JAMES MARSHALL

James Marshall is a composer, clarinetist, and music educator who comes from a musical family; his father was a band director, and his mother was a capable pianist. Excelling in band and taken with the instrument's tone and versatility, James himself became a composer/clarinetist and has taught private lessons throughout the many phases of a career dedicated to advancing clarinet pedagogy. He began formal study at the SMU Meadows School of the Arts on the Garrigues Foundation Scholarship (BM 1971), and at Catholic University (MM 1974). He benefitted from sessions in composition with George Crumb 1972-1975 and was granted a fellowship to UC San Diego (1975-1976) where he collaborated with contrabassist Bert Turetzky, who became a friend and mentor to James and encouraged his compositional talents. As a young musician, James was fortunate to serve as a clarinetist with the United States Air Force Band stationed in Washington, D.C. A true Texan, Jim worked at a day job in bank operations in his native Dallas from 1979 until his retirement in 2014. Since "retirement" the end of 2014, he has begun composing in the Finale Program. He teaches private students and holds Clarinet Clinics based on his approach to clarinet pedagogy (Formative Foundations). Working in the schools, he has updated his Tonal and Technical Studies for Beginning Clarinet published by Mel Bay Music Publishers. He has composed new pieces for band and chamber orchestra as well as for clarinet including Cloud Metamorphosis for Clarinet Sextet , and the English Sonatina for young clarinetists ( an educational level piece) premiered on a repertoire recital by Alison Eales in London in January, 2019. Alison Eales commissioned English Autumn for Clarinet and String Trio in the same year. The Sonatina is published by Mel Bay Music Publishers in Lyrical Solos form the British Isles featuring the English Sonatina.