A Half Day Exclusive Event
for Guild Members Only
The Education Committee is excited to present this annual Member Summit to provide support, knowledge, and tools music supervisors can use to form better business habits and gain new skills. We will host discussions on the following topics:
Success
Our panels will provide opportunities to discuss business strategies and solutions for Music Supervisors. An open dialogue about the state of our craft and how we work with others is essential for our members.
Sustainability
Our industry is constantly evolving. This summit provides a secure platform to stay informed about emerging trends and new essential skills necessary to excel as a Music Supervisor today and in the future.
Synergy
The Guild's primary objective is to unite our community. We will provide inclusive networking opportunities with like-minded professionals.
All membership levels (Freelance, Associate, Corporate & Legacy) are welcome. Spend the morning with fellow music supervisors and leave with new skills and strategies for supporting your business.
Not yet a GMS Member? Apply here by April 18th, 2025 to access registration to the Members Summit
For ticketing questions please contact Humanitix Support.
PANELS
Panel #1 Making Your Mark:
How Music Supervisors Can Stand Out in a Tumultuous Time
Nearly two years after strikes crippled Hollywood, conversations continue to be dominated by uncertainty. With the industry continuing to evolve, how can music supervisors at every level stand out? Representatives from agencies, studios and PR discuss current hiring trends, and how music supervisors - both individually and as a community - can elevate the profile of our craft in a way that will lead to more work for all.
In 2011 Thomas Mikusz co-founded White Bear PR, a Public Relations Company, specializing in Composers, Music Supervisors, Songwriters, Soundtrack Promotions and International Film Music Festivals.
He spearheaded several successful Award campaigns, including for Clément Ducol & Camille (Emilia Pérez), Volker Bertelmann (All Quiet on the Western Front), Hildur Gudnadóttir (Joker, Chernobyl), Germaine Franco (Encanto) and Carlos Rafael Rivera (The Queens Gambit, Lessons in Chemistry). In addition, he worked on the PR campaigns for the Academy Award-nominated Best Score and Best Original Song for Everything Everywhere All At Once and on the successful campaigns for Best Original Songs from Barbie and from Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. He works with composers such as David Fleming (The Last of Us), Dan Romer (Lilo and Stitch), Anna Waronker & Craig Wedren (Yellowjackets), Duncan Thum (Chef’s Table), Electronic Arts Music, and The Guild of Music Supervisors, to name just a few.
Over the past decade he has represented clients at major Film Festivals, such as Berlinale, Festival de Cannes, Sundance, Toronto International Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival.
For the past six years he served on the leadership of The Alliance for Women Film Composers, amplifying and supporting the work of women composers.
Thomas Mikusz
President - White Bear PR
Panel #2 Creating Custom:
The Process, Politics and Paperwork Involved in Bespoke Music Across Media
From outreach to deal-making to navigating creative feedback, what is the process of getting bespoke songs and music created across various media? A diverse group of experts from TV to trailers share their experience and expertise, illuminating what music supervisors should know and how the role and responsibilities differ depending on the media.
Alec Stern is a Music Supervisor, and the Head of Ads for Radish Music. The campaigns he's led have achieved wide recognition, including a Cannes Lions Grand Prix, Grand Clio, an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial, and most recently, a win for Best Music Supervision for Advertising Synch at the 2025 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards. His company Radish has led music efforts for brands such as Apple, Visa, Adobe, Cadillac, and Uber Eats, created full-scale music strategies for clients such as Walmart, Miller Lite, The U.S. Army, Emerson, and Kellogg’s, supervised two SXSW Audience Award-winning films (2024’s “Monkey Man” and 2021’s “The Fallout”) and has a slate of high-profile film & tv projects premiering in 2025 on Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, and more.
Fun fact: he’s the first and only Music Supervisor to ever license a Prince recording for an ad.
Alec Stern
Music Supervisor: Radish Music
EXPERT OFFICE HOURS:
One-On-One Sessions with Specialists
We’re also excited to offer private 15-minute consultations with top experts in fields that frequently impact the work of music supervisors. You’ll have access to personalized advice from specialists including:Last year’s Summit included three panels.
