Building Musical Bridges in the Entertainment Industry with Mellany Dotson

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Transcript

Intro

Wren 0:04

You're listening to Magical Moments with Music, the podcast where we share stories about the power of music and how it changes us for good. You'll get to hear how real people use music to express themselves, connect with others, find joy, and so much more. Thanks for tuning in to today's

About Mellany

Wren 0:32

episode. I'm your host, Wren, and today we'll be talking with Mellany Dotson about her connections to music as a music industry professional. With eight years of experience in music clearance, licensing, and theatrical music operations, and working with companies like Lionsgate and Apple TV Plus, Melanie has developed a reputation for managing confidential music legal projects and high-volume metadata with meticulous accuracy. Her industry and academic experiences have given her a wide set of skills to expertly manage modern music workflows. Mellany was a DJ for the University of the Pacific, Tiger Beats Radio, and her graduate research at Cal State LA explored millennial perspectives on the duality of racism and horror, and Disney's commentary on emotional well-being through superhero fantasy. Mellany has a wide range of professional and personal experiences with music, and I'm so grateful she's here to share more about it with us today. Mellany and I met back at Transfer Orientation for Music Students at University of the Pacific, and we've crossed paths throughout our time together at UOP. Mellany, I'm so excited to hear what you've been up to since we've last talked.

Mellany 1:50

Thank you so much, Wren. I'm really grateful to have this opportunity. It's so great to reconnect with you again, especially in this realm. So I'm glad to be here. Thank you.

Wren 2:01

Yeah, thank you. So let's get right into it.

Mellany's Magical Moments with Music

Wren 2:05

Mellany, tell me about a magical moment that you have had with music.

Mellany 2:09

I can't say it's one singular moment, but I think a number of moments, like discovering different artists and different music and different genres and things like that. So those magical moments happen quite often, especially when I discover a new sound that uh deviates from the norm or from pop culture from mainstream. So um I think music in itself is magical. So anytime I have the time to interact with it, it's definitely something that resonates with me. And I'm really happy to have this as a career and be a part of this industry because those magical moments happen all the time. They happen every day. So yeah, I I have a lot of different experiences when it comes to music and having very poignant moments. Um, whether it's with school, you know, I had a lot of really wonderful experiences that as you mentioned earlier with UOP and getting to meet other people who had similar or the same mindset as me. That was a really pivotal turning point for me when it comes to music and entertainment. So, you know, just making friends and collaborating and seeing what all of that is about has been a big joy and a big part of my trajectory so far.

Wren 3:28

Yeah, I love how you mentioned the connections with other people. And I feel like those really special moments with music can be amplified when you have more people involved too.

Mellany 3:41

Absolutely. Yeah, it's it's always nice to be amongst people who share your same ideas or same visions or same interests. And for me, prior to having that, prior to going to UOP, I didn't know a lot of people who were interested in music industry in the same way that I was. So to be able to find my my my cohort, my group of people that I was really interested in. And, you know, we all had similar tastes in music, but also I learned so much from other people. Those kinds of experiences continue to happen if you especially if you look for them. So yeah, I mean, always having, you know, like-minded people who understand exactly what you're talking about. That was that was life-changing and pivotal, and it really encouraged me to go forward with what I wanted to do.

Wren 4:35

Yeah, I can really imagine what an important shift it could be for you to be with people that have that same perspective because I love talking about you know movie music with other people that like movies, but there's something really special about talking about movie music with other horn players because we're thinking of the exact same scores, we're thinking of the same composers, we're thinking like through that same lens. And that must have been really, really special to find those people.

Mellany 5:06

Yeah, yeah. It just clicks. It's so nice to have people who, you know, know exactly what you're talking about, and you can really let that excitement shine through in your conversation. And it's just really nice to be amongst other people who have that idea or are eager to know, you know, what other people are interested in. So it's it's always nice and very comforting for sure.

Wren 5:32

Yeah.

Mellany's work in the music industry

Wren 5:33

So there's some really clear, obvious music career paths. Like it's very obvious. Like if you play an instrument, you could become a performer. Uh, but for industry, it feels like there's not so much of a clear, one clear career path. There's so many different directions to go in the music industry. How did you know that you wanted to go in that direction?

