Today we’d like to introduce you to Lexi Jackson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began my journey as a Towson alum looking for a way to pivot my career into Music Licensing. I’d come across a Grey’s Anatomy special onDemand that explicitly talked about the music of the series and interviewed the Music Supervisor of the show at the time. I always loved the music of the show and never put it together that that was someone’s job. From that moment on, I decided that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to be a Music Supervisor. However, with only my Sociology degree to stand on, I knew I needed more avenues to learn and acquire the skills I’d need, so back to school I went. I joined the Music Production and Audio Recording Technology Certificate Program at CCBC in Essex to help pave my way. While there, the pandemic hit and I had to regroup as I was 22 hours shy of meeting my internship requirement when the world shut down. Desperate to continue, I tracked down every opportunity I could to finish my program. It was during this time that I found Women’s Audio Mission. This San Francisco-based organization that supports women and gender expansive folks in the audio industry was the perfect place for me to not only hone my craft, but also gain the confidence I needed to pursue the big dreams and goals I had for myself. Armed with a newfound sense of purpose and drive, I completed that internship and got back on the grind to land my next impactful opportunity. The road to becoming a Music Supervisor at this point felt endless and painstaking, but I persisted — researching and teaching myself as much as I could. I read books, joined virtual workshops, hosted networking 1 on 1s, and listened to podcasts on all things music licensing. I came across one podcast in particular that really spoke to me. The speaker, John Piscotta, was a Music Supervisor himself and ran his own Music Licensing company in Nashville, The Sync Center. His words and lessons resonated so heavily as if each episode was written specifically for me to understand them, and I knew I had to meet him. I reached out on his website and expressed my interest in learning from him. He appreciated my approach so much that he offered me an internship that led to a job at his company as a Sync Associate and later Client Success Manager. I’d been hungry for knowledge, and in this new role I found myself reaching out to even more people who I could learn from and provide services to. Though I excelled in this role, something didn’t quite fit. I was encouraged to continue to connect with people in the industry, so that’s what I did. In doing so, I found someone who did the work I wanted to be doing, but from an unexpected place: Connecticut. Given that I lived in Maryland, and had begun to realize that moving was likely inevitable, I found a CT Music Supervisor incredibly intriguing. I reached out for a meet, and was surprised to learn that she too was a Women’s Audio Mission intern. I knew then that I was meant to meet her. She told me of her grind and successes and we stayed in touch. When the time came, and her job was looking for assistants, she suggested I apply. Throughout the interview process, I internally remained neutral, but confident. It all paid off when I was offered the job as a Music Licensing Assistant at ESPN! Just like that everything changed. I worked hard everyday and showed both my new employers and myself that I could really do this. I was doing it! Three years in and I knew I was ready for more. I advocated for myself and more than earned a new position as Music Licensing Coordinator — a role that took all my experience, knowledge, and teachings and put me in a place learn, grow, and exceed my own expectations when I’d first arrived. Here, in this role, I do the work I dreamed of doing back in 2018 when I sat on my couch watching a Grey’s Anatomy special after a long day of food service work. It’s thanks to my preservance, strength, determination, and faith that got me here. Where it’ll take me next is anyone’s guess!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Along the way, I struggled mentally to stay motivated and to feel worthy of the big spaces I was daring to step into. It was a lonely road at times as it took a lot of sleepless nights to work jobs that didn’t inspire me just to make ends meet and allow me to continue pursuing what I really wanted to be doing. It was also difficult because my vision was hard to see for those outside my head. No one truly understood why I was choosing such a strenuous and unconventional path. I had to be my own cheerleader at times which could be draining. There was also lots of rejection that I had to face as the job search grew more and more exhausting. Prior to the pandemic, I was working two jobs, had an internship, and was going to school. Nowadays, I joke that if the world hadn’t shutdown I likely would have. A lot of people like to look at what I do and where I am and think I went to school and landed a job, but no, this took a lot of faith, trust, and imagination to believe that I could get here and know that I’d find my way once I did. The transition was difficult too. I’d never lived outside of Baltimore before, so moving to a new state where I didn’t really know anyone was a big deal. It was a leap of faith that I had to take. I had to do it scared, and now that I have, I know even moreso that I can do anything I put my mind to.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a Music Licensing Coordinator at ESPN. Prior to this, I used my own music, that I wrote and produced, to learn more about the Industry and the administrative side of the business. It helped me excel in my role and a Music Licensing Assistant, and my grit and mindset pushed me further into the role I have now.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Since moving to CT, I’ve discovered a vast music and arts scene here that has provided me with a new sense of belonging outside of my amazing team that I work with on a daily. Artists like Ghazi (@ghazi13x), Cuee (@cueemusic), and Zano (zano_photo) have shown me that there’s life and creativity wherever you go. I’ve even started working to create space for that creativity alongside Zano through their Hause of Zano (@hause_of_zano) project which brings together creatives from the LGBTQ+ community for creative kickbacks that foster the values that I hold dear. I never thought I’d be able to build community like that when I left Baltimore, but us creatives have a beautiful way of finding one another.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: eye.elle.music
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/t-lexi-jackson-117a2a200
