Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime Show, Musical Director, The Masked Singer, Tonight Show
Miguel Gandelman, known as "Miga," is the Musical Director behind Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show, one of the biggest and most complex live television performances in the world. A Berklee graduate and longtime force in live TV and touring, he has worked with some of the biggest artists on the planet, including Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Usher, Shakira, Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Beyonce, Rihanna, Babyface, John Mayer, and Aretha Franklin. He also served as Music Director for The Masked Singer and was a member of The Tonight Show Band with Rickey Minor.
In this episode, Miga breaks down how the Super Bowl Halftime Show was built from the ground up in just one month. From getting the call to stepping onto the biggest stage in entertainment, he walks through what it actually takes to prepare a 15-minute performance seen by over 100 million people. What does music direction mean on a production of this scale? How do you arrange for a stadium? How do you lead world-class musicians under live TV pressure?
They also dive into his journey from growing up in a musical family in Brazil to becoming one of the most trusted Musical Directors in the industry, and the specific mindset required to operate at the very highest level of live performance production. If you have ever wondered how massive live shows actually come together, this conversation is a masterclass.
"If you have ever wondered how massive live shows and television actually come together, this conversation is a masterclass."
How Miga got the call, what planning a Super Bowl Halftime Show in one month actually looks like, presenting ideas to Bad Bunny, and the last-minute finishes that go into pulling it off.
Arranging music for a stadium, working with an artist who had never used a musical director before, leading world-class musicians, and handling the pressure of a live global broadcast.
The stories behind coordinating multiple superstar guests, Easter eggs hidden in the show, the 400 grass people, and what the dress rehearsal inside the stadium was really like.
How Miga landed the Tonight Show gig, working under Rickey Minor, what being inside a late night band teaches you about live performance, and the transition to musical directing.
What music direction actually means on a major production, how to build trust with artists quickly, translating an artist's vision into a global moment, and how to keep a small team effective.
Growing up in a musical family in Brazil, studying at Berklee, the path through touring and live TV, and the mindset that has kept him at the center of the biggest stages in entertainment.
Miga walks through the entire timeline of how Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show came together, from the first call to the moment the lights hit the stage.
A detailed breakdown of the ending drum sequence, what it took to build it, and the specific musical decisions that made that moment land the way it did.
The Ricky Martin story, how his involvement came together, and what coordinating a surprise guest at the Super Bowl actually requires behind the scenes.
Miga explains what it means to be a Musical Director when your artist has never worked with one before, and how you build that trust fast enough to pull off the biggest show in the world.
The full story of how he landed the Tonight Show gig through Rickey Minor, and what being inside one of the most respected late night bands in television taught him about live performance.
His honest take on what it takes to operate at the top of this industry long-term, the mindset behind staying trusted by the biggest artists in the world, and where he is headed next.
Available on all major platforms.