The new music tastemakers in town

There’s a new breed of tastemaker in Hollywood, influencing A&R of major labels and turning unknown waitresses into budding stars overnight.  They’re the choreographers of So You Think You Can Dance, and they’re creating the soundtrack of the summer.  Read my latest article at The Comet to hear about this summer’s latest new artist success story and how artists and producers may be missing out on taking full advantage of 6 million potential fans.

7 Questions with Music Supervisor Billy Gottlieb

My interview with soundtrack veteran and music supervisor Billy Gottlieb is featured as a top story right now on The Comet – take a look!

http://thecomet.com/posts/7_questions_with_soundtrack_sup_billy_gottlieb

So you want to be a music supervisor?

I recently interviewed Billy Gottlieb, soundtrack veteran (Pulp Fiction, Stealing Beauty, Clueless) and music supervisor (Bones, Fringe, Alias, Bring It On).  The full Q&A will be posted soon at TheComet.com, but here’s a snippet for any aspiring music supervisors out there:

What advice would you have for someone who wants to go into music supervision?
If you’re thirsty, you have to go where the water is.  You’ve got to go to Hollywood and do the hustle.  Music will always be needed for licensing so it’s a good side of the business to get into.  You have to work for zero money and suffer and pull your hair out for a while, and if you’re lucky you’ll land somewhere where you can earn a living and work your way up.  Meet people, create opportunities, and do more projects.  It’s not for the thin-skinned.  There’s a lot of rejection and you have to persevere.  It’s almost like being an actor – you put yourself out there and most people are going to tell you “no” – but there will be one person who says yes.  It’s constantly a challenge.  Listen to a lot of music and be very aware of what’s out there – study up on labels, publishers, managers and agents – the more knowledgeable you are, the more desirable you are to hire.  I used to DJ bar mitzvahs and weddings – looking back, that experience was probably the most useful tool in getting into music supervision.  You walk into a room, size up the audience, and come up with the music that you know will make the best experience for them.  One minute you’re playing to 200 people that are aged 60, 70, 80 years old and next you’re DJing an African American wedding, and you have to know what works to give people the best time.  Also if you have the opportunity to sleep with anybody who can help you get ahead, I highly recommend that too (laughs).