Sarah Schwarzman
Fair Use Attorney, Associate at DCP
Sarah Schwarzman joined Donaldson Callif Perez in 2019. Fueled by her passion for storytelling and independent film, Sarah represents clients producing film, television, and web content primarily in matters concerning rights clearance, production legal, and distribution.
Prior to becoming an attorney, Sarah graduated from Boston University and worked at The Gersh Agency in Film Finance & Distribution where she assisted clients with packaging and selling their films. Sarah also worked in scripted television production and produced a “parody” rap web-series that she now realizes likely constituted copyright infringement. After sidelining her web-series dreams, Sarah attended Southwestern University School of Law where she graduated cum laude with honors in an Entertainment and Media Law concentration. While in law school, Sarah interned at VICE studios in business affairs, Voltage Pictures with a focus on distribution agreements, and Donaldson Callif Perez, where she continues to work. Sarah currently lives in Los Angeles with her two mini-poodles, Herschel and Fievel, and is grateful to be in the business of empowering filmmakers and the creative process.
Denise Carver, Ph.D.
Musicologist, Founder of CarverMusik
Denise Carver, Ph.D. is a musicologist and attorney. She is the founder of CarverMusik, an independent Los Angeles-based company specializing in forensic musicology, musical analysis, copyright infringement risk assessment and worldwide public domain/copyright research for film and TV studios, music supervisors, production companies, producers, directors and attorneys.
Prior to forming CarverMusik, Denise was Vice President of Music at Paramount Pictures in Hollywood, California. During her twenty-plus years at Paramount, she contributed to the success of more than 300 film and soundtrack album projects, including the Transformers, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible film franchises. Under her CarverMusik banner, she has continued to provide musicology and research services for a wide variety of clients, including filmmakers, TV productions, ad agencies, trailer houses, law firms and musicians.
Denise has taught music theory and composition at the University of California and has served as a panelist and presenter at conferences sponsored by the Guild of Music Supervisors, Billboard magazine, the International Congress on Women in Music, The Hollywood Reporter, the Symposium on Arts and Humanities Ph.D.'s, and the Cheltenham Festival of Music in England. Publications include Thresholds, a higher education journal; renowned French newspaper Le Figaro; and, In My Words: The Oral History Project for international music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon. Professional memberships include NARAS (The Grammys), BMI and the American Musicological Society.
Bridget Ward
Music Crossover Agent, United Talent Agency
Bridget Ward is a music executive and supervisor with over a decade of experience spanning both studio and independent film. At Netflix, she served as a Senior Music Creative and Production Executive, working on over 50 films including David Fincher's Mank, Halle Berry's directorial debut Bruised, and Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead. Bridget also led the creation of the studio's music team for Original Indie Films, which delivered films such as Do Revenge, They Cloned Tyrone, and Luckiest Girl Alive. Before Netflix, Bridget was part of the Film Music team at Universal Pictures, where she contributed to major releases like the Pitch Perfect franchise, Straight Outta Compton, Yesterday, Us, and Sing just to name a few.
Currently, as a Music Crossover Agent at United Talent Agency, she represents top-tier composers, music producers, artists, and music supervisors across film, TV, and beyond. Bridget is deeply committed to amplifying the craft of music supervision and helping others navigate sustainable, inspired paths in an ever-evolving entertainment landscape.
Kristin Wollam
Financial Advisor, The Eleven Twenty Seven Group at Morgan Stanley
Kristin Wollam began her career in music supervision in Los Angeles working on feature films at Format Entertainment. With time, she took her talents to the boutique music publishing company, Heavy Hitters Music. As an integral member of the team, she discovered, signed, and shaped artists for music placements in film and TV. She worked alongside major television networks, editors, and producers to create music that fit to specified project needs.
In the spring of 2013, Kristin returned to her music supervision roots, becoming a Daytime Emmy Award-nominated music supervisor for her 4+ years of work overseeing the music department for the daytime talk show, The Talk, at leading broadcasting network, CBS. In 2015, Kristin also cultivated and began teaching the Music Supervision in Film & TV course at Belmont University’s west coast location.
