Brief Biographical Sketch:

Since he began playing percussion, James has performed chamber and solo percussion works throughout America as well as Canada and France. James has also performed with ensembles such as the Contemporary Chamber Players, the Michigan State Wind Symphony, the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. and the Interlochen All-State Orchestra, under the batons of Gary Lewis, Leonard Slatkin, and Kevin Sedatole.

He has also been a featured soloist with the Michigan State University Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras during his time at MSU and recently received the Grand Prize Award at the fourth annual Southern California Marimba Competition.

James began his teaching career at the age of seventeen. Since then, he has led multiple drum lines and marching bands to state and national championships, helped multiple private students succeed at solo and ensemble festivals, and was recently awarded the position of teaching assistant at SUNY Stony Brook, where duties involve designing and teaching the curriculum for the undergraduate percussion studio. This passion as an educator has also led him to present multiple masterclasses and other percussion events over the Michigan and New York area.

Recently, James performed in a concert consisting entirely of newly commissioned works with the Contemporary Chamber Players in New York City. The commissioning and collaboration of new music is important to James, and he is quickly becoming very involved throughout New York. Throughout his career James has worked closely with composers such as John Mackey, William Bolcom, Ricardo Lorenz, Carter Pann, Felix Pastor, John Corigliano, and Joel Puckett. Currently he is part of the commission for "Book of Grooves" by composer Alejandro Vinao and is scheduled to perform the New York premiere this year. James has also performed Gérard Grisey's Le Noir de l'Etoile with the Yellow Barn Music Festival as a part of an Artist Residency, and was recently awarded first place at the Southern California Marimba Competition.

In the genre of popular and world music, James has been able to flourish in the New York City area. James has become the drummer for the Stony Brook Big Band and the band leader/drummer for a new Salsa band based in Stony Brook, founded by James himself. He is very active as a gigging drummer/percussionist and currently plays with local musicians in and around the New York City area on a regular basis. James is an endorsed Vic Firth Artist through the Young Artist Program and performs exclusively with Vic Firth sticks and mallets.

Past Classes