Custom arranging and commissions

What Phil writes on commission

• Custom jazz commissions for college and private jazz orchestra recordings.
• Pop symphony orchestral arrangements and medleys.
• Vocal backgrounds, arranging or sweetening for pop and jazz recordings.
• Industrial theater and entertainment arranging for live shows.

The experience behind it

Each of those services maps onto work Phil has done for decades. For symphony pops he was primary arranger of the Fort Worth Symphony Pops series from 1975, wrote custom pop symphonic scores for Doc Severinsen and Peter Nero, and has had arrangements played by the Houston, Dallas, Detroit, Cincinnati, North Carolina and Vermont orchestras. The full list is with his arranging and composition credits.

For singers, he has arranged and conducted for Julius LaRosa, Buddy Greco, Sylvia Syms, John Gary and Frank D'Rone, among others, and wrote the three orchestral backgrounds on Primo Kim's Make It Right. For college bands, he arranged and co-produced organist Barney McClure's Show Me with the Central Washington University jazz band, an album you can sample in the news and recording diary. For industrial work, his clients have included Cadillac, Chevrolet, Volkswagen, American Airlines and Zales Jewelers.

How a commission works

Every project is quoted individually. When you write, include the ensemble and exact instrumentation, the tune or tunes, the purpose (concert, recording, show), the soloists or singer to be featured and their keys, the length you need and your deadline. A rough recording or lead sheet of what you have in mind helps. Client and award lists, references and demo reels are available on request.

Write to philkelly@philkellymusic.com with "Custom arranging" in the subject line.