Jim started playing the guitar at age 9 after his father took him to Western Auto to buy his first guitar. After many years of study with his first guitar teacher, Bill Pileggi, in Albion NY, Jim performed as a lead guitarist with several different music groups throughout his life, but discovered a deep passion for the Classical Guitar after hearing the acoustic guitar interludes between rock songs performed by Canadian guitarist, Rik Emmett of the '80s rock group "Triumph" on many of their albums.
Jim is a 2012 Graduate of SUNY Empire State College and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music. Jim is a 2016 Graduate of the University at Buffalo Graduate School, and has earned a Master's Degree in Library Science with an emphasis in Music. He worked throughout the summer of 2016 as an Intern at the Sibley Music Library at Eastman School of Music and in the spring of 2017 doing further digitization grant work under Conservator Alice Carli in the Music Conservation Department. He is currently a PT Reference Librarian at Hoag Library in Albion NY. He created the Hoag Library Music Series, that is fast becoming a very popular music program in the community.
Jim has taught classical guitar in the Albion NY community for 21 years and is currently teaching and accepting students. Some of his students have gone on to Nazareth and Fredonia Colleges and to Eastman Community Music School.
Jim has studied privately with John Wiesenthal at Hochstein School of Music, Dr. Petar Kodzas at Eastman Community Music School and with Michael Andriaccio of the Castellani-Andriaccio Duet.
Jim played in the 2001 and 2002 National Guitar Workshop- Classical Guitar Summit master classes, located in New Milford, Connecticut. He has performed for Ricardo Cobo, Martha Masters, Andrew Leonard, Nathanal Gunod, Muriel Anderson, Kevin Cooper and Matthew Ardizzone.
Jim received certification in Orff-Schulwerk Early Childhood Music Education from Eastman School of Music in July of 2005. He is also a founding member of the Rochester Guitar Club, that formed in October of 2006, and is still going today.
Jim is a 2012 Graduate of SUNY Empire State College and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music. Jim is a 2016 Graduate of the University at Buffalo Graduate School, and has earned a Master's Degree in Library Science with an emphasis in Music. He worked throughout the summer of 2016 as an Intern at the Sibley Music Library at Eastman School of Music and in the spring of 2017 doing further digitization grant work under Conservator Alice Carli in the Music Conservation Department. He is currently a PT Reference Librarian at Hoag Library in Albion NY. He created the Hoag Library Music Series, that is fast becoming a very popular music program in the community.
Jim has taught classical guitar in the Albion NY community for 21 years and is currently teaching and accepting students. Some of his students have gone on to Nazareth and Fredonia Colleges and to Eastman Community Music School.
Jim has studied privately with John Wiesenthal at Hochstein School of Music, Dr. Petar Kodzas at Eastman Community Music School and with Michael Andriaccio of the Castellani-Andriaccio Duet.
Jim played in the 2001 and 2002 National Guitar Workshop- Classical Guitar Summit master classes, located in New Milford, Connecticut. He has performed for Ricardo Cobo, Martha Masters, Andrew Leonard, Nathanal Gunod, Muriel Anderson, Kevin Cooper and Matthew Ardizzone.
Jim received certification in Orff-Schulwerk Early Childhood Music Education from Eastman School of Music in July of 2005. He is also a founding member of the Rochester Guitar Club, that formed in October of 2006, and is still going today.