Mellany 5:55

Honestly, it took me a second to really figure out what it was that I wanted to zero in on. Um, like you said, there are so many different pathways that you can take. There are so many different entryways into music. And I have so many interests, you know. It started off maybe I wanted to be a music journalist or a critic, or did I want to do sound engineering and all of these different things? Um, but over time, throughout schooling and just being exposed to different avenues, I learned a little bit of each. I learned a little bit of songwriting and production and music engineering, and also, you know, instrumentation and different things like that. So once I started to expose myself a little bit more to the different things that were available within the music industry and, you know, kind of injecting the things that I was interested in, which is entertainment and film and different things like that, I really narrowed in, like, okay, this is what I wanted to do. This is how I wanted to represent myself or how I wanted to show my creativity. And from there, I just found different ways to keep growing in it. And, you know, I still have that, you know, wide array of interest, and I still want to do everything. I'm curious about so many other professions, but it it did take me a second to kind of realize what exactly I wanted to do. Um, but ultimately I found my place, and I I want to keep making this happen. So it's it's been really amazing to have this entire journey about learning different assets and aspects of the industry. And um it's been great. It's been great, it's been it's been really interesting.

Wren 7:50

So, what does your work in the music industry look like? Like on a day-to-day basis?

Mellany 7:57

So, what I do basically currently, I am um a music consultant. So, whomever needs my assistance in regards to music, whether it's administrative work or curation or creating some sort of custom instrumentals or however it is that that someone wants to express what it is that they're experiencing or feeling, um, they come to me for that kind of support. And that's a way for me to step outside of the corporate realm and really support people in a way that um really exercises those skills, those interpersonal skills, as well as my music and film knowledge. So that's a great way for me to just interact with people in a way that um people who may not have those same experiences with music, I am able to support them in a way that that is kind of more concise and and and geared towards something. Um, however, when it comes to um, I guess my day-to-day work, I do work in corporate. I work with um uh theatrical music, which is film music, um, interacting with composers and producers and trying to cultivate a very um very niche idea of what is expected for a scene in a film or a trailer or anything like that. So I get to work with a lot of musicians, but also on the other side, how do we legally handle these situations and interact with people without scaring them too much with contracts and other legal jargon? So it's I'm kind of all over the place, but I I really like to, you know, cast my net far and wide when it comes to this industry because there's so much for you to learn and experience.

Wren 9:51

Yeah, and I think most people don't understand what it takes just to get a piece of music into film, into TV. There's so much more behind the scenes that going that's going on. I think as you were talking, the connection that came to my mind was it kind of feels like you're almost serving as like that bridge to bring that music into that work and making sure that all of the pieces are together so that that can happen the way it's supposed to.

Mellany 10:21

Absolutely, absolutely. I like to think of myself as somewhat of a liaison, you know, whether it's in my personal consulting work or within a particular particular company that I work for. Um, I'm there to, like you said, bridge that gap between knowledge and creativity. So you have these very wonderful, you know, musicians or instrumentalists or people who are very creative, geared, creative-minded, but they may not completely understand what it takes to, you know, put their music in a film or what is expected of them. And with of course, my team or with guidance, it's my job to support these people to let them know like you're a wonderful artist, you're amazing, you make these, you know, really awesome creative um narratives, but we're gonna need you to, you know, put that on some paper and so we can actually like identify what it is so that when people are watching, they can say, Oh, I know this artist, and they can find it, and it's there's connection there as well. So it's it's definitely interesting, and it can take the fun out of you know music for some people, but it's it's a very important part of our industry, and it's growing kind of it's it's growing at an exponential rate. So it's it's interesting to see.

Wren 11:44

I love that in your work, I I feel like it's almost like with your job, you get to help make sure that everyone else does their job even better. And I also I thought about too how you know how much of a challenge that must have been, especially in the beginning, learning to balance communicating in corporate and communicating in music and really being intentional about the context and how you're presenting information in these different contexts, because someone in corporate would not get get the same memo as the musician.

Mellany 12:21

Yeah, for sure. You definitely have people, you know, those big scary people in in suits in corporate that don't necessarily understand music at all, or the creative mind, or you know, musicians and artists, they work in a completely different way of than someone who's in the office and has this very clear idea of how they need to make business work. So, like having that overlap and having that that connection between the two is really important because sometimes you might need to talk to those suits and say, hey, you know, our artists, while they're amazing, they might need another two weeks to make this song happen, or you know, the things have to change on a dime, and you need to be able to communicate to both worlds very succinctly, very, you know, directly. Like this is what is the these are the expectations for everyone, and this is what can be delivered. And if you're good at it, you can actually make it work. It actually comes together quite flawlessly at times, even if you don't think it will. So it's it's definitely a balancing act, but I'm learning every day, and it's it's been great.

