Alumna Leslie Thompson: From Music Major to Professional Storyteller

Thompson produces for Christianity Today podcasts, hosts her own narrative podcast exploring niche subcultures

When Leslie Thompson started at Belmont as a commercial voice major in 2008, she couldn't have predicted her journey would lead her to become a podcast producer for Christianity Today and creator of her own nationally recognized podcast. Yet looking back, she can trace the threads of her current career to her formative years on campus. 

Among her influential mentors was Coordinator of Commercial Music and Music Technology Keith Mason, who became a pivotal figure in Thompson's academic journey when she was exploring different paths within the music program. “He was the first person that looked at me and said, ‘You belong here,’” Thompson recalled. This encouragement, along with further guidance from professors like Instructor of Theory-Composition and Music Technology Dave McKay and former Music Technology Adjunct Instructor Steve Mauldin, led her to focus on music technology, where she began developing the technical skills that would later prove essential to her career. 

While pursuing her commercial voice degree with an emphasis in music technology, Thompson's entrepreneurial spirit emerged as she took initiative with various projects. She approached her recitals as a producer would, coordinating everything from photo shoots to poster printing. She served as assistant to the band director for Commercial Showcase her senior year, managing sheet music and logistics. These experiences planted the seeds for her future career, though she didn't recognize it at the time. 

Thompson's current role as associate producer for Christianity Today's “The Bulletin” podcast, featuring interviews with prominent figures like Krista Tippett, builds directly on the foundation she built at Belmont. The technical skills she developed in Wilson Hall's basement, combined with her natural inclination toward production and coordination, prepared her perfectly for podcast creation and audio storytelling. 

Her own podcast, “Niche to Meet You,” which she describes as “Mr. Rogers meets ‘Revisionist History,’” exemplifies her own intentional approach to storytelling. The show investigates niche subcultures — from Santa portrayal artists to the world of wild turkey conservation — weaving together compelling narratives that entice listeners while revealing deeper truths. 

This approach to storytelling was significantly influenced by her time in Belmont's Religion and the Arts program, where she spent all her available electives. Under the guidance of professors like Dr. Steve Guthrie, Thompson developed a philosophy of creating work that embodies truth, beauty and goodness that continues to shape her work today. 

She leans into the philosophy known in the Catholic tradition as “evangelism by beauty” — creating work that naturally points to larger truths through its inherent quality.  

“I want people to be enticed by the idea, delighted by the idea, enjoy themselves, have fun and then suddenly find themselves crying,” Thompson explained. “I want the truth to be so weighted but so natural that people go, ‘Wait a second, there's something different here.’” 

Thompson's industry connections began forming during her Belmont years, starting with an unexpected invitation to sing backup for Chris Tomlin's first Christmas album at Ocean Way Nashville. These early experiences, along with mentoring sessions from industry figures like producer Ed Cash, gave her valuable insight into the Christian music world. After graduation, she worked at Word Entertainment before joining Keith and Kristin Getty's team, where she honed her marketing and relationship-building skills. 

In 2017, Thompson launched her freelance career, leveraging her network to secure projects with organizations like The Rabbit Room. Her work included building the online framework for Hutchmoot, The Rabbit Room's annual conference, which drew 10,000 virtual attendees during the COVID-19 pandemic. She served as associate producer for No Small Endeavor's podcast, and her growing production work expanded to include artists like Sandra McCracken and Charlie Peacock. These experiences paved the way for her current role at Christianity Today, along with her current freelance work producing features for Nashville Public Radio and episodes for their daily show, “This is Nashville.” 

“The stories we tell each other matter,” Thompson reflected, citing wisdom she gathered from a recent Malcolm Gladwell interview at Belmont. “Story has the power to change the way we see ourselves and others in the world, and storytellers can open our imaginations to those possibilities.” This belief drives her approach to “Niche to Meet You,” where she investigates fascinating subcultures with a deeper purpose in mind. 

Beyond the professional connections and technical skills, Belmont also shaped Thompson's personal life — it's where she met her husband, a former guitar major turned biblical studies student. They married a month after graduation, with Dr. Guthrie officiating, and now have a daughter. 

Thompson's journey exemplifies the unexpected ways a Belmont education can shape a career. She found her voice in a different way than she initially envisioned — through producing and telling stories that matter. Her work continues to embody Belmont's mission of storytelling that inspires the world, proving that sometimes the most meaningful paths are the ones we discover along the way.