James is a member of BMI, The Dramatist Guild of America, The American Composers Forum, The Playwrights Center,  The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc., Composers Diversity Collective, Theatre West, The Society of Composers & Lyricist, and the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers. He is the Executive Director of the Laity Institute of the Arts, a Private Arts Foundation that teaches children and adults the visual and performing arts. He is also an accomplished playwright and composer. He learned to hone his skills in musical theatre through New Musicals Inc.

 

James studied music under Emmy Award-winning and Academy Award-nominated composers such as Gerald Fried (Roots, Roots: The Next Generation, Star Trek, Napoleon, and Josephine), Thom Sharp (When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, Aladdin, Little Mermaid), 
Jerry Grant (Quantum Leap, Hired to Kill, Hunter) and composition under Dr. Russell Steinberg, one of America's leading Neo-Classical composers and performers. James has been directly or indirectly involved in the entertainment industry for over 30 years.

 

James holds BA in Theatre from California State University Dominguez Hills, where he met his wife, Delayna Goins. Later he attended UCLA, where he received his Teaching Credential and completed his training in Film Scoring from UCLA's Film Scoring program. He holds an Executive MBA from Grand Canyon University.