Meet Eric Ziegler | Music Clearance Assistant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Ziegler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I am originally from a town in Maryland called Frederick. Frederick has a fantastic music program in its’ schools, and the city is ripe with arts and culture. This played a significant role into my career, as I started learning about music from the age of 7. From there, it became an obsession that grew into learning multiple instruments, performing with choirs, orchestras, rock bands, and ultimately my path into music supervision. My parents were always very supportive, and taught me that if you truly love something, you have to go for it. You have to at least try. No matter how hard it gets, no matter the obstacles, you keep going and giving it your best!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Currently, I am a Music Clearance Assistant for HBO. The path here, however, was very difficult. After receiving my Bachelor’s in Music Business from Full Sail University, I planned to come out to Los Angeles from Maryland in order to pursue Music Supervision. However, this was early 2020 and the pandemic put a damper on that. Instead, I shifted my focus to connecting with industry professionals via resources like Zoom, Clubhouse, and various other online events. Eventually, I decided to pack a couple bags and drive 3000 miles to a city I’ve never even stepped foot in previously.

This took a bit of courage, as I didn’t have a job or place to live lined up. I did it anyways. The plan was “Try not to be homeless. And even if you are, keep going. Keep striving for what you want”. I came VERY close to this, exhausting every resource and favor I could find. After approximately 750 applications, and planning to make my car into my new home, I got the call for the job I hold now!

I’m proud of myself for this. I stared uncertainty and defeat in the face and said “That’s cute. Try harder”.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
LA has so many fun and interesting places! Some of these places that I like to go include the Capri Club, Cafe on 27, Cafe Nido, Kitchen Mouse, Brass Monkey, and Cafecito Organico. There’s also the Huntington Botanical Gardens, a very cool bookstore called The Last Bookstore, Walnut Creek Park, and the Spadena House.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many! My family has always had my back, many many friends who have helped support me when things got tough, and The Guild of Music Supervisors has played a pivotal role in making sure I feel welcomed into a community that I was brand new to.

Website: https://eaziegler91.wixsite.com/ezartists

Instagram: @ezmusicsync

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericzieglermusic/

Twitter: @EricZiegler91

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EricZiegler91

Image Credits
Kaitlin Newman