The UK and European Guild of Music Supervisors is proud to announce the appointment of Matt Biffa as the new President. He takes over from Maggie Rodford, who has been instrumental in shaping the Guild’s activities and raising its profile over the past four years.
Matt has been a music supervisor at Air-Edel for over 25 years, with his most recent projects including “Heartstopper”, “Sex Education”, “This Is Going To Hurt”, “After Life”, ‘Hacks”, “I May Destroy You”, and “The End Of The F**king World”.
In 2021 Matt, together with Ciara Elwis, won Outstanding Music Supervision at the Creative Arts Emmys for their work on Michael Coel’s BBC Drama “I May Destroy You”.
Matt is currently a member of the GMS Senior Board and Head of the Education committee.
In his new role, Matt will lead the Guild’s efforts to promote the art and craft of music supervision, support its members through the education of the value of music, the advocacy of best practice, and support for the protection of music copyright across all mediums.
“I am incredibly honoured to be appointed as the new president of the UK and European Guild of Music Supervisors, an organisation that represents the best and brightest in the world of music supervision. As the entertainment industry continues to evolve and innovate, we have seen a growing recognition of the importance of music in film, television, and other media. It is an exciting time for our field, as the world is finally catching on to what we do and the critical role we play in shaping the emotional impact of a project.
Having been a part of this industry since the mid 90’s, I have witnessed first-hand the incredible changes that have taken place over the years. From the emergence of digital streaming services that has made our work truly international to the explosion of social media, the way we approach music supervision has evolved in exciting and challenging ways. However, one thing that has remained constant is the importance of taste, knowledge, and emotional literacy in our work. As music supervisors, we must be able to understand and interpret the needs of directors, producers, and audiences alike. Our ability to curate and place the perfect music cue can make all the difference in creating a powerful and memorable moment in a project.
Having won an Emmy, I am a direct beneficiary of the Guild’s work. I owe a great debt of gratitude to the Guild and to Maggie Rodford whose experience and efforts have helped elevate the craft of music supervision to new heights.
As President of the UK and European Guild of Music Supervisors, I will be committed to elevating the role of music supervision and advocating for the recognition and respect that our work deserves. I look forward to working with my colleagues to support the growth and success of this industry, and to ensuring that the power of music continues to be felt and celebrated in all forms of media.”
In addition, the Guild also announces the appointment of Rupert Hollier as its new Vice President, taking over from Duncan Smith.
Ru is the Creative Director of Atlantic Screen Music, and of music supervision agency, Redfive, where he is also co-founder. Ru’s film and TV projects include Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar-nominated projects films such as “The Wife”, “The Trip and McQueen”, and also includes recent films such as “Living”, starring Bill Nighy.
Ru is co-founder and senior board member of The UK & European Guild of Music Supervisors.
“Ever since we founded the GMS in the UK in 2016, the organisation has come on leaps and bounds, and evolved into an accepted and meaningful institution that has led the charge on the issues taken up by the committees. We are about to enter a new phase, not only due to the elections but because of the sheer number of music supervisors now in the UK and Europe, the nature of evolving production needs, which increasingly changes the profile for what a music supervisor needs to both be aware of and execute on. I want to help enable and empower this next phase, support the president as much as possible at a critical time for the GMS. Similarly, on the back of my own experience in Europe with the Sync Sessions and other outreach, I would like to further support the European GMS. I believe there is yet more important work to be done with the rights holders post Covid, and also with diversity and Inclusion, amongst the other committees, and I want to be part of that process. It’s a huge honour to take on this role which I’m hugely looking forward to.”
The Guild’s outgoing President, Maggie Rodford, added:
“I would like to say a huge thank you to all the members of the Senior Board and GMS members whom I have worked closely with over the last four years. The work of the Senior and Advisory Boards is the backbone of the organisation and it is their input, together with the work of our tireless administrator, Raya Gancheva, that drives the work of the Guild forward. I look forward to supporting Matt and Rupert and to welcoming the new members of the various Boards and Committees. Exciting times ahead!”
Apart from Matt Biffa and Rupert Hollier, Senior Board members include:
Maggie Rodford, Duncan Smith, Carmen Montanez-Callan, Ed Bailie.
The Full Working Board members include:
Ben Sumner, Michelle de Vries, Chloe Heatlie, Bruce New, Claire Freeman, Dan Neale, Danny Layton, Ian Neil, Dominic Bastyra, Jacob Wheeler, Catherine Grieves, Sian Rogers, Laura Bell, Iain Cooke, Kadambari Chauhan, Tom Stanford.
The UK & European Guild of Music Supervisors is dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of the role of a music supervisor within the entertainment and media industries including film, television, gaming, advertising, trailers, interactive media and theatre. The Guild provides resources, education, and networking opportunities for its members.
There are several membership options available including:
Full Music Supervisor Membership, which requires applicants to have at least 4 years experience as a music supervisor and meet certain credit requirements
Associate Supervisor Membership, which is suitable for those working in supervision that may not yet meet the Full Supervisor criteria.
Provisional Membership, which is for individuals who are at the start of their supervision career i.e. studying a relevant course or undergoing work experience
Industry Membership, which is open to any individual or organisation directly or indirectly involved with sync
For further information, please visit:
https://www.guildofmusicsupervisors.co.uk/