A conversation with Bob Rosenthal on the art of sound, the culture of collaboration, and what true creative leadership sounds like.
From his start at Capitol Records to founding Formosa Group, Bob Rosenthal reflects on how creativity thrives when people are empowered — not micromanaged — and how the emotional language of sound shapes the way stories are felt, remembered, and shared.
When you listen closely to a film, what moves you isn’t just what you hear — it’s what you feel. For Bob Rosenthal, that invisible craft has been the thread running through a lifetime in music and storytelling.
Raised in a family steeped in music — a jazz pianist father and a studio-trained singer mother — Rosenthal’s early exposure to sound was more emotional than technical. That sense of connection carried into a career that started in the business offices of Capitol Records and eventually led to the creative heart of post-production.
Throughout his journey, Rosenthal discovered that creativity flourishes in cultures built on trust. As he tells Benjamin Ariff in this episode, “It’s the people who make the difference — not the rooms or the gear.” His founding of Formosa Group was driven by that principle: to create a company where collaboration came before competition, and where talented teams could do their best work because they were seen, supported, and inspired.
The conversation also touches on the emotional dimension of sound — from the power of intentional silence to the precision behind epic projects like Masters of the Air. For Rosenthal, sound is storytelling at its purest form — a way to connect audiences to emotion, memory, and meaning.
Amid reflections on leadership, legacy, and music (yes, Sinatra still holds the top spot), Rosenthal reminds us that building something lasting — a team, a company, a creative life — is less about chasing growth and more about nurturing culture.
Great sound — like great leadership — comes from listening first. Creativity doesn’t thrive on control; it thrives on trust, empathy, and the willingness to build something meaningful together.
A deep listen into how sound, storytelling, and leadership intersect — and what it takes to build a creative culture that lasts.
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