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Like many theater professionals, Jim became interested in theater in high school. Working on sets and lights, he fell in love with the ability to create worlds on the stage while developing friendships and memories that have stayed with him ever since.
However, it was during his undergraduate studies that he developed an appreciation for the importance of sound design in the theater. During his second year, because of Jim’s ability to play the trumpet, an MFA student approached him and asked if he would design the sound for his thesis project. Called Beethoven’s on First, this was a puppet show about a boy whose two loves — baseball and music — come together in a fanciful dream. This new focus on sound changed the direction of Jim‘s undergraduate studies, culminating into projects during his senior year that relied heavily upon sound and music: Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus and a version of The Magic Flute developed by the legendary puppeteer Frank Ballard (involving over 150 puppets coordinated to a pre-recorded English version of the opera).
To further deepen his appreciation and expertise in sound design, Jim went to the Yale School of Drama as part of a new branch of the Technical Design and Production Management program where he studied under the tutelage of David Budries. In his subsequent design work, for directors ranging from Tom O’Horgan to Charles Morley to Dianne McIntyre, Jim found —and continues to find — new inspiration to explore further the scientific, technical and aesthetic aspects of sound as he strives to create compelling and nuanced soundscapes for the theater.
Jim‘s academic credentials include:
MFA, Technical Design and Production Management, Yale School of Drama, 1993.
• Studied the standard core program, with a focus on sound design and technology.
• Wrote a thesis entitled The Localization and Diffusion of Sound Sources when used as Artistic Medium in Theatrical Presentation.
BFA, Design and Technical Theatre, University of Connecticut, 1987.
• Studied all aspects of theater, with a concentration on Lighting and Sound Design.
Dante Level 2 Certification, 2018, www.audinate.com
Jim also maintained a commitment to ongoing professional education throughout his career. He completed various licensing and certification programs (such as an Indoor Pyrotechnics License and a Level 2 Dante certification). Also, through seminars and self-tutorials, he developed expertise in new equipment and software for sound and projection engineering. Currently, he is learning about virtual reality cameras as well as their editing and playback software.
Further information on Jim’s academic and professional studies is available upon request.
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