 Expressing his views, he once wrote that the American composer should apply the universal principles of his art to the local and special elements of the subject-matter as they appeal to him, and then, consciously or unconsciously, manifest his individuality, which will involve the expression of mental traits and moral tendencies peculiar to his European ancestry, as we find them modified by the new American environment.A good deal of Kelley's music was published by Arthur Farwell's Wa-Wan Press in the early years of the twentieth century.In addition to his work as a composer, Kelley was active as a writer on music, continuing after his early experience with the "Examiner" in San Francisco.