She Works Hard For the Money
Issue #28
ALEXANDRA PATSAVAS
By Emilie Zanger
Published: June 1st, 2006 | 12:00am
ALEXANDRA PATSAVAS
LOCATION: Pasadena, California
OCCUPATION: Music supervisor
JOB DESCRIPTION: Patsavas helps create the signature sound for movies and TV shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and The O.C. She works closely with directors and producers to find perfect music for a given project, selecting the songs played during the episode or film and sometimes coordinating the recording of a theme or title track. Patsavas stays on top of what’s hot by listening to new releases, checking blogs, going to shows and record stores, and sifting through demos by rising artists. She’s increased exposure for bands including Death Cab For Cutie, Tegan and Sara, and Jem.
HOW SHE GOT STARTED: Her early career aspirations were to be the first VJ from the Chicago suburbs or a lawyer, having majored in political science. “I was one of those high school kids with the asymmetrical bob and an import collection, and I planned my social life around live shows, but I never really thought about music as more than a hobby until college,” Patsavas says. “At the University of Illinois, I promoted shows, first for the university and later on my own. It was at that time that I considered music as a career.”
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK: “There is no typical day,” she says. “Since music supervision really straddles two industries [entertainment and law], I might negotiate licensing terms, research ownership of a song, attend a showcase, participate in a spotting session, book a band to be on-camera, pitch songs for a specific scene, listen to new releases, meet with directors and producers, etc.”
THE HARD PART: “Tight schedules, especially at the end of [a] television season, and listening to bad demos.”
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