Tom Carlson graduated in 1981 from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music and absolutely no idea what career he would pursue. Another NU alum in Southern California suggested he look into a vocation called Music Editing. Tom soon landed a job with music editor Else Blangsted assisting on the film On Golden Pond and then Tootsie. Now, after thirty-eight years and 150 films, he can look back on wonderful collaborations with such composers as John Williams, John Debney, James Horner, John Powell and many others. In 1991, Tom had the pleasure to work on his first movie with Mark Isham, the Jodie Foster project Little Man Tate. What followed was a slate of 34 films with Mark (and counting). 

In addition to traditional music editing jobs, Tom has become the go-to person for film music reconstruction and restoration, and has restored over 75 soundtracks for several major and independent motion picture studios. 

When not editing music, Tom plays tuba in various Southern California orchestras, and enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with his wife Jane and cat Jack in their home that survived the 2018 fire in Malibu.