Wren 13:37

How much of your job do you spend directly with music?

Mellany 13:44

That's a very funny question. Um music itself all day, all day, every day, you know, especially if I need to find a um a particular artist or a particular sound for a project, whatever the directive is for that project, I need to make sure I'm finding the right sound, the right artist, the right, you know, whatever it is. So there are times when I've gone through libraries of music, like 200 songs a day, just listening all day...

Wren 14:18

Wow

Mellany 14:19

...to find that really specific sound. And honestly, I love it because I'm able to find so many different things and I'm able to hear people's different like takes on the same idea. It can be overwhelming. It can be very, you know, yeah, it can be just very overwhelming just because sometimes people do make 17 of the exact same song, and you have to like differentiate, like, oh well, the arrangement was a little different here, you know, things like that. So it can be very meticulous. It's not fully, hey, we're just gonna party all day and listen to some good jams. Um, even though that that does happen quite a bit, you know, you kind of just sit and like listen to music with people, like, hey, did you hear that new? You know, whatever. So it's it's always fun to like interact with music in that way. Um, I think what was really a uh, I don't know, a wake-up call was the the the flow and the abundance and the amount of music that I interacted with on a daily basis. So it didn't, you know, deter me, it didn't change my mind, but it was like, oh, okay, 200 songs a day, we have five days this week, you know, and maybe I need to do something extra after work. So you you definitely have a very close relationship with music, very close.

Wren 15:50

That's so interesting. You know, I I expected you to be listening to music every day, but I think that kind of surprised surprised me, uh, especially as someone who's coming from a job where I'm using live music all day. But I think I think you're listening to and playing, or yeah, I think you're listening to more music than I am during the work week.

Evolving Relationship with Music

Mellany 16:14

Yeah, I mean, that's interesting on on your end too, like with your with your particular field. Do you find that like I know you're interviewing me, sorry, but like in working with instruments and and the therapy field that you have a different connection with music as opposed to what it was before? Like, what's your experience been with music and how has it evolved?

Wren 16:41

Yeah, oh, that's a huge question. And I that gets really to actually kind of the point of the podcast for me, or what made me start the podcast was that my relationship with music completely changed when I went into music therapy school because I'm sure you can relate to this aspect of it. Now I will listen to a song, and if I'm not careful, if I'm not really intentional about my mindset for listening to music, I'm immediately going to think about, oh, I could use this song with this client, or oh, I can change the lyrics here and have this be a song about confidence. I don't know. And I'll start thinking about the clinical ways I can use a song. And music is also for enjoyment. And I've been on like this whole journey uh since graduating, but especially this past year with changing my relationship with music and having the relationship that I want to. Um so yeah, it's it's changed a lot over time. And now I can really compartmentalize um between my personal listening and my my clinical professional listening. Um, but that took a lot of time. I'm curious, have have you related to any of that?

Mellany 17:58

Absolutely. 100%. Like I said, and and listening to a lot of music, or a lot of the time people know that I'm, you know, adjacent to the film and music industry. So they want to pitch me their scripts or you know, their music. They want me to, you know, kind of critique it and go through it and then see if I can support them in some way. And it gave me a more keen eye as to, or ear, I should say, a more keen ear as to what it is that I'm looking for in regards to production and regards to, you know, did they nail the brief? Did they, you know, all of these different things? And I'm more particular instead of with I'm more particular with music instead of being a more passive listener. I'm a more active listener. So now I'm now that I know what it takes to do engineering and all of these things, um, I can listen to music objectively. And I think like I said previously, having the the interaction with music that's like the abundance of it all, that can be a little jarring, a little daunting, but have it, like you said, being able to compartmentalize and know this is for leisure and this is for you know practical or or whatever it is, it's that was a game changer as well. I I had to come to that conclusion rather early on because I'm interacting with music so much that I didn't want the experience of enjoying it to be tainted by just work. So that that was a different experience for me for sure.

Wren 19:36

Yeah. Once you got like into your industry job and were listening to music a lot more, did you find that you were listening to music less in your personal time?

