As a former music director / Jock that was allowed to program the music on a few radio stations or at least on my shift I have been told I have a knack for knowing what music fits together. Not that this kind of talent is worth anything in the outside world! So I tried to get a job at Muzak but I never could get into the "music architect " department. I did manage to get an interview in the operations department. In the interview I learned some interesting things.
First of all the department manager I interviewed with was humorless. He looked like someone who would not tolerate any screw ups and he stressed it was a precision operation. The commercials (for the clients that have them) get switched into the music at specific times, the music is all on CD. I was told the RIAA will not let them put music files on a server. Muzak uses CD changers which tend to have mechanical problems and that's where the operations department comes in. Some of the work is on computer systems which I could do. This manager told me people in his department were always trying to transfer into the IT department. I asked the typical question, "What do you like about your job". Now usually you get the answer, oh the people are great here, the work is varied, etc etc. His answer was he liked the autonomy he had.
I think what kept me from getting the job was money, I wanted too much. Just as well because from my research Muzak hasn't made a profit in 11 years, they used expert consultants who were supposed to make them profitable and didn't. The chapter 11 thing was just the icing on the cake. I liked the music I heard around the offices, very hip, lively, but not necessarily modern, more like what you might hear at a really cool Jazz nightclub.
So much for Muzak as a place of employment.
