REVIEWS: ORCHESTRATION & COMPOSITION

"Versatile and creative. Absolutely a top-notch musician and composer / orchestrator. Recommended!" 

ØYVIND HÆGELAND 

Vocalist SPIRAL ARCHITECT, SCARIOT ​ Vocalist & Guitarist TERRA ODIUM (Norway)

"Jon has all the knowledge and skill to deliver any project, no matter how big or small, to the highest standard possible.  ​He has a killer understanding of theory and how an orchestra works - you won't find anyone better, certainly in the rock / metal world, ​who can bring your project to life at an affordable level. Get in touch now!" 

SCOTT ATKINS 

Producer GRINDSTONE STUDIO (UK)

"I knew I'd be getting something special and amazing sounding when I hired you to compose & record some orchestral music to enhance my songs.   I never expected that the results of your contribution would so exceed what I imagined that its actually elevated my music from being just a song into a fully realised work of art! ​Can't thank you enough for that Maestro!"

CARLOS ALVAREZ 

Producer DIRTY VIKING AUDIO PRODUCTION ​ Guitarist POWER THEORY, SHADOWDANCE (USA)

"Jon is a great composer and a great guy. Real easy and fast to work with.  ​And he even got it just right for our (I’LL BE DAMNED) new single 'Just Ain’t Right'!" 

STIG GAMBORG HANSEN 

Vocalist ex-I'LL BE DAMNED (Denmark)

"Had the pleasure of working together with Mr. Phipps on a track for I'LL BE DAMNED's upcoming album.  Having talks back and forth, Jon not only showed good spirit and a proper work ethic but also a great understanding of how the orchestral arrangement would intertwine with the song – and itself.  ​To add to that, he is also a laugh and we had fun discussing ideas. ​ Summary: Highly recommended!"

MATHIAS PEDERSEN SMIDT 

Drummer & Composer I'LL BE DAMNED (Denmark) 

"I worked with Jon in an engraving project and besides his expertise I enjoyed his good attitude and pleasant manner.  We had a tight deadline but his positive outlook certainly helped us reach the goal.  ​He delivered everything extremely fast and his transcriptions were accurate and top-notch.  ​He's easy to reach, always available with a fast response time and fair pricing. Can't recommend him enough!"

ANDRÉS SOTO 

Composer (Costa Rica)

"Jon Phipps is so much more than an orchestrator - he’s a visionary, a composer, and an artistic savant.  His choice of flair, various instruments, and use of dynamic helped turn out latest album into a masterpiece (and still heavy as all hell!) ​ Thank you Jon, you are truly an honorary member of Ravenous and we are all so grateful for the high quality work you have provided us!"

RAVIOLI MUSICK 

Guitarist & Vocalist ​Ravenous E.H (Canada)

"Jon is an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist and composer.  Throughout the process for creating the orchestral components of our album he was deeply involved with notes, recommendations, suggestions, and ideas, which is the kind of in-depth dedication you wouldn't normally expect from someone that provides these types of contributions.  It was comforting to know that there was an element of personal involvement in his craft rather than a disconnected third-party, which allowed for much more laid-back back-and-forth discussion and a passionate outlook towards the orchestral components.  ​Jon is clearly very well-versed in musical theory and composition, and his experience shines through in the quality of his output. Thanks for everything, dude!"

JAKE WRIGHT 

Guitarist Ravenous E.H (Canada)

"I approached Jon to help us out with the intro song of the upcoming debut album of my band Nephylim. Communication went very smoothly, and the end result was even better than what we expected.  To top it off, we liked the results so much that we decided to have him work on two more songs which we thought could benefit from Jon's musical touch, and they did, even more so than we could have thought of.  I could not think of recommending someone else!"

MARTIJN PAAUWE 

Drummer NEPHYLIM (The Netherlands)

"Jon Phipps, stellar musician and consummate professional.  He offers a range of services from creative composition, sound design  and project consultation. Highly Recommended."

 THE DEAD RAT ORCHESTRA (UK)

"Jon demonstrated excellent musicality on all the occasions that I have worked with him.   ​His ability to understand the needs and sensitivities of my music set him aside amongst other musicians as one who can communicate his ideas clearly, whilst offering up creative suggestions and truly getting into the atmosphere and aesthetics of the music."

DANIEL MERRILL
Composer & Violist
​THE DEAD RAT ORCHESTRA (UK)

"Jon Phipps stands out because he offers genuine attention to detail, becoming fully invested in each project he engages with.

​Jon is a pleasure to work with, always friendly and full of cheer, as well as considerate, diligent and reliable.

I've  worked with Jon on a number of projects for which he has been arranger,  scorer and musical consultant - I can't recommend him enough."

NATHANIEL MANN
Multi-Instrumentalist & Composer
​THE DEAD RAT ORCHESTRA (UK)

"Very good  work received from Jon. The communication was always great. I could  always ask for different adaptions and they were made and presented in  super quick time. I highly suggest this orchestration service."

