Mary Frances Violin Collaboration | Bill Fulton

Sometimes inspiration appears when you least expect it.

While browsing TikTok, I came across an incredible violin performance by Canadian violinist, pianist, and composer Mary Frances Leahy (@mary0frances). Her creative riff immediately caught my attention, and as both a keyboardist and arranger, I couldn’t resist exploring where the music might go next.

Rather than simply playing along, I approached the performance the way I often approach my arrangements and orchestrations—by developing the harmony, adding keyboard textures, and creating a fuller musical landscape around her original violin part.

The result is a spontaneous collaboration that blends Mary Frances’ expressive violin performance with my own keyboard, harmony, and accompaniment.

One of the things I enjoy most as a Los Angeles music arranger and composer is discovering new musical ideas and building on them. Whether I’m writing for big band, orchestra, chamber ensembles, film and television, or creating collaborative performances like this one, the process always begins with listening for inspiration.

Many thanks to Mary Frances for sharing her music and providing the spark for this collaboration. I hope you enjoy hearing where her original idea led.

Watch the collaboration below, and if you enjoy this type of creative arranging, be sure to explore my collection of original compositions, big band arrangements, orchestral music, and piano arrangements throughout the site.

Keyboard, harmony, arrangement, and production: Bill Fulton