Ray Chew has one of the coolest jobs in television. As the music director for Dancing With the Stars, he’s responsible for making sure every performance sounds flawless in front of millions of viewers. But his path to DWTS started way earlier, with his first TV gig on Saturday Night Live and a stint on Showtime at the Apollo. Along the way, he’s worked with legends like Quincy Jones and Alicia Keys, and he recently sat down with Billboard to talk about how it all comes together.
The biggest challenge? Live TV has no margin for error. Chew described the process as“unbaking the cake”because once the arrangement is set and the cameras are rolling, there’s no going back. He also works on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade broadcast, where he has to prepare for everything, including what he calls“rainy day vocals”in case the weather throws a curveball. And apparently his work doesn’t go unnoticed. Jimmy Jam personally praised Chew for his work on the Janet Jackson week episode of DWTS.
Chew calls live-music TV shows a“unicorn”because they’re so rare these days, and he says he still loves his long-running gig on DWTS. It’s a rare behind-the-scenes look at an art form that most viewers never think about while they’re watching their favorite stars dance.
What’s your favorite live TV music moment of all time? Let us know in the comments.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.