Universal Pictures Adds Music Execs

Harry Garfield has been promoted to EVP of Music for Universal Pictures and Eric Polin has joined the company as SVP of Music Publishing.  Both will report to Kathy Nelson, President of Film Music for Universal Pictures.

Garfield, a Universal veteran who previously held the position of
senior vice president of music for Universal Pictures since 1994,
continues his involvement with all music-related activities for feature
films, including music licensing, hiring composers and supervising
original compositions.  His oversight includes both the creative and
business aspects of Universal’s motion picture music, including
budgeting. 

Polin, who comes to Universal from Wixen Music Publishing, has assumed
responsibility for the licensing and publishing of the company’s film
and television music catalog that dates back to 1928.

FROM THE PRESS RELEASE:

Garfield started at Universal Television in 1981 as a music coordinator, arranging songs for various television programs and licensing master recordings for Miami Vice, the first network series to make extensive use of contemporary hit songs.  He moved to Universal Pictures in 1985 as director of music and was promoted to vice president of music/creative affairs in 1991.  He was promoted to senior vice president of music in 1994.

A Los Angeles native, Garfield began his career as a musician and songwriter, performing with various bands and playing back up for acts such as Ike & Tina Turner, the Music Machine, the 1910 Fruit Gum Company and Gary Lewis and the Playboys.  Garfield’s original songs have been recorded by artists as diverse as Michael McDonald, Steppenwolf and Andy Williams.

Polin was most recently a partner at Wixen Music Publishing, Inc., where he oversaw the publishing administration for some of the industry’s top songwriter-artists.  He has been quoted in The New York Times, and his opinions have been published by Billboard magazine, The Hollywood Reporter and by the U.S. Copyright Office.  He sits on the board of directors of the California Copyright Conference and has been a participant on CCC panels focusing on independent music publishing and music royalties.  Polin holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and a BA in economics from UCLA.