Mellany 19:48

Um, it ebbs and flows, it definitely ebbs and flows. Like sometimes when I've gone through a library of music and I've just kind of had a lot of like library music that's not always that great, or I'm listening to a lot of independent artists who haven't quite found their sound, it can be overwhelming because you are analyzing it for its use. How can this strictly be used as you know, a product inserted into a production? And that did sour the experience just a little bit, but ultimately I was able to listen to music and still enjoy it just for what it is, just for its creativity. And that's when I started to um really really find the enjoyment of it again. But sometimes it's like, okay, I've listened to a lot today. I'd very much like the sounds of birds, you know what I mean? Like I wanted to have, you know, the sounds of nature or something like that, but um music is still very much a big part of my day-to-day as a personal listener, so it still resonates, but it does ebb and flow as to how much music I can take in.

Wren 21:08

Do you think it's impacted your your tastes in music now that you really understand what well-crafted music sounds like?

Mellany 21:19

Oh, yes, definitely. I I'm familiar with musicianship and instrumentation and arranging just from like previous experience in my youth and going to church and whatnot. So I'm familiar with hearing a range of voices and a range of um instruments and different arrangements and things like that. But I didn't necessarily get that when going into education and school and things like that, that you kind of just get pop music, you get a lot of generic mainstream music that's really meant to serve one singular purpose. But going through my education and going through the industry and the Way that I have, I've become a lot more appreciative of actual artistry and musicianship. And, you know, hearing someone really take the time to pan left and you know, doing all these things that really make their music so juicy and so, you know, delectable in that way. Um, so for sure, I think it's only made my interest in music and different genres just kind of explode. Like now I want to know who else does something, who else, you know, what other types of musicianship and artistry can I find? Like, and I like to, like I said, I like to listen to everything. It's really important to be knowledgeable of different genres and different voices and different um creativity styles. So right now I'm listening to like Brazilian orchestras from the 60s and you know, lo-fi hip-hop, and just like these really organic sounds from mishmash of different ideas when it comes to sounds. And I don't think I really would have explored that had I not been exposed to what you know, horn players sound like live and in person, or you know, seeing someone really focus in on that that sound engineering board. So it's really kind of expanded what I'm looking for or what I like to hear and and try to find things that are really, really good. So it's it's been a journey. It's been a journey, but it's it's definitely strengthened my my music acumen, if you will, you know.

Wren 23:37

Yeah,

A Musical Foundation Built on Gospel Music

Wren 23:38

yeah. So you mentioned um your exposure to music in the church before. How has that impacted your foundation of music?

Mellany 23:50

It meant I'm no longer practicing, but it was such a it was such a foundational experience. It was such a very lively and and very, you know, emotional experience as well, because you're participating in a very specific religion and the ideas are there, and um when it comes to the music of the church that I grew up in, it was very lively, it was very emotional, and it came from a very sincere place, and that authenticity and that emotional music, that emotional drive, you don't necessarily get in a lot of other genres. But for me growing up, I sang the church choir, I, you know, did my best to play instruments, it didn't really work out, so they said just stay in the choir. But it was, it was, it was thrilling, and it it definitely still holds a place in my heart. Gospel music is so transformative and it's so emotive that I still go back and listen to those songs, I still hear those things, and I I still I'm still in awe of like the three-part harmonies and you know, the different types of musicianship and the veracity of somebody, you know, that's on the drums or something like that. That's something you really don't get all the time, and it's it has a very significant place in my heart. Um yeah, it's it was wonderful, especially singing in the choir, that allowed me the opportunity to, for lack of better terms, vocalize or really voice exactly how I was feeling. And, you know, even if if the the topic at hand kind of skewed a little bit or it wasn't, you know, directly impacting my personal life, I definitely still felt the emotion behind it. And you know, it was such a wonderful time. I also did choirs in school and things like that. I was in choirs for a very, very long time. And that community, that collaboration, that you know, the unifying of of multiple voices to make one was unlike anything I I've been able to experience for a long time, but it's it's very much very important to me and it has a place in my heart.

Wren 26:31

Using music as a verb, there's just nothing like musicking with other people.

Mellany 26:38

Yeah.

Wren 26:39

And I think it's especially in the church um and in gospel music, the that deep feeling that and and tapping into something that's greater than just one person, whether it's you know, um creating and tapping into God or tapping into that level of community, um it's it's just so expansive. And I love that that serves as your foundation of music because that music is so so real and lively.

