Mr. Keith James

Mr. James earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of South Carolina in 1983 and his Masters Degree in Conducting from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. He is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early Adolescent and Young Adult Music.

Mr. James began his teaching career in 1983 as an assistant band director at Walterboro HS and band director at Colleton Middle School. He was the band director at Smithfield-Selma HS in Smithfield, NC from 1986-1992; South Granville High School in Creedmoor, NC from 1992-1996; Northwest Cabarrus High School in Concord, NC from 1996-1998; and the band director at Independence High School in Charlotte, NC, from 1998-2007.

Mr. James is currently is in his 40th year of teaching. He has served as a clinician for area honor bands, several southeastern regional honor bands, as well as a marching band clinician and adjudicator for both concert and marching bands. He works with several band programs throughout the southeast and is in high demand as a winter guard judge and band clinician.

Mr. James is the section leader of the Carolina's Wind Symphony tuba section, an adult community band, and is a freelance tubist in the Charlotte area. Mr. James is an active member of the South Central District Bandmasters Association and has served on many state and district committees. Mr. James was the Jaycee’s Teacher of the Year in 1989, and teacher of the year at South Granville in 1994, and was inducted into the American School Band Directors Association in 1995.

Mr. James holds professional memberships in the North Carolina Music Educators Association, SCDBA, National Music Educators Association, North Carolina Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, Delta Omicron International Music Fraternity, Florida Federation Judges Association, and American School Band Directors Association.