With over 30 years of musical experience, Mike Watts has worked primarily in the movie, television, and record industries. His many collaborators include film composers John Williams, James Horner, and James Newton Howard and recording artists Christina Aguilera, Garth Brooks, Toni Braxton, Trisha Yearwood and Whitney Houston.
The majority of his work has been in the film industry. One of the first films he worked on was Unforgiven, composed by Lennie Niehaus and directed by Clint Eastwood. Since then he has worked as a composer, orchestrator, conductor, and even studio musician for numerous films. He has composed music for such films as The Black Dahlia, Ant Bullies and The Devil Wears Prada. His television credits include themes and other music for CBS News, and the NFL Monday Night Football. Other projects include music for the 2002 Para Olympic Games, the 2000 Super Bowl Half Time Show, and the Sims Medieval video game.
In addition to his movie and television credits, Watts has a strong professional connection to the Disneyland resorts. Among his many projects, he orchestrated music for the Christmas rendition of the popular attraction the Haunted Mansion, and he also arranged and orchestrated the “Share a Dream" theme for Disney's 100th Anniversary (which was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra).
Watts reflects, “I've…worked with lots and lots of very gifted people, and remained truly humbled by the majority of them."
At Biola, he teaches the Advanced Music Tech and Film Scoring course. Though much of his work is in orchestration, composition, and arrangement, Watts also plays piano, synthesizer, and accordion.
Outside of his work in the entertainment industry, Watts serves as the music director at his church.
Biola University