Jim's passion for drums has lead him to explore rhythm in many different forms. As a kid, he was beating on everything including table desks and the back seat of the family car while riding donw the road. On more than one occasion, the teacher had to make him be quiet while he was drumming his penicl erasure on his school desk. Before Jim's father died in 1993, he related an unknown story: "As a crawling baby, Jim used to get under the sink and beat on the pots and pans. He continued beating on things through grade school until he joined the school band in the 6th grade." So for Jim, whatever he could get his hands on, he would play!

That passion lead him to explore numerious musical genres over the years. It started with high school rock bands, concert band and marching band. He also studied piano. Over the years the list expanded. It included West African Djembe, Zairian Soukous, Afro-Cuban, Alternative, Rock-n-Roll, Singer Songwriter, Rhythm and Blues, Drum and Bugle Corps, Classical and any world influenced music. Music from cultures across the globe became and remains one of his strongest passions.

He also became a teacher, earning a degree in Music Education in 1981. He taught privately as well as drum classes and in 1985, he even taught high school band in eastern North Carolina. In 1987, be became a freelance musician and played with the North Carolina Symphony that summer. At that time, he also taught corps style drumming to high schools throughout eastern North Carolina and adjundicated in numerious masrching contests.

He earned a Master of Music from Northern Illinos University and more recently, a Diploma in Audio Technology from SAE Institute of Technology in Nashville in 2000. His primary goal was to become a better producer.

In the process, he also learned how to be an audio engineer and presently tracks and mixes many of thte projects he is involved in. He runs his own studio called Kalimba Studio located in Nashville.

While in Durham, NC (1987-1995), Jim studied djembe with Khalid Saleem. He has traveled to West Africa and studied music in Senegal and The Gambia with various djembe and balaphon masters. He toured nationally with the Chuck Davis African-American Dance Ensemble.