Mellany 27:10

Very true, very true. It's you know anytime I I I have the opportunity and I get to hear a new choir or you know, just be in that realm, it's it does evoke a sense of nostalgia, but also just like you said, a sense of community, a sense of um a form of expression that that's unlike a lot of other aspects of music. And it's it it there's a reason why gospel music in itself does resonate with so many people, not because it's so overly emotive and things like that, but because there's a true sense of authenticity and very honest and realness to it that like I said, you don't really get in a lot of other genres, but when when you do have the chance to really experience that music live and to to hear amongst a group of people and to feel the energy and the atmosphere, it's it's life-changing, seriously. It's it's it's lovely. It is.

Wren 28:18

Yeah,

Lessons from Working in the Music Industry

Wren 28:19

absolutely. You've been in the music industry for about eight years now.

Mellany 28:25

Yeah.

Wren 28:26

What are some of your biggest lessons that you've gotten out of that so far?

Mellany 28:31

Where do I begin? I mean, there are so many things that I I've I've learned, you know, good, bad, and and everything in between. I mean, everything from having really strange managers and bosses who, you know, surprisingly they love music, but they're not really invested in the industry in the way that I am. You know, they don't have that that hunger that that you know people who are relatively new to the industry have. Um everything from kind of meeting people who I admire, you know, there are what lessons could I what lessons could I really say, you know, um, other than for me personally, it's taught me to um always stay in a learning mindset. Always, you know, you know, I'm I'm very grateful for the time that I've had in education and in schooling, but especially in my field and in music supervision and in theatrical music, it really is about being hands-on. You really need to like be in the in the room to really say, like, okay, I know what's going on, I know how this is happening. And as much as I thought I knew something, you can always know more. You can always learn more. So for me, I think a big part of it is is not only having humility and having that growth mindset and say, I can always learn, I can, you know, learn from the people that that support me or whom I work for, but also just to keep an open mind and saying, like, these are beautiful moments, these are magical moments, these are times in which you can discover new music, discover new people, and expand who you are, you know, internally, but also expand your knowledge and expand your network. And and you kind of really just need to be fluid about a lot of things. And, you know, I I hate to be that person, but it does kind of take a thick skin, you know, let things roll off your back, um, which isn't easy because you're like, okay, you're a crazy person. I have to tell you who you are, you know. But you have to be mindful, like, okay, maybe that's not how I need to approach the that situation. Maybe I shouldn't, you know, go off on this composer who can't really find their own ass sometimes, but it's okay. You know, it's it's it's a constant learning um opportunity, and you really have to be prepared for that in the long run. And having that thirst for for understanding and knowledge is always around the corner. It's in every experience. So yeah.

Wren 31:20

So I know that the music industry is, I mean, constantly evolving. What are some things in the industry that are changing that you're really excited about?

Mellany 31:32

Well, I think one thing that I'm seeing, especially from like a structured music or record label organized music um perspective, is that you are seeing a lot more independent artists. You are seeing a lot more people taking their careers into their own hands, which wasn't really something I would say maybe 10 years ago. I mean, you did you did have people who started on the internet with like MySpace and YouTube, and you have, you know, the Justin Bieber's and the Billie Eilish's and whatnot. You do have those people who who were very independent early on and utilize the internet um to really spread their their word, spread their gospel. Um, and you're starting to see a lot more of that now where people are taking their careers and their artistry and their music into their own hands and really doing a good job with it. So, you know, not saying that that record labels and and different things are, you know, obsolete, but it's really nice to see people who want to express themselves in this way creatively do it for themselves, do it in a way that uh works for them, and not to be at the at the beck and call or record label that can kind of control, you know, how you sound, what you're saying, what you're doing, and whatnot. There's uh a whole new world for artists, and I think that's definitely something we should be be really proud of, even if the music is bad, you know, you have a lot a lot of people who suck, but you know, it's it's it's good to to see people actually being creative and and utilizing resources at their hands, so it's cool.

Wren 33:19

Yeah, and I would so much rather someone put out their art that maybe it's not like big label ready, but they're gonna go put that out on their own terms, make it how they want, and then eventually it'll continue to grow. But to even have that opportunity and to not have, I guess, to pull away some of the gatekeeping that a major record label has for good reasons, but also it's really special because I think we're hearing things that we never could have heard before if it was all up to the major company.

