James first picked up a pair of drumsticks aged 5 and hasn't looked back since. 20 years later He is now an in demand freelance musician and educator. James grew up in Dorset and from a young age was heavily involved in the local music scene, playing with the Wessex Youth Orchestra, Bournemouth Youth Jazz Orchestra and Dorset Youth Jazz Orchestra. Before long he found himself in demand as a session musician working with a variety of local ensembles. In 2010 James moved to London having been offered a scholarship to study at the London College of Music where he studied under Jeremy Cornes, Chris Baron, Jez Wiles and David Jackson, graduating in 2013. Since then James has continued to work as a freelance musican and has performed across the country and abroad having performed with a wide range of ensembles including Royal Ballet, The Band Of the Royal Scott’s Guards, sax fusion, opus 20 big band, paraiso school of samba, Thames Tv Big Band, questa voce, the Gilbert and Sullivan society, Orlando brass, Bournemouth concert brass, egham brass, the philharmonia britanica, Jersey chamber orchestra, gillingham brass, Oxford operatic society, Wolverhampton choral society, Bournemouth symphony chorus and several others as well as many musical theatre performances including Bare, sweet charity, Sweeney Todd, Beauty and the Beast, Barnham, Grease, Anything Goes and Hairspray to name but a few. James has also performed at several prestigious venues including Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Royal Albert Hall, Royal Featival Hall and at the Closing Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games. James is also an experienced educator in music and is currently Head of Percussion at Wycombe Abbey International school as well as an examiner for RSL. He has held previous positions with Bucks Learning Trust Music, Berkshire Maestros, Bournemouth School Of Music, Harefield Academy and the Education Group.