About David Checketts
A Composer with Over 30 Years of Experience
David Checketts is an award-winning composer and arranger with over three decades of experience in music composition, orchestration, and film scoring. He specializes in creating compelling music for film, television, video games, and live performance.
David lives in Seattle, Washington, with his wife Jennetta, their children Payden and Ashlyn, and their two dogs.
Early Education
and Career
David graduated from the University of Utah in 1998 with a Bachelor’s in Music, where he arranged music for the Marching Band and Pep Band. While studying, he composed custom Wind Band arrangements and created notable works such as Festival de Ladrones, which won first place in the 1994 Biennial NBA/Merrill Jones Memorial Young Composers Band Composition Contest and was performed at the Midwest Band Clinic in Chicago.
Orchestration
and Arranging
After graduation, David became a highly sought-after Marching Band Field Music Arranger. In 2002, he was appointed Staff Music Arranger for the Olympic Spirit Band during the Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, where his arrangements were performed at both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.
Film and Media Composition
In 2006, David began a new chapter in his career as a Film and Media Composer. By 2009, he was studying under Hollywood film composers Hummie Mann and Tim Huling at the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program. Since then, he has composed original score and source music for numerous independent films.
Notable Works
and Achievements
One of David’s most meaningful compositions, Transitions for Solo Clarinet & Wind Ensemble, was written in 2012 in memory of his friend Heather Christensen, a clarinetist and band director who tragically lost her life while saving her students during a bus accident.​ In 2024, David earned his Master’s in Film Scoring from the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program, achieving his lifelong dream of writing music for film. Since then, he has been actively scoring independent films and working as a film and media composer.
Published Works
and Current Projects
David continues to compose for Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, with his music published by TRN Music Publishers and David Checketts Music.