Neil Crawford Coates is a pianist, and tv and film composer living in Nashville, Tennessee. He grew up mostly in Michigan, then moved to Oklahoma where he earned his B.A. in music composition. Later he moved to Nashville, where he currently resides, to pursue music closer to the industry.
While still living in Tulsa, Neil had been keyboard player for local jazz singers, and a jazz guitarist, getting to perform on stage at the annual jazz festival. Over the years he was either the pianist/keyboardist in the band for area churches, or the music director, which included conducting choirs. Moving to Nashville, he found an opportunity to score an independent film which was his first foray into the film scoring world. This is where his passion lies.
Drawing from his classical training and background, as well as all the sounds of synthesizers in the pop music he enjoys, Neil creates a beautiful combination of traditional musicality and contemporary ear candy in a production style that is timeless. As he is a fan of steampunk culture, a mixture of Victorian elegance and science fiction, you’ll find his music a similar mixture of sophisticated past with the eccentric future. Although fully capable in the world of pop and jazz, Neil’s passion for creating music is writing dramatic, epic, powerful music that sweeps the listener away to another world, to another realm.
Neil grew up in Michigan the son of a Presbyterian pastor. So naturally, he was surrounded by church music from centuries ago to current times. His family never had a piano in the home, but there was always one next door at the church, so in addition to formal lessons, Neil would be found in the dimly lit sanctuary at night, sitting at the piano, playing music from the depths of his soul. Having had a dj business, he took great care to read the crowd and carefully select the right song for the moment: the music that fit what was happening. So Neil always felt a great sense of satisfaction in watching people respond to sounds that make them feel emotions of every kind. This is what the music of Neil Crawford Coates does: it matches the sympathetic vibrations of the soul.