the most fun/fulfilling aspects of your particular area of music supervision?
Getting to discover new bands/talent and give them a break in terms of exposure.
Conversely, what are the biggest challenges/toughest aspects of that niche?
Sometimes our clients are budget challenged and way too time challenged so it becomes tricky to do your best work and always come up with affordable options..but that is what we do. When projects are like that we just roll up our sleeves higher!
What are the trends that you’re seeing in music supervision, and particularly in sonic branding and the other areas of expertise that you deal with?
I’d say that clients are paying less in fees to acts and some managers have to take a stand to protect their artist’s interests. Also, there is an exciting willingness to give new artists more of a shot than asking for the same oft-used Lenny Kravitz track. I may like Lenny Kravitz but branching out often serves the project better.
What advice do you have for people who want to get into music supervision in general? In sonic branding in particular?
I can really only speak for music supervision as that is the group I run and the focus of my job. I would suggest being open to all kinds of music and researching roots of music you especially love. You never know when you’ll be called upon to use a period or catalog piece and it’s important to be well versed. Plus, really watch how you connect with a TV show, film, commercial, promo and feel and understand how much or how little music does to add to a positive experience.
Anything else you want to add?
I hope that helps. I love my job, there are many people out there doing it and there is room for plenty more great work out there!
