Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Stranger Things Music Editor Lena Glikson on Creating Iconic Moments

14/10/2022

Stranger Things Music Editor Lena Glikson on Creating Iconic Moments The 2015 alum reflects on her recent Emmy win, scoring for TV versus film, and her journey from performing to music editing.

By

Bryan Parys

October 13, 2022

Image courtesy of Lena Glikson

Who can say when a song will have its moment? Take the 1985 hit Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) by art rock singer-songwriter Kate Bush, which reentered the charts when it played a prominent role in the fourth season of the Netflix show Stranger Things and caused a new generation to discover Bushs music. As the shows music editor, Lena Glikson B.M. 15 was tasked with the job of stitching the song into the fabric of the seasons narrative arc, and she went on to earn an Emmy Award for her efforts.

[I]ts an enormous privilege to work on projects recognized worldwide when people emotionally connect to the work you do[.]

- Lena Glikson B.M. 15

Glikson has been a musician her whole life, beginning as a performer steeped in classical traditions, and ultimately finding her passion in the Screen Scoring Department when she enrolled at Berklee. I saw that there would be an opportunity to use my classical background and apply it in a very modern way, Glikson said of her decision to major in film and media scoring. After graduating, she landed a music editing internship in L.A., and has since built an impressive list of credits for TV shows such as Stranger Things and Always Jane, as well as films including A Star Is Born, Joker, and Ad Astra. In the following interview, Glikson talks about her experience in crafting the iconic scene in the season finale for Stranger Things, how working on a show differs from a film, and her path to becoming a successful music editor.

What does your recent Emmy Award win mean to you? To be honest, I never dreamed of getting an Emmy. I was always very concentrated on the work process more than anything else, and even being nominated for it was huge and unexpected. Everything happened so fast! I cant fully believe that this happened to me. I feel fortunate and grateful to the TV Academy and my colleagues for it. I think its a recognition of the entire Stranger Things teams work, including [showrunners] the Duffer brothers, our picture editors, composers, and many people supporting us.

You helped adapt the iconic sequences in this season of Stranger Things that feature Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush. What was that process like for you? My first big task related to the song was working on the Running Up That Hill edit in episode four. Its such a wonderful song thats much longer than the scene, so it needed to be cut to have the right length and work with all the picture edits. There was a reference created by Dean Zimmerman, our excellent picture editor, and I used it as a guide and finessed all the transitions and shaped it to match the dramatic movement of the scene.

Stranger Syncs

Lily Burns B.M. 16 weighs in on what made Running Up That Hill such a successful song sync.One of the most memorable things about working on this song for the season was cutting it for the epic montage in episode nine. Originally the Duffer brothers wanted to have a piece of score in that scene, but they asked me to cut the Totem remix of the song for it, simply out of curiosity. So I got incredibly excited about that. It seemed to be a very creative and fun task. So when I showed my first version to the Duffer brothers, they were thrilled and told me we should send it to Kate Bush because it works with the scene so well, and she would love it. So that was an invaluable recognition of my work. I was very grateful for such feedback.

Listen to Lena Gliksons music editing work in the Stranger Things season finale (contains spoilers):

You've worked on some incredibly memorable film and TV moments. What's it like knowing that you were behind the scenes on things that resonate with millions of people? I think its an enormous privilege to work on projects recognized worldwide when people emotionally connect to the work you do and when the things you create resonate with them.

As a music editor, are there any major differences when working within one medium versus another (TV versus film, for example)? If so, how does your own process change? Do you have a favorite part of the process? Before working on Stranger Things, I always worked in the feature film world, and by season four, Stranger Things wasnt a typical TV show anymore. Instead, its much closer to the feature world because of its big scale and popularity. The main difference for me was the time we had to work on the music for each episode. They are pretty long for a TV show (up to two and a half hours long), and we had only two to three weeks to work on the music for each of them. In the feature world, you have several months to complete the same amount of work. Therefore in TV you need to work much faster and don't have much time to make changes. There is no such thing as a temporary solution. Pretty much everything you do goes in the cut.

My favorite part of the music editing process is tracking-when I get a chance to create a new piece of music using different audio elements (instrument stems) from the cues written by the composer. This part is very creative and allows me to sculpt a piece of music to fit a scene.

Before Berklee, you had an eclectic background as a performer. Was there a moment where you knew that music had to be your life's path? When I was a child and then a teenager, my life was split in half between general and music education. I didnt have time for anything else. Music has always been my passion and choosing it as my life path felt natural. As a child, I dreamed of becoming a famous singer, but I always knew that I needed to study to achieve my dream and always took it very seriously. So when something becomes such an
LINK: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-now/news/the-music-editor-from-strange...
See more stories from berklee

More from Berklee

30/06/2025

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert

Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics to Host 40th Anniversary Concert The celebration will be held on July 10 in Perugia, Italy. By Colette Greenstein June 30, 202...

27/06/2025

How Two Berklee Alumni Landed Songs in the Oscar-Winning Film Anora

How Two Berklee Alumni Landed Songs in the Oscar-Winning Film Anora Joseph Capalbo BM '12 and Lyusi Simon BM '16 share how their collaboration spanned...

