Blake Neely

Composer, conductor, and music arranger Blake Neely learned how to play piano at a very young age--and his musical interest never flagged in later years. While attending the University of Texas, Neely interned at Disney Studios in the film department, and after he graduated began working at Disney's Hollywood Records, later moving on to Disney Music Publishing. In 1996 Neely began working with friend and fellow composer Michael Kamen. During this time Neely continued to freelance before getting his big break in 2002 from producer and writer Greg Berlanti, who hired him to score his small-town drama series "Everwood"; the next year he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his work on the show's title theme. Neely continued to collaborate frequently with Berlanti throughout his career, composing music for the family drama "Brothers & Sisters" and the legal series "Eli Stone." Neely also worked on a number of big-budget projects including Peter Jackson's ape tale "King Kong" and several "Pirates of the Caribbean" blockbusters. He has also written stacks of musical how-to books, including the best-selling "Piano for Dummies."