Since leaving Los Angeles in 2017, Kristin has found a new home in Chicago and a new passion in financial planning for individuals, families, and small business-owners. While focusing on entertainment industry strategies and socially responsible investment planning at Morgan Stanley, Kristin continues to help people across the country grow and protect their wealth to fund future goals, while also giving back to the entertainment community as a songwriting mentor to 1000+ students and songwriters.
She is one of four partners in a ten-person, all-female wealth management group. They are rated by Forbes as best-in-state!
Angela Serranzana
Employment Lawyer, Jorden Buechner & Serranzana APC
Founding partner, Angela Serranzana, has been representing clients in judicial and administrative proceedings in the areas of employment and labor law since 2005.
She has broad experience working with unions, and individual employers and employees, and has appeared before the California Office of Administrative Hearings, the National Labor Relations Board, the California Labor Commissioner, as well as in proceedings at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal court, and in dispute resolution proceedings before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing.
Ms. Serranzana graduated from Northwestern University in 2002 with a B.A. in Political Science, and received her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 2005. Ms. Serranzana began her legal career in Washington, D.C., practicing bankruptcy and labor law and after she moved to Los Angeles in 2010, she specialized in labor & employment law, as well as education law.
Ms. Serranzana is a member of the State Bar of California and the State Bar of Washington, D.C. and is admitted to practice law in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
Gary Ohanian
Accountant
Gary Ohanian is an accomplished accounting professional with over seven years of experience, now serving as the founder and president of his own tax services firm. As a licensed Enrolled Agent with the IRS, he offers comprehensive tax representation and advisory services to clients across diverse industries including entertainment, real estate, legal, and healthcare sectors. Mr. Ohanian is recognized for his meticulous attention to detail, strategic approach to business consulting, and specialized expertise in tax compliance and planning.
BREAKOUT ROOMS
Last year’s Summit included three panels. This year, instead of the third panel there will be three separate breakout rooms that attendees can choose from.
These will be an hour long each, centered around topics and issues music supervisors have to manage daily, and guided by two thought leaders on the topic at hand. The goal is free-flowing conversation, sharing experiences good and bad, as well as advice and knowledge, and will be a combination of social and educational!
Our intent from the beginning in creating this member only Summit has been as a “meeting of the minds” for working music supervisors, and we hope to encapsulate that spirit with these breakout rooms.
The Business of Being a Freelance Music Supervisor
Discussion of common issues from negotiating rates, to adding team members, techniques and approaches for getting work, current best practices as an employer and/or indie music supervisor, the challenges in setting up shop and more.
SAG/AFTRA, AFM and Beyond: The ABCs of Union Fees
How to navigate working with unions across different media. From collaborating with music contractors on on-camera needs (sideline rates, meal penalties, etc) to new use and re-use fees, what those stamps on master approvals really mean, and why many are seeking to record outside of the US.
Navigating Difficult Negotiations: Too Tough or Not Enough?
A conversation on ways to handle difficult negotiations - and personalities - whether you’re trying to secure creative approval, a lower fee, or your next job.
Melissa Chapman
Owner, Music Supervisor – Groove Garden
Melissa is a Chicago-based independent music supervisor working in film, TV, and advertising. Some of Melissa’s most recent music supervision credits include A24’s “Death of A Unicorn,” “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You,” and the Oscar-nominated and Golden Globe-winning “A Different Man.” Over the past 16 years, she has worked on Sundance favorites like “Between The Temples,” “Beach Rats,” and “Stress Positions,” award-winning documentaries “Caterpillar,” and “Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado,” and HBO Film’s “Reality,” as well as Audible Original’s podcast “Punk in Translation,” and ad campaigns for Target, JCPenney, and Best Buy.
As a long-time champion of independent film, Melissa feels especially grateful to have collaborated with so many singular voices sharing fresh perspectives in cinema.
