How do I become a Music Supervisor?
Please, someone tell me.
(365 Days of Writing: #31)
Have you ever stopped to think what it would be like to watch a movie, tv show, short film, etc without some sort of underlying music? Whether it’s music in the background or a song edited so perfectly to reflect a character’s very being, it’s difficult for me to imagine a world of “silent” film.
In fact, 2017 was the first year in Emmy Awards history that music supervisors finally got recognized for their work behind the scenes of your favorite tv shows. They’re the ones who select the songs you hear in any given show or film. Their work involves acquiring the licensing for a song’s use, analyzing just how a certain song should fit into a scene, and working with producers and directors to achieve their overarching vision.
I think the first show that ever brought my attention to the job of a music supervisor is Grey’s Anatomy. As of February 8th, 305 episodes of the medical drama have aired. A quick Google search reveals that over 1,500 songs have been used since the show’s inception. That’s 1,500 decisions a music supervisor had to make to add additional value to creative wonder Shonda Rhimes’ fictional world.
Man, what a DREAM job.
If you’re a fan of the show, there’s likely a few stand-out songs that come to mind during some of the more heart-wrenching scenes. Here a just a few that make me think of the show whenever I hear them:
“Where Does the Good Go” by Tegan & Sara (one of my favorites)
Music Supervisor Alexandra Patsavas has done a fantastic job of using the same song multiple times over the course of the series. It’s nostalgia-inducing for any longtime viewer and speaks to her ability as a supervisor to fully elevate the show to the next level of artistry.
I can’t think of a single show I regularly watch where I’m not constantly paying attention to the music choices. My Spotify playlists are riddled with songs I’ve only discovered through what I watch, and this is a testament to how important the merging of two separate creative passions (film & music) has become in pop culture.
I’m certainly happy at my current job in the marketing world, but if I had a chance to do one thing over, I might have considered music supervision or some sort of career in the music business industry. I experience joy in my everyday life because of the music I listen to, the audio discoveries I make, and the playlists I share with others in the hopes that they’ll also experience this happiness.
Although a career change is unlikely to happen for me in the future, I’ll stick to making playlists around the songs I’ve discovered thanks to the talents of music supervisors.
Behind-the-scenes work tends to go unrecognized. But the next time you hear a song in the background of your latest Netflix obsession, remember that there’s a music supervisor who made a deliberate choice to include that track.
It’s a choice that often turns turns your one-time viewing of a show into a binge-worthy obsession. How could we ever function without it?
