WHO IS EMILY LEE?
For 16 years, I was the music specialist for WNET in NYC, public television’s flagship station in PBS’s largest market. I selected and cleared music for documentaries, news programs, arts biographies, performance programs, rebrands, spots, and reels – for some of the most prestigious projects and programs on television and digital media. Also, during that time, I nurtured a hobby (until it grew into a career) as a keyboardist and composer, starting with classical piano and off-off broadway accompaniment, and now, as a specialist in indie rock.
In 2016, I decided to go freelance.
As a music supervisor, I pride myself on being an excellent collaborator – able to select music to suit any producer’s needs, even the most visually-driven.
As a musician, I am a quick learner with a good ear. I am a keyboardist, singer, transcriber, copyist/arranger, and musical director. I am experienced with national and international touring.
As a social media manager, I strive to break down the barrier between fan and band. I want to bring the fan into the real world of their favorite musicians.
RESUME
Freelance
Music Supervisor
As a freelance music supervisor and clearance professional, I have supervised several documentaries including the 2018 Academy Award-nominated documentary, Knife Skills, by acclaimed documentarian, Thomas Lennon.
WNET
Music Supervisor
WNET is the flagship public television station out of NYC, and the largest PBS station, now comprised of Thirteen, WLIW, and NJPBS. As its sole music supervisor, I research, select, and license music and sound effects for productions, branding campaigns, digital videos, and corporate projects. These national and local productions include documentaries, public affairs programs, news, arts programming, biographies, promos, sizzle reels, children’s programming, social media, podcasts, radio and YouTube shorts.
As a specialist in intellectual property law as it pertains to music, and especially for public television, I provide (non-legal) consultation for lawyers, producers, directors and editors for music clearance and music issues.
The Magnetic Fields // Nonesuch
Social Media Manager, Webmaster
A legacy band with a large following who is still putting out records and touring, The Magnetic Fields had very little experience using social media to promote themselves. They had a lot of fan good will, and many followers, but they needed a social media manager who could harness what they already had.
I currently manage the band’s Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, newsletter and website. I work with Merge and Nonesuch Records, as well as their booking agents, Arrival Artists to coordinate record and tour announcements. And I keep fans engaged during tours and also during off-periods.
Jonathan Meiburg // Alfred A. Knopf
Social Media Manager, Author’s Assistant
Coordinating a book launch and book tour on socials is similar to managing a record launch and tour. When JM wrote his book, A Most Remarkable Creature, he needed someone to help with edits, bat around ideas, transcribe interviews and notes, and create and manage his social media presence. And that was all something I could do with enthusiasm.
JM is currently working on his second book which will be about the once and future Antarctica. I am also assisting in this endeavor.
The Hunting Ground // Fork Films
Social Media Manager
From 2017-2019, I headed the social media and impact campaign for the Academy Award-nominated film by Amy Ziering and Kirby Dick. Using socials, I helped to raise awareness of the public to the subject of campus sexual assault - from live-tweeting the Brett Kavanaugh Supreme Court hearings to teaching the importance of Title IX to tens of thousands of social media followers.
Shearwater // Polyborous, Secretly Distribution
Keyboardist, Backup Vocalist, Social Media Manager
Jonathan Meiburg asked me to join Shearwater after I tweeted my dream to be in the band into the ether (was contacted out of the blue, and then aced my audition). Since then, I have been on several world tours and albums. I created the band’s Instagram page, manage all social accounts, and create content for YouTube. I am devoted to breaking down the fourth wall between band and fan.
For our recent concerts of David Bowie’s Berlin Trilogy albums for New Sounds on WNYC, I was the musical director – transcribing, arranging and copying all of the instrumentals on Low. We hope to be able to bring these concerts to a wider audience around the world.
Our latest album, The Great Awakening, came out in 2022.
Loma // Sub Pop
Keyboardist, Social Media Manager
Loma is a super group whose core members are Jonathan Meiburg (Shearwater) and Emily Cross & Dan Duszynski (Cross Record). I played violin on the self-titled debut album, and keyboards, harp and violin on the follow-up album, Don’t Shy Away (and also co-wrote the title track). We toured nationally and internationally for much of 2018, and we played SubPop’s 30th Anniversary festival in Seattle.
Our next album, still untitled, is set to come out in 2024.
Droneflower - Stephen Brodsky & Marissa Nadler // Sacred Bones
Keyboardist, Backup Vocalist
Droneflower is a recording collaboration between Stephen Brodsky (Cave-In, Mutoid Man) and Marissa Nadler. For live shows, I create synth textures and backup vocals to fill out the sound to make the live set sound more like the recordings. I also play all the bass & sub-bass.
We released a cover of Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight” as a single on Sacred Bones Records on which I played synth and sang backing vocals.
The Fiery Furnaces // Third Man
Touring Keyboardist
Dormant for a decade, The Fiery Furnaces announced in 2021 that they had a couple new singles and would be playing shows again. Little did I know that they would ask me to play keyboards for those shows.
I played keyboards in their reunion set for the Pitchfork Music Festival, and later that year, we did a run of US shows and recorded a studio album of the set which is yet to be released.
Snake Oil // Safety Meeting
Keyboardist, Lead Singer, Songwriter
Snake Oil is a collective of musicians from across NY, CT and MA. It started as an instrumental group, but with a cover of Black Sabbath’s full Vol. 4 album, I became the lead singer. We recently created a music package for Story Corps on NPR, and our music can be heard scoring “next time” teases. We are always seeking out new sync opportunities.
Our third full-length came out in 2019 on Safety Meeting Records.