Mellany 33:58

Absolutely, absolutely. I think you're also starting to see a little bit of blending of genres. Um, it's not it's not just okay, pop and rap and you know, rock. You find things that kind of you know intermingle all in all different ways and creating those new sounds that are kind of genreless or you know, a sub-genre of a subgenre of a subgenre, you start to find those really nuanced, niche um musicians, and and people's voices are so you know, the ranges of voices that have been so interesting, and to see how creative people get has been it's been really cool. I I've found some really awesome artists lately, and you know, people who do like R&B, but it's not really R&B or you know, just like different genres and stuff. That's been really fascinating to see how people invest their their creativity and their time into something that they really care about. So it's been beautiful.

Wren 35:02

And I think even on top of the genre aspect of it, I think people are tapping into different sounds of different decades so much right now. I feel like 80s music is yeah, very like modern 80s music is really popular right now.

Mellany 35:20

Yeah, yeah. You're getting things like retro wave and vapor wave and you know that really hardcore, like synthesized music into you know, all different kinds of things, even like auto-tune and things like that. Like it's it's it makes a resurgence every few years, and to see what people make of it has been quite fascinating. But yeah, I love it all. I like the the cyberpunk cyberwave type things. Like it's it's that digital Tron legacy, Tron music that you know has really rocked us for a long time, and I I like it, I'm here for it.

Wren 35:57

Yeah, I feel like there are so many times where I play some music and I'm like, I don't know what I'm listening to, but I like it.

Mellany 36:04

Yeah, yeah. I stumble across that stuff all the time. I'm like, what is this sound? Who is this person? Screaming like a banshee, but it sounds good, like I love it, you know what I mean? Like, be weird. We need more of it, yeah. Be interesting, and I think music is a good way for people to show that.

Wren 36:22

Yeah, absolutely.

Independent Artists Mellany is Listening to

Wren 36:24

Do you have any like specific independent artists that you've been really paying attention to?

Mellany 36:32

Oh, where do I start? Where do I start? Um, I really like I believe they're an Australian band um called Glass Beams, and it's completely instrumental music. There's no vocalization on it at all, but it's kind of a mix-up of um Southeast Asian music, like you get a lot of like Hindi, Indian inspired sounds, but it's also like a 70s kind of funk music going with it as well. Like they were at Coachella last year, and I was just in awe, like staring at the screen, you know, and I was like, this is amazing! Like it sounds really, really good, and the the artistry has been absolutely phenomenal, absolutely phenomenal. Um, I'm also interested in uh a singer, songwriter, producer by the name of Devin Morrison. And to credit what you're saying, he takes from older sounds as well. Like a lot of his music kind of derives from like 80s and 90s pop and RB type music, and it's so spot on, like it's so very specific. I know exactly which artists he's referencing. Like he's referencing um a specific gospel artist from the 90s at a very specific time, and to hear that in his music is like I've never heard anyone replicate that sound ever, you know, especially in a more modern realm, and to do it so well has been such a treat, such a treat. I I love it so much. I could go on and on and on about all the artists and genres that I I'm listening to right now, but those are two of the main ones that I've been uh just got over right now. So yeah, yeah, it's been great. Um, there's another band out of Sweden um called Dirty Loops, which I've been a fan of theirs for a long time. Their musicianship is at a million, like there's only um a drummer, a bassist, and the vocals keyboard um singer. And when they make music, it is such high intensity, it is musicianship like I've never experienced. It's vocals that are literally in the rafters. Like it's it's amazing, it's so fascinating. And um, I believe they were discovered by someone like David Foster, who also worked very closely with Whitney Houston, but they're also on Quincy Jones's management group, I believe. So they're like really intense people, and I've been able to hear them live, and they speak almost next to no English, but it's it's just like to hear them replicate, you know, parts of Michael Jackson and and gospel and all of these different sounds, and it marries so well together. I I I love dirty loops, I love, love, love, love.

Wren 39:46

Yeah, I definitely have to check these people out.

Mellany 39:48

This is I will send a playlist. You know, me and my yeah, yes, send you a full playlist.

Wren 39:53

Oh, yeah, I would love that. And I'd love to be able to share it on the podcast too. That would be amazing.

Mellany 39:59

Absolutely. You got it.

Wren 40:01

Yeah.

Visions for the Future of the Music Industry

Wren 40:02

So looking forward, what are some things that you are hoping to see in the music industry in your career, but also just in general?