Madonna Wade-Reed
Music Supervisor
Madonna Wade-Reed is a Music Supervisor and the former Vice President of The Guild of Music Supervisors. Her current credits for television include work on series as “All American,” “Found” and the Netflix series “Ransom Canyon.” Past television credits include such shows as “5 Days At Memorial,“ “The Crossover,” “Batwoman,” “American Crime,” “Reign,” “The Shannara Chronicles,” “Blue Mountain State,” “Smallville,” “One Tree Hill,” “Alias” and “Felicity.” Her film credits include “Shirley,” “8-Bit Christmas,” the documentary “Let It Fall,” and “A Thousand Words.”
Prior to her career in music supervision, Madonna honed her skills (herding kittens, opening mail and writing about herself in the third person) while working in feature films, commercials and assisting a well-known actor. A lifelong love of music lead to a career move into music video production (finding the right visuals to match the songs) and eventually flipping the process to work in music supervision (finding the right songs to match the visuals).
When Madonna’s not working you can find her in her kitchen recipe testing, stealing fruit from her neighbor’s garden and buying shoes (she’s really really good at it).
Celeste Chada
Freelance Music Production Executive
Celeste Chada has more than 20 years of experience with successfully providing analysis and accurate forecasting of budgets for film music in all phases of feature film production including pre-production, physical production and post-production. An effective and plain communicator, Celeste has extensive experience liaising with producers/directors/internal executives regarding the scope of music for all aspects of feature motion pictures including clearance, on-camera visual vocal and instrumental performances, as well as creating a comprehensive plan for orchestral score recording. Expert in identifying and addressing union versus non-union issues, Celeste is particularly helpful in addressing budgetary constraints balanced against location of recording musical and vocal talent.
Celeste obtained a bachelor’s degree in international trade and finance from Mount Holyoke
College and a law degree from Southwestern University School of Law. A longtime resident of Venice Beach, Celeste is a vocal neighborhood activist promoting installation of mid-block
signaled pedestrian crosswalks, and participating in ocean clean-ups.
Micki Stern
Senior Vice President, Clearance and Sync Licensing
Warner Chappell Music
Micki Stern is Senior Vice President, Clearance and Sync Licensing at Warner Chappell Music. While running the Sync clearance and licensing teams (the former with Pat Woods), her focus is helping to drive Warner Chappell’s licensing strategy forward with the goal of finding new opportunities that add value to songwriters at all stages of their careers. Prior to joining Warner Chappell in 2019 as Vice President of Clearance and Sync Licensing, she ran her own music clearance company, Micki Stern Music Services, for over a decade. She worked closely with music supervisors, studios and independent companies to clear tracks for more than 1,000 episodes of television and 50 movies – including Insecure, The Righteous Gemstones, Vampire Diaries, 13 Reasons Why, Life Of The Party, Game Night and The Wrecking Crew for which she won the Guild Of Music Supervisors Award in Best Music Supervision in a Documentary Film in 2016. She has also held roles at Universal Music and Soundtrack Music Associates.
Lisa Klein Moberly
Managing Partner, Loudspeaker Music Group
Lisa Klein Moberly is a Managing Partner at Loudspeaker Music Group, a Music Supervision and Clearance company based in Los Angeles, music supervising for film, TV, commercials, documentaries and multi-media events. Her projects include the Tupac Shakur docu-series Dear Mama, the Paramount+ series Nothin’ But A Good Time: The Uncensored Story of 80’s Hair Metal and Hulu feature film Memes & Nightmare, as well as clearing music for numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays. Lisa also founded Optic Noise, pitching, negotiating and licensing music for independent and major label artists for film and TV. She has worked as an artist manager, club booker, label manager, music journalist, and for a punk rock music distributor out of a garage with no heat.
One-On-One Networking
We are excited to offer an optional 30-minute one-on-one networking sessions over coffee at the start of our upcoming GMS Members Summit!
Freelance and Corporate Members will have the opportunity to share your experiences and insights, with one of our Associate Members (up-and-coming music supervision talent who are actively working in the field) in a respectful and inclusive environment.
For ticketing questions please contact Humanitix Support.
From The Education Committee
This organization was originally formed by music supervisors joining together to uplift and elevate the craft of music supervision, as well as a resource for each other. I’m looking forward to an event that goes back to those roots, a “meeting of the minds” with peers to educate, strategize and energize.
Amanda Krieg Thomas