RYAN WE
Guitarist & Composer
​SHATTERED (Germany)

"Working with Jon was a great experience. He worked alongside us (Divine Disorder) as if he was a permanent member of the band, giving it all his heart and thought throughout the progress of writing the debut album.  Every opinion he ever shared with us helped push the band a step further in the right direction and towards a better representation of how the music should sound.  

Even though the time-frame was pretty tight, he still managed to deliver great sounding and professional work. His skills and the ability to deliver a varied and wide range of styles has given us broader and deeper meanings to deliver into certain parts of the songs, through the inclusion of classical, blues, and jazz stylistic ideas into our eclectic metal sound.  I will definitely go back and work with him again and again on future works and releases. For everyone who is going to work with Jon: You have made the right choice!"  

JASSEM DARKVAIN 

Bassist & Composer DIVINE DISORDER (Kuwait)

 "Jon is an enthusiastic, talented and hard-working musician.

He really knows his theory and he's an incredibly easy person to compose with.

​Most  importantly for me, he is always willing to try different things, which  shows the necessary flexibility required in the pursuit of true  excellence."

LAUREN FRANCIS
Keyboardist
​ex-DEVILMENT (UK)

"Jon is an incredibly talented musician and composer with a  vast array of invaluable skills and musical knowledge, constantly  pushing his abilities to their limits and striving for perfection in  every area of his work".

SAM WALE
Composer & Director
of Production
​ALIBI MUSIC (UK)

"Jon was in charge of composing and programming quartet  parts on an album of emotional piano music for sync purposes. He managed  to stick exactly to the brief without any back and forth, and capture  all the emotion and realism I was after.

​As a lot of people  know, Jon's theory knowledge is exceptional and I have no doubt that if I  wanted a really intricate piece with modal changes etc, he would  deliver, but he reigned it in and kept it simple and composed exactly  what the songs needed. A great skill to have. Lovely guy as well which  always helps!"

ADAM BOWERS
Bassist & Producer
​THE BOAT HOUSE STUDIO (UK)

​"A super talented all-round musician and composer. Jon is an absolute pleasure to work with! One word!! Genius!!!"

ELLE TORRY
Multi-Instrumentalist & Tutor (UK)

 "Jon is a gifted musician. A master at composition with  completely unique ideas. Always happy to help at any given time. A  pleasure to work with." 

GREG CHIVERS
​Guitarist, Vocalist & Songwriter FORNOST ARNOR (UK)

"I have used Jon's composition services and have taken a few  guitar lessons as well. Jon really knew how to bring my ideas to life  and really helped me get a better understanding with music theory. He's  one of the most competent musicians I have met and will gladly refer  anyone who may benefit from his services."

ALEX LAZO
Guitarist & Producer
​WOLVES AND REVENANTS (USA)

"Jon's is extremely professional and provides a high end  service with pin point detail. I would not hesitate to recommend him to  anyone who requires musical assistance. He is also very reasonable on  price and will always be my first point of call should I personally  require assistance within my career."

TIM SQUIRRELL
Guitarist & Tutor (UK)

    "Jon is a fantastic musician and his music transcription services are outstanding! My music tabs are presented professionally with quick response. Whenever I need a piece of music transcribed I will always use Jon's services."

ALAN HORNE
Guitarist (UK)

"Great composer, great arranger, great musician...great person!"

AUGUSTO HOUSTO
​Guitarist (Brazil)

    "Amazing! I use Jon Phipps's tutoring service. Jon is a very natural and highly  knowledgeable tutor who has no limits to his musical ability. When I met  Jon at the end of last year, my goal was to have passed my FLCM guitar  performance exams (FLCM = Masters) by early 2019.

​To find a  tutor who not only obtains the knowledge but can also teach at this type  of level is very rare. You honestly won't find a more highly-skilled  and humble music/instrument tutor, trust me - I have met and know many  of them. Great tutor and also an all-round great person!"

DAYNE NICHOLS
Guitarist & Tutor (UK)

"Jon is both a highly-skilled and knowledgeable musician.

​What  sets him apart from others in the musical world, however, is the ease  with which he imparts this knowledge and abilities to anyone lucky  enough to be his student.

I came to him as a self-taught  guitarist and he worked diligently and compassionately to help me  overcome the blocks I had in my playing.

Not only that, but he  also taught me the fundamentals of theory along the way which has worked  wonders for my understanding of music. I cannot rate him highly enough."

ALEX EMERSON
​Guitarist & Vocalist (UK)

" Jon is an amazing musician and a brilliant guitar tutor,  he is friendly, patient and very inspiring. I highly recommend his  services."

JOSH FLACK
​Guitarist (UK)

" Jon is a  superb musician and a very good teacher too. I have worked with him  since 2011, and it's a pleasure every time. Thoroughly recommended!"

STUART HARDY
Drum Tutor & Director SUPASTARS ACADEMY (UK)

"Jon is a fantastically knowledgeable, friendly and patient  teacher and musician. I'd highly recommended his services to anyone!"

STEVEN MARTIN
Guitarist & Tutor (UK)