How Mophonics’ Christina Mihaljevic Went from Sonic Daydreams to Musical Production

In Christina Mihaljevic’s early years, the world of music production and advertising might have been another universe. Growing up on an Australian farm, the now-associate producer for Mophonics in New York rode horses, and feared ostriches before she ever stepped foot inside a studio. 

In fact, even after her move to New York her degree in advertising took her to roles in elite agencies such as Droga5, as well as media agencies and even a radio network before she settled into life in the dedicated world of music and sound. In short, she has a wealth of varied experience that helps her to hit the right notes for clients in her work with Mophonics. 

Today, Christina’s expertise is applied across all facets of music production, project management, music supervision and clearance, and even business development and marketing within Mophonics. Throughout it all, her defining trait is the ability to hit upon the emotional nerve of a narrative, and leveraging it to heighten a given piece of creative work. 

To find out more about what makes Christina tick, and how her remarkably eclectic background helps inform her work today, LBB sat down with Mophonics’ associate producer… 

LBB> Chrissy, I understand that you first started studying advertising whilst working part time as a tire fitter. Just for fun, are there any similarities between the worlds of advertising and mechanics?!

Chrissy> Well, tire fitting is a life or death situation: get it wrong and people could die! Same for advertising: at 11PM the night before a big presentation, it feels like a life or death situation, right? Just kidding. We’re not saving lives, we’re making music for ads. What else? How about: sometimes the temp music on a rough cut is feeling a little flat, and we have to come in and pump it up? 

LBB> Over your time in the industry you’ve built up a diverse range of experiences. When you first started working with agencies, what was your approach and attitude towards music in ads? And has it changed much over the years?

Chrissy> I was always fascinated by music in film and advertising, but it wasn’t a primary focus when I first started working in the industry. Starting out, I was managing creative campaigns across various mediums, most of them more traditional (e.g., print, banner ads, live activations, etc.) so music was not always up for consideration. It wasn’t really until I moved over to the US that I noticed music played a bigger role in advertising on what I was working on. When creative was being developed, I’d personally brainstorm music ideas and float them to creatives. Music wasn’t part of my remit when I worked in agencies but I’d always find myself daydreaming about what the right sound might be. Now, I get to think about and listen to music all day long - so it’s difficult to ignore sound with anything I consume or work on. 

Just like when I used to be a tire fitter, I’d have a habit of checking all of my friends and family's tires to see how much tread they had left,  letting them know if they could use an upgrade. Now I pay specific attention to sound with more critical ears. 

LBB> In your view, what’s the secret to a great creative collaboration?

Chrissy> Understanding the creative vision and putting aside your personal preferences. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a point of view but rather be open to there being many possibilities. Be a good listener, team player, and make thoughtful recommendations. A song might resonate with a specific audience and that might not be me; that’s okay. A genre might be perfect for a particular campaign based on a number of factors, but it might not be my cup of tea. Every creative choice has merit to someone; it’s subjective.   

LBB> And which projects in your time working with Mophonics so far are you most proud of?

Chrissy> No matter how big or small the project, I’m always proud of our output because it’s thoughtful. 

One project that stands out to me because it’s one from my earlier days at Mophonics that involved both original music and sound design was YouTube Creative Studio’s “Hit Pause Media Literacy Campaign”, designed to combat misinformation and promote online media literacy. Sonically, it was an exciting and fun brief targeted at Gen Z that called for eclectic, off-beat, psychedelic textures with the hope of intentionally disrupting and getting people’s attention with something they might not typically hear in an ad. The track had to tick a few different boxes based on the structure of the animation/narrative; build with intensity to communicate the problem/concern, halt to quick sharp pause, resume and shift into a positive resolution with brighter elements, and come across as sophisticated and cool all at the same time. It was fun listening to each composer tackle the brief in a unique way by adding their personal flare. It was also one of the first projects I’d worked on where sound design played a big role in bringing to life the animation so it was fun being part of and learning more about the process.

LBB> What makes the 70s your favourite musical era?

Chrissy> Maybe it was the drugs? I gravitate towards heady psych and tend to gush over 70s music because, to me, it’s a spiked cocktail of the most experimental and influential. More often than not, I’ll come across a song that I obsess over and look into it some more to discover it’s from the 70s. This isn’t to say I don’t love and admire music from other eras, this is just one that stands out to me as particularly creative and interesting. There are so many brilliant underappreciated artists that never rose to fame which means there are so many to discover still. And finding them feels like finding treasure, so when I’m dropping those forgotten gems in a DJ set it’s like sharing this gold and rubies with the room. 

LBB> You’ve also performed as a live DJ on Twitch! Have these experiences taught you anything about how people listen to music in a modern context?

Chrissy> You can find an audience anywhere; there’s always a platform that people are dialled into and consume from. I listen to online radio shows and follow my favourite DJs however they choose to share. For me, it’s less about the platform and more about where and how I can listen to that person share. However they choose to do that, I'll try to be there. 

LBB> As someone who has DJed a number of industry parties, please tell us: what’s the most reliable floor-filler for folks in adland?!

Chrissy> No one objects to Barry White. 

LBB> Finally, imagine that you had access to a time machine and the ability to travel back and give your past self one piece of advice. What advice would you give, and why?

Chrissy> While obvious, never assume you know something purely based on your intuition. That feeling might be in the right place but not reflect what’s true. And if you get it wrong, admit and accept it as a learning opportunity. You never forget your mistakes, so failing is a sure way to help you remember to do it differently next time. This leads me to my second piece of advice: never be afraid to ask questions.