Jon Lee’s Bio & FAQs

Jon Lee Music - composer, producer and musician Los Angeles
Jon is a film and TV composer, and hip-hop producer based in Santa Monica, California. He is currently working on several new songwriting collaborations for release in 2024.

Jon graduated from the Scoring Program at USC Thornton School of Music, where he studied with noted composers David Raksin, Jack Smalley and Christopher Young. He holds a certificate in Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television.

Jon has also attended and worked at the Aspen Music Festival and School.

IMDb logo link to Jon Lee professional Internet Movie Database listing      soundcloud logo

 

 

FAQs

Jon scores television shows for Langley Productions and has written music for ESPN, Facebook and Netflix Films.

Do we need to be in the same city in order for you me to write music for your project?

No. Even if your project requires a large live orchestra, the writing, recording and mixing can all be done through the internet.

  • I have worked with several orchestras in Europe to record the performance, and then mixed them here in Los Angeles.
  • The same goes for song production. I have worked with artists in Florida, Philadelphia, New York and Colorado while staying in LA.

I also own a portable music rig enabling me to move around to travel and write from different locations worldwide.

What is a typical timeline for a musical project?

With films the time from start to completion can be anywhere from two weeks to three months depending on the project deadline. Episodic television scores take 3-5 days per episode. I write very fast and can produce a complete song or score on a tight deadline.

How much do you charge to create a song or score?

It really depends on the scope of the project. What is the project time deadline? Do you want to use a live orchestra? Is this project for cable, network or internet? My rates are negotiable, but I will not work on spec (ie.,free).

Do you collaborate with other composers or songwriters?

I do not collaborate with other film or tv composers. I do write songs with other songwriters, rappers and producers.

What style of music do you typically create?

I can write in any style of music. Most of my film and television music combines ethnic instruments with classical elements. For example, a score I wrote for a Facebook documentary combined ethnic Nepalese instruments with classic orchestral instruments and Hip-Hop drums.
I try to compliment the story of a visual project by adding musical nuances.

What instruments do you play?

I play piano, guitar, bass and drums. I can emulate any instrument via my computer by combining volume and expression controllers. I also program electronic beats using Ableton and Logic X. I have an extensive sample and synthesizer library, so I find or create most sounds used in popular music today.

Do you write songs?

Yes. I have written songs that have been used as Main Title film music or Television theme music. I have written hip-hop, rock, country and pop songs. A lot of my songs are specific to a tv show. For example, I wrote the theme song to the tv show “Jail”. The title of the song is “Get Me Out.”

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I am a very avid reader and a lot of what I write about comes from is happening in my local community. Also, prior to Covid, I traveled quite a bit, so I think the experiences I had traveling also had a large influence. When it comes to writing for films or tv shows, I always look to the picture and subject matter to lead my writing. I enjoy collaborating with directors or producers to fine tune a score to their particular project.

Can you create a music library for a particular show?

Yes. I know that some shows prefer to have a large library of music to choose from instead of being scored to picture. I have done this for several tv shows.

Feature Films & Reality TV Show Scores

Jon has written the score for over 200 episodes of TV reality shows and scored 16 feature films.

“Jail” – Main Title and Composer, Langley Productions 2007-Present.

Jail: Big Texas. Langley Productions 2016-17

Destination Team USA. Directed by Adam Hootnick 2016.

Facebook: Nepal Thank You. Directed by Adam Hootnick 2015.

Air Congo: The Return of Serge Ibaka.

ESPN 30 for 30. Directed and Produced by Adam Hootnick 2014.

Jail: Las Vegas – Composer, Langley Productions 2014.

“Mercy” – Robin Thicke, Director. Jump Films 2013

“Undercover Stings” – Composer, Langley Productions 2012.

“America Wants You” -Mac Davis, Singer. Co-Songwriter and Producer. 2012

“Las Vegas Jailhouse” – Main Title and Composer, Langley Productions 2010-2012

“Vegas Strip” -Composer, Langley Productions 2011 to 2012.

“Street Patrol” – Main Title and Composer, Langley Productions 2007-2009.

“Who’s Your Caddy?” – Composer, Our Stories Films, 2007

“Im a G” – Song for the film, “Urban Justice.” – 2007

“Day by Day,” – Main Title song for the film “Half Past Dead II”. 2006

“Half Past Dead 2” – Composer, Andrew Stevens Entertainment. 2006

“Oranges” – Composer, Merhi Entertainment 2006

“Unsettled” – Composer, Resonance Pictures 2006

“Afghan Knights” – Composer, Paradox Pictures 2006

“The Devils Den” – Composer, IDT Entertainment 2006

“Tooth Fairy” Composer, for Steven J. Cannell Productions and New Arc Entertainment. 2005

“The Garden” Composer, for Steven J. Cannell Productions and New Arc Entertainment. 2005
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“Demon Hunter” Composer, for Steven J. Cannell Productions and New Arc Entertainment. 2005

2005: Wrote the score for three feature films from Steven J. Cannell Productions: “Demon Hunter,” “The Garden,” and “Tooth Fairy.”

2006: Wrote the score to the films, “Devil’s Den” and “Afghan Knights.” He has worked with directors Don Michael Paul (Half-Past Dead), and Scott Ziehl (Cruel Intentions 3).

2007: Wrote the music for the urban comedy, “Who’s Your Caddy.”

2007: Wrote the score for the film “Unsettled,” which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Slamdance Film Festival.

2007-2016: Wrote the music for Jail, Jail: Las Vegas, and Jail:Texas for Langley Productions.

Jon Lee Music studio in Santa Monica
EDUCATION:

  • USC, Thornton School of Music
    2002 – A.C. Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television
  • Aspen Music Festival and School
    1999/2000 – Composition and Piano study
  • UC Berkeley
    1983 – A.B. English

ORGANIZATIONS:

  • BMI
  • Society of Composers and Lyricists
Read a little more about Jon Lee

Follow Jon on Instagram

Jon lives in Los Angeles, California, he is an aspiring electric guitar aficionado and craft beer lover.

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