26/06/2025

Berklee in Puerto Rico 30th Anniversary Celebration Culminates in Awarding $3.74 Million in Financial Aid

Berklee in Puerto Rico 30th Anniversary Celebration Culminates in Awarding $3.74...

25/06/2025

Study Reveals Stark Gender Gap in Jazz Education

Study Reveals Stark Gender Gap in Jazz Education A new report from the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and researcher Lara Pellegrinelli finds th...

25/06/2025

Jazz at the Fort Returns, Featuring Yoron Israel and High Standards

Jazz at the Fort Returns, Featuring Yoron Israel and High Standards The performance is part of Berklee's Summer in the City concert series. By Kelly Won...

19/06/2025

Chelsey Green Makes History as Recording Academy Board Chair

Chelsey Green Makes History as Recording Academy Board Chair The violinist, violist, vocalist, and Berklee professor is the first Black woman and youngest per...

18/06/2025

Bostons Dear Summer Mixtape Vol. 3 Features Berklee Artists, DJs, and Producers

Bostons Dear Summer Mixtape Vol. 3 Features Berklee Artists, DJs, and Producers Created by Mayor Michelle Wu and the Office of Tourism, Sports, and Entertainm...

13/06/2025

Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Recognized by the Music Biz Association

Berklee's Music Business/Management Department Recognized by the Music Biz A...

13/06/2025

On Chick Coreas Birthday, a Newly Uncovered Archival Release

On Chick Coreas Birthday, a Newly Uncovered Archival Release The Visitors, composed by Corea and performed by vibraphonist Gary Burton and pianist Kirill Gers...

11/06/2025

Boston Conservatory Heads to Tanglewood This Summer

Boston Conservatory Heads to Tanglewood This Summer Student dancers and musicians from Boston Conservatory at Berklee will debut a new work by choreographer K...

10/06/2025

Berklee Professor Regie Gibson Named First Poet Laureate of Massachusetts

Berklee Professor Regie Gibson Named First Poet Laureate of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey honored Gibson as the inaugural Poet Laureate for the state in...

10/06/2025

Summer Songwriting Programs: Boston or LA? Berklee Lets You Choose Your Coast

Summer Songwriting Programs: Boston or LA? Berklee Lets You Choose Your Coast Whether you head east or west, Berklee offers aspiring songwriters the chance to...

07/06/2025

Berklee Professor's Fulbright Project Addresses Suicide Loss Through Art

Berklee Professor's Fulbright Project Addresses Suicide Loss Through Art Ray Seol's cross-cultural production Another Season draws from personal grief...

05/06/2025

Bob Clearmountain to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commencement

Bob Clearmountain to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee NYC Graduate Commence...

04/06/2025

Betsie Becker Named Executive Director of Berklee NYC

Betsie Becker Named Executive Director of Berklee NYC A veteran arts and education leader, Becker brings a strategic vision for academic innovation and commun...

03/06/2025

Antonio Snchez '97 to Deliver Keynote at Berklee College of Music's Graduate Commencement

Antonio S nchez '97 to Deliver Keynote at Berklee College of Music's Gra...

03/06/2025

Alf Clausen, Composer for The Simpsons, Dies at 84

Alf Clausen, Composer for The Simpsons, Dies at 84 Alf Clausen '66 won two Emmys during his 26-year career on the iconic animated series. By Tara Bellu...

30/05/2025

How Musicians Can (and Should) Use AI-According to Berklee Experts

How Musicians Can (and Should) Use AI-According to Berklee Experts At Berklee's first AI and Music Innovation event, artists and educators explored how ar...

30/05/2025

The Most Underrated Hip-Hop Producers, According to J. Rawls

The Most Underrated Hip-Hop Producers, According to J. Rawls The producer whos worked with Mos Def, Talib Kweli, the Roots, and Common, joined a panel on camp...

23/05/2025

Berklee Global and Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Host Emerging Talent Intensive Program in Mexico City

Berklee Global and Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Host Emerging Talent Intensi...

23/05/2025

Berklees 2025 Commencement, Through the Lens of a Graduate

Berklees 2025 Commencement, Through the Lens of a Graduate Photographer Matthew Ryu shares a look at Berklees 2025 commencement from a graduates POV. By Ma...

22/05/2025

Berklee Online Holds Annual Berklee Onsite Music Conference May 30-31

Berklee Online Holds Annual Berklee Onsite Music Conference May 30-31 Kamilah Marshall, a backing vocalist for Taylor Swift, will give the keynote presentatio...

22/05/2025

Music Marketing: 5 Practical Strategies for Independent Artists

Music Marketing: 5 Practical Strategies for Independent Artists Five ways help you build visibility, engage your audience, and grow your fanbase-including one...

20/05/2025

From Death Becomes Her to Dead Outlaw, Boston Conservatory Actors Are Killing It This Awards Season

From Death Becomes Her to Dead Outlaw, Boston Conservatory Actors Are Killing It...

19/05/2025

Berklee's Summer in the City Returns with Free Concerts Throughout the Boston Area

Berklee's Summer in the City Returns with Free Concerts Throughout the Bosto...

