Meet May Rogers

Today we’d like to introduce you to May Rogers.

May, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I fell in love with a TV show and its music and that’s the beginning of it all. It’s funny because I talk to so many others in my industry and eight out of ten times the same show will have influenced them. The show was called One Tree Hill and the incredibly talented Lindsay Wolfington was the music supervisor. I fell in love with a show that had songs that provided an emotional connection on a level I had never experienced before in mainstream television. I was hearing lyrics of what I was feeling and thinking and lyrics that were making me question my own thoughts. I loved the stories. I loved the idea of mixing two art forms of film and music to further enhance a story and to build a deeper connection. The soundtrack was one of the most diverse I had heard for a show. It included artists such as Ray LaMontagne, The Replacements, Michelle Featherstone, Kid Cudi, La Rocca, even Run DMC. I couldn’t stop singing the songs and picturing the scenes over and over again in my head, thinking about how perfect each moment was. I knew I wanted to be a music supervisor.

I attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington as a film student. My college didn’t offer a specific course in music supervision or music licensing, but my producing class had one lecture on it and it continued to spark the desire. Fellow students would make class films and I’d offer to help pitch music on a budget or research music licensing. Any time I could help on a project, I wanted to.

After I graduated college, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue a certification in music business at UCLA Extension. I took the entire program in a little over a year and a half. In one of my classes, I connected with a student who happened to be interning with my music supervisor idol, Lindsay Wolfington. I would be lying if I didn’t say it was a “right place, right time” kind of moment, but a massive amount of hustle and grind preceded that moment. Long story short, I interned with Lindsay and another amazing music supervisor, Laura Webb (who I came to idolize while in college). Eventually, I was introduced to Micki Stern, who worked in music clearance. Meeting Micki was the next great thing that happened to me in my professional career and personal journey. I worked for Micki for the next two years learning all that I could about music clearance. That job then led me to working for Tanvi Patel at her music library and eventually, I became a music coordinator for a reality TV production company under Carrie Hughes. As you can see, I went from job to job as most are contracted positions. I worked wherever I could, whenever I could to keep my career going. I give each and every one of these women a huge thank you and shout out because without either of their teachings, guidance, generosity, and willingness to give me a chance, I wouldn’t be here today.

I’m currently working full time as a music coordinator for an independent supervision house led by two incredible music supervisors, Season Kent and Gabe Hilfer. It took five years to get to this position and well worth the hustle and grind.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
One of the biggest challenges was a financial obstacle. Los Angeles is expensive. That’s no secret. Putting myself through night school by working full time and interning was not ideal, though necessary. For years, I have lived in a living room of an apartment with a curtain as a door because I simply could not afford anywhere else. I gave this dream job my all in every way, shape, and form. The point of sharing this struggle is to encourage and reassure others that anything is possible, but sacrifices and tough decisions might have to be made. I used to be embarrassed by my living situation, but now I own it and it’s become a big part of my story. At the end of the day, I was grateful to have a roof over my head while getting to pursue my dream career. Plus, I’ve always wanted to live in a tiny home of my own so this was really just prep for that!

Another struggle I faced very early on when I moved to Los Angeles was the challenge of being taken seriously – and this wasn’t just within industry jobs, it was with every job I applied to. People saw a young, naïve woman who was bright-eyed with a crazy dream and no “real” experience. I received a lot of “not qualified for the job” responses when applying to positions. I also quickly learned that the entertainment industry is very connection-based and driven (which I had none in Los Angeles starting out). I was determined and passionate so I carried on. I made the connections and the value of my experiences began to be recognized.

Every new job along the way came with its own obstacles, but each time I also found myself fortunate to be surrounded by the right people who also supported and continued to encourage my career.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
So it’s not my business, but I’m a music coordinator at a music supervision house – Full Pursuit. I work for two music supervisors, Gabe Hilfer and Season Kent. It’s everything I dreamed of and then some. For those that aren’t familiar with what music supervisors and coordinators do, we creatively pitch source music (music that already exists in the world) for film and TV shows and then legally clear the songs for use. Productions also hire us to work as liaisons between the film and music industry. Something that excites me at work is our team’s ability to work on diverse projects including those produced by a major studio or independent production. We work on any and all genres as well. In my nearly one year there, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to work on some great projects for such networks as The CW, ABC, FOX, and streaming platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Apple TV and many more.

Every scene is important and unique and no two music clearances are the same. It makes for a stimulating day. It’s a healthy balance of left-brain logistics and paperwork and right-brain creativity. Depending on the project and scene, my work begins in pre-production, production, and/or post-production. Even after an episode has aired, we’re still working behind the scenes on tasks. I assist with on-camera performances, but majority of my work comes in post-production. Once the footage is available, and I understand and see where our characters are at physically, emotionally, and mentally, I’m able to pitch music to help convey a particular emotion or to provoke a certain thought to further assist in telling the story.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Lindsay Wolfington and Laura Webb gave me my first opportunity in the industry. They took a chance on me and to this day, I can’t thank them enough. Because of them, I got to see my name on the big screen as a music coordinator on the Netflix film, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. It’s crazy to see your name attached to the same project as your idols! It’s a moment I dreamt of but never imagined it happening like this. I could go on and on about these two in the best way possible – they truly are the best at their craft and are the kindest humans you’ll ever meet.

Micki Stern taught me everything I know about music clearance. Not only has she been a professional rock in my career, but we’ve become great friends. Without her kindness and willingness to teach, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today. She’s a legend in the industry and anyone would be lucky to work with her.

Tanvi Patel has been a huge mentor and supporter and Carrie Hughes gave me a chance when I really needed it the most. They’re both gems in the industry and I’m lucky to have had them both as bosses and mentors.

And to wrap it up, thanks to my amazing friend in the business, Nikole Luebbe Sherman. She is my partner in crime and fellow music supervision nerd! She gives the best advice and encouragement and this job wouldn’t be as fun without her.

I think I’ll save the rest of my personal family and friends thanks if I were to win an Emmy for Outstanding Music Supervision one day – fingers crossed for the future!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayrogers/
• Instagram: @mmayrogers
• Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm11356377/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cr201

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