Cat's Mother of the Month - Sophie Urquhart
Meet Sophie Urquhart , our CMOTM for January.
She is the founder of Tin Drum Music. A film Studies grad turned music supervisor. Breaking barriers, Sophie shares insights on navigating the world of music supervision.
1. Could you share the story of how you initially became interested in music supervision and
creative direction?
Honestly? I fell into it. I had just completed a degree in Film Studies when I got offered a job as an
assistant music supervisor, it was quite an experience going to an interview as a fresh faced 21 year
old for a job I didn’t know existed! Luckily for me my boss just wanted to know that I was music savvy
so she hired me on the spot and became a great mentor to me, teaching me the ropes every step of
the way in exchange for a, let’s say, challenging salary (!).
I absolutely loved the role so I learnt very quickly on the job and gained a huge amount of experience
from her which I will forever be grateful for. She was the one who gave me the confidence to start my
own company and shake off the imposter syndrome which is a common occurrence for women in the
industry.
2. Have you noticed any changes or improvements in gender equality within the music
industry over the years?
Improvement is probably a strong word but definitely change.
We are still facing issues of equal pay, fair maternity allowance, discrimination and so on which is
baffling and infuriating. But it’s not all bad news. There are more women than ever before in powerful
positions throughout the music industry. For example, we now have companies who exclusively rep
women for composition work, Music Week Women In Music Awards as well as female focused
initiatives to actively move the goalposts.
There is movement but we’re still a long way off which is evident in underrepresentation and under
appreciation at awards shows. But the conversation is happening and the work is being done which
is, at least, movement in the right direction.
3. How do you think the industry can further support and promote women’s roles in music
supervision and creative services?
Success begets success. So, the more powerful female leads we have doing the damn thing, the
louder our voices become! It’s important to have the awkward conversations about equal pay,
maternity packages and so on, the more voices being heard and the more support between women,
the better.
There are lots of incredible female focused companies / mentorships / initiatives / support groups out
there (hi Cat’s Mother!) doing this exact job. Creating opportunities and promoting women in creative
roles which is amazing and selfless work and makes a huge impact.
4. In your role as a music consultant and director, what are the key responsibilities and tasks
that you undertake on a regular basis?
Day to day tasks include music sourcing and research based on briefs from our advertising and long
form clients. Negotiation with the rights holders and papering all finalised deals. We send out briefs to
rights holders, write up cue sheets and carry out all the admin since we’re an independent set up.
We are sent a lot of music from labels, publishers, artists, managers etc so one of our responsibilities
is staying on top of music trends and releases.
I also work with composers to write bespoke music for ads or score for film and TV. Finally we have a
roster of artists that we represent for sync so we proactively pitch them for opportunities as well.
And despite being in the industry for 20 years now, generating new business is a daily task!
5. Are there any female artists or composers who have particularly inspired or influenced
your work?
Supervision is all about discovery and is one of my favourite parts of the role. We’re given budgets
and briefs and from there we have to dig deep and explore genres and styles of music which perhaps
aren’t our go to “taste”. I recently worked on a TV series and discovered a lot of amazing new female
artists who I now have on repeat; Alewya / Uncle Waffles / John Glacier / Pongo.
In the composition world I find Mica Levi’s score work hugely inspirational. Monos was a standout
score for me, her use of dissonant synths creating an almost primal undertone to the picture was
brilliantly effective. Hildur Guðnadóttir is another composer whose score work I appreciate.
Klein and Tirzah are two more noteworthy names. I love women who have an unapologetic, strong
audio identity.
6. What advice would you give to other women aspiring to pursue a career in music
supervision or creative services?
I would say that experience is the most valuable aspect if you want to work in the sync industry, even
over education and music knowledge. It’s a popular job (in an over saturated sector) and we get a lot
of CV’s sent in every week so personal recommendations go a long way when hiring. If you can get a
foot in the door, work hard and prove yourself then the opportunities will come.
Decide on the specific areas you want to work in i.e. advertising, games or TV and film and then do
your research. Attending panels, conferences, awards festivals are also great ways of getting an
understanding of the role and therefore honing your skills and interests to better target specific
companies or roles.
7. How did your previous experience in music supervision shape your approach and
perspective when you started Tin Drum Music?
I often say that music supervisors act as the middle (wo)man between the client and the music
industry. I started my career as a music supervisors’ assistant in house at WCRS advertising agency.
Having the experience first hand of the inner workings of brands and clients was hugely valuable.
I then moved to Chrysalis Publishing and got a further insight into the music industry side of sync
which helped me further value music rights and experience the receiving end of music supervisors
briefs and requests. Having this insight into both industries allowed me to fully understand the process
of our business from both sides and that experience went into our business plan when setting up Tin
Drum Music.
2011 was a risky time to start a business as we were in the midst of a double-dip recession and the
economy was in a state. However our passion (my original business partner and I) was so great that
we decided that we’d go ahead and if we could get through that period then the rest would be a
breeze! (I’m still here but the journey wasn’t quite as breezy as hoped ;)