Culver City, CA (September 4, 2025)—The Guild of Music Supervisors held its eleventh annual State of Music in Media Conference recently, featuring a keynote by Questlove titled “Music, Culture & the Power of Storytelling.”
Held on Saturday August 16, the conference explored how music and iconic soundtracks shape culture, connect generations and build legacy in visual media. Questlove’s keynote, where he was interviewed by former Guild of Music Supervisors president Thomas Golubić, drew a crowd of over 600 attendees.
Guild of Music Supervisors’ president Lindsay Wolfington and vice president Heather Guibert commented: “Saturday was a fantastic day for showcasing the importance of the craft of music supervision across media, highlighting the power of soundtracks and collaboration, and bringing the entertainment community together. We were thrilled to have Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson grace our stage for a keynote conversation with former GMS President Thomas Golubić, as well as hear from many Emmy-nominated music supervisors, composers and songwriters, the music team behind Wicked and more.
“We are incredibly proud of the work of our GMS Staff, the support of our sponsors, and the dedication of our Education Committee, led by Emoni Escobar and Mandisa Henry, who produced engaging and informative panels.”
Watch: Spinal Tap Is Ready For Its Encore
Escobar, co-chair of the education committee, recalled: “We were equally moved by the keynote conversation between Reginald Hudlin and Marcus Miller, which showcased the power of long-term collaboration—how deep trust and shared history fuel exceptional storytelling. Another centerpiece was the conversation with Bonnie Greenberg, Maureen Crowe and Karyn Rachtman, who traced the evolution of soundtracks—how they were done then and how they’re crafted now—offering invaluable context for where our field is headed.”
Discover more great stories—get a free Mix SmartBrief subscription!
Programming highlights included spotlight panels on 2025 Primetime Emmy nominees across music supervision, composition, and songwriting, plus conversations around the music of Wicked and Big Mouth. Additional guest speakers included Tony Gilroy, Miranda Kwok, David Goldblum, Mike Knobloch, Stephen Oremus, Greg Wells, Abe Foreman-Greenwald, and Mark Rivers; along with music supervisors Mary Ramos, Julianne Jordan, Gabe Hilfer, Maggie Rodford, Jonny Altepeter, Evyen Klean, Amanda Krieg Thomas, Anton Monsted, Deric Berberabe, Jen Ross, Anh Do, Yvette Metoyer, and many more.