Mellany 40:17

I think what I would like to see for myself personally is to make it to that point of being a music supervisor where I'm reaching out to different artists that I find to be exceptional and utilizing their work alongside visual media in a way that may not have been used before. I think there's a certain idea of what will get people interested in the film or the television show or how whatever visual media it is. And it's kind of been redundant. There've kind of been the same sounds over and over again. There's been a formula that a lot of music supervisors use that, you know, it's kind of personally for me, it's kind of boring. And hopefully, I'm able to get to a point in my career where I can share really interesting music like glass beams and dirty loops and things like that, and put it in a film or a television show, and have that really be a driving factor and what's a part of you know, that visual media. But um, for the industry as a whole, I would love to see us really focus on artists who have a clear vision for their artistry, and you know, like those independent artists, like those obscure independent songs that sound crazy, but they definitely have a place. I think it would benefit the industry as a whole to have diversity in what it is that we're consuming as music, you know. It's you kind of have like I say, you get the same thing over and over again, and it it doesn't really support what you you know, what you want to see, you want to hear more, you want a a full, a full-scale experience, and I would love to to kind of drive that and hopefully see that change in the future and not just say, Oh, we can pick this generic song that someone made 15 years ago on a whim, you know, and um I think it would be it would be really dope to see like just the change in what music we're using, how we're reaching out to people, how we're using music um in these arenas. It it would be I think it would definitely grow the industry in a way that we haven't seen before. You know, people would now have access to exposure in other ways outside of social media and you know, a record label in in the more traditional right ways. So sync licensing and and you know, all of those things, I think they're really pivotal in how we tell stories, and we're only scratching the surface with what's being done right now.

Wren 43:04

Yeah, it sounds like there's some more ways that we can use music in our media in a more music forward way.

Mellany 43:12

For sure. For sure.

Wren 43:15

All right.

Giving Flowers & Goodbye

Wren 43:16

Well, Mellany, thank you so much for taking the time to have this conversation with me. I so enjoyed talking with you. And before we go, I want to give you your flowers. Um, I just want to share just how much I appreciate your commitment to music. And I think for me, you have been the first person that I've known personally that is so involved in music and invested in music and in music professionally that does not actively play an instrument. And I think it's been so cool to see someone and interact with someone that's just so inspired by music in the same ways that I am, but engaging it with it differently.

Mellany 44:00

Thank you. Thank you. I'm really grateful to have this opportunity to talk to someone who knows what I'm talking about. You know what I mean? So it's Yeah. It's been great. It's been great. Um, thank you for having me. Now I'm glad I was able to share.

Wren 44:14

I wanted to say I really appreciate your approach to music and that you're always learning and always growing. I think that growth mindset is so beautiful. And I'm so excited to be paying more attention to the music that I have been hearing in film and TV. And I'm excited to be thinking about it from a little bit different perspective and really thinking about all of the steps that went into making that happen and the people like you that are making sure that the finished product that we are seeing really makes us feel something and has the music to just make that moment magical.

Mellany 44:58

Yeah, absolutely. I'm I'm like I said, I'm I'm glad to share and you know offer different perspective on things that we kind of encounter regularly. So I'm glad I was able to put my my two cents in. So thank you. I appreciate it. And honestly, I have to give you your flowers as well. This has been an amazing experience. And I know making a podcast has been an undertaking, but I I think you're the perfect person to really voice your opinions and to get to know other people and this very, very large industry, you know, all of the different experiences and and jobs and career paths that someone can take and diving deep into it and from a perspective of a musician and someone who is very close to music in a way that resonates with so many people, I think that's that's admirable as well. So I'm glad we had a chance to talk about it. It's been great.

Wren 45:55

Thank you. Yeah, I'm so excited to see all that I learned from all the people on here. So thanks for sharing your voice.

Mellany 46:02

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

Wren 46:04

All right, where can people find you on social media?

Mellany 46:07

Oh, you can find me everywhere. You can find me on Instagram at Melanie.mp3 and on Spotify @ Mellany the Strange, uh, YouTube @ Qveen Strange, that's Q-V-E-E-N Strange, and on SoundCloud @ Mellany the Strange.

Wren 46:25

Perfect. And all of the links to Mellany's social media can be found in the show description. Thanks again for joining. Bye, Mellany.

Mellany 46:34

Bye.

Outro

Wren 46:40

If you'd like to share your own magical moments with music here on the podcast, fill out the guest interest survey. You can find the survey, social media handles, and links related to today's episode in the show notes. Thanks for tuning in. Now go make some music magic.