Composer and musician proficient on: Flutes, Clarinets, Saxophones, Oboe, English Horn, French horn, Trumpet, Electric bass, and ethnic wind instruments. Musician-composer Nik Phelps lives in San Francisco with his wife, Nancy, two dogs, and five cats. Having spent twenty years as a wind instrument performance specialist, Nik began to focus on composition upon joining the Club Foot Orchestra in 1989. In the CFO, which is widely known for creating eclectic new soundtracks for silent films, Nik began working with techniques of modern and period composition that he had immersed himself in as an instrumental musician. His work for this group includes music for Fritz Lang's Metropolis, Buster Keaton's Sherlock, Jr., and G.W. Pabst's Pandora's Box. Nik's recent compositions include music for Intel and the Smithsonian Institute, films by Nina Paley, Rock Ross, Michael Rudnick, Jason Shiga and Ken Paul Rosenthal, and music for the CBS animated series The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat. In October 1996 Nik was nominated for an Annie for Individual Achievement in Music by The International Animated Film Society (ASIFA) for songs he wrote for the Felix series. As a result of his associations with both ASIFA and, later, Film Arts Foundation (FAF), he realized that he would like to develop a wider audience for his music, and for the wealth of excellent non-commercial animation and film being currently produced by veteran artists and skilled newcomers. In early 1997, he founded the Sprocket Ensemble along with the concert series Ideas in Animation, in which he presents workshop performances of his original music along with screened images featuring a variety of performing artists, and is currently putting together concert versions of this new work being produced by both experimental and established animators and directors. In 1997, the Sprocket Ensemble was featured in concert at the 13th Annual Film Arts Festival, won an SF Weekly Wammie in the Beyond field, and provided ninety minutes of new music at the- Opus 415. In 1998, Nik obtained the fiscal sponsorship of the Film Arts Foundation, and received grants through The Better World Fund and Meet The Composer to create new compositions for concerts for Ideas in Animation and the Bay Area New Music Marathon. Current projects include playing, composing, and arranging music for the Sprocket Ensemble, playing with the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, and working on new chamber music. Current recording activity includes work with Tom Waits, animation music for Wild Brain animation studio and CD-ROM music for LucasArts. Nik has appeared with Tony Bennett, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Frank Zappa, Joe Williams, Tom Waits, Dan Hicks, and numerous other popular musicians. He is currently heading the series "Ideas in Animation" with his group, the Sprocket Ensemble, composes and plays in the Club Foot Orchestra, and appears regularly with the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra, and the Forward Woodwind Quartet. Besides his playing and writing, Nik acts as a consultant in woodwind instrument and mouthpiece technology and modification.