16/05/2025

Berklee Announces Jonathan Mahoney as the New Dean for Pre-College, Online, and Professional Programs

Berklee Announces Jonathan Mahoney as the New Dean for Pre-College, Online, and ...

15/05/2025

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Tania Len and Kelli O'Hara at Commencement Ceremony

Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Tania Le n and Kelli O'Hara at Commenc...

15/05/2025

John Yao Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship for Interactive Jazz Project

John Yao Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship for Interactive Jazz Project The Berklee professor and trombonist will debut Let's Make Some Noise, an immersive bi...

13/05/2025

Berklee Artists Take Center Stage at Top Music Festivals

Berklee Artists Take Center Stage at Top Music Festivals Thanks to the Berklee Popular Music Institute, students will perform at Lollapalooza, Governors Ball,...

12/05/2025

Building a Home Recording Studio? Here's What You Need.

Building a Home Recording Studio? Here's What You Need. Experts break down the home studio setup and share tips to create a pro-level recording space on a...

11/05/2025

Berklee Honors Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles at 2025 Commencement

Berklee Honors Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles at 2025 Commencement This years honorary doctorate recipients were recognized for their profound influence as art...

10/05/2025

Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2025

Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2025 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next. ...

09/05/2025

Berklee Online Signs Transfer Articulation with Conservatorio Nacional de Msica

Berklee Online Signs Transfer Articulation with Conservatorio Nacional de M sica The new agreement allows CNM students in the Dominican Republic to transfer i...

09/05/2025

Berklee Popular Music Institute Announces UK Festival Debut and Tour Dates

Berklee Popular Music Institute Announces UK Festival Debut and Tour Dates For the first time, BPMI will bring Berklee-affiliated artists and students to the ...

08/05/2025

Student Spotlight: Grigori Balasanyan

Student Spotlight: Grigori Balasanyan The Armenian composer, who was named Boston Conservatory at Berklees 2025 student commencement speaker, talks about his ...

02/05/2025

Students, Alumni, and Faculty Represent Berklee at International Computer Music Conference

Students, Alumni, and Faculty Represent Berklee at International Computer Music ...

02/05/2025

Four Boston Conservatory Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards

Four Boston Conservatory Alumni Nominated for Tony Awards Fifteen alumni from Boston Conservatory at Berklee and Berklee College of Music contributed to nomin...

30/04/2025

Tania Len and Kelli O'Hara to be Honored at Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Commencement Ceremony

Tania Le n and Kelli O'Hara to be Honored at Boston Conservatory at Berklee&...

30/04/2025

Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee College of Music 2025 Commencement

Andr 3000 and Sara Bareilles to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee College ...

25/04/2025

Listen to Kim Perlak and Francisco Mela's New Album, Recorded in a Single Afternoon

Listen to Kim Perlak and Francisco Mela's New Album, Recorded in a Single Af...

24/04/2025

Berklee in Puerto Rico Program to Host 30th Anniversary Concert

Berklee in Puerto Rico Program to Host 30th Anniversary Concert The event will feature Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning artist Miguel Zen n BM '98, cuatro...

24/04/2025

Detach Yourself from the Herd': Fito Pez Inspires at Berklee

Detach Yourself from the Herd': Fito P ez Inspires at Berklee In a session hosted by the Mediterranean Music Institute, the influential Argentine musician...

23/04/2025

Berklee Abu Dhabi's Jazz Night Kicks off Global Celebration of Music and Culture

Berklee Abu Dhabi's Jazz Night Kicks off Global Celebration of Music and Cul...

19/04/2025

Berklee NYC and NYC Media Launch Season 3 of Inside Power Station @BerkleeNYC

Berklee NYC and NYC Media Launch Season 3 of Inside Power Station @BerkleeNYC This season features faculty member Arun Pandian as the new host and interviews ...

18/04/2025

Berklee Student Yukai Yang Named 2025 Yamaha Young Performing Artist

Berklee Student Yukai Yang Named 2025 Yamaha Young Performing Artist The drummer secured a spot among the elite winners in this years competition. By Maddie...

18/04/2025

Boston Conservatory Alums Bring Real Women Have Curves to Broadway

Boston Conservatory Alums Bring Real Women Have Curves to Broadway The Latin American immigrant community takes center stage in a new musical featuring Tatian...

17/04/2025

In Return to Berklee, Lucius Looks Back and Moves Forward

In Return to Berklee, Lucius Looks Back and Moves Forward From mood boards to live demos, the alumni band gave students an exclusive look at the process behin...

17/04/2025

Edward J. Lewis III Named Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Edward J. Lewis III Named Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement Lewis has more than 20 years of industry experience, leading fundraising initiati...

16/04/2025

Charlie Puths Homecoming Was Also a Victory Lap

Charlie Puths Homecoming Was Also a Victory Lap The pop star, songwriter, and producer talked about his career and shared stories behind his biggest hits, inc...

12/04/2025

Career Jam 2025: Insights, Images, and Inspiration

Career Jam 2025: Insights, Images, and Inspiration Charlie Puth, Tiny Desk, top A&Rs, and more came together for a day of professional development and energet...