James started playing piano at four years old and has never stopped. Well, that's not entirely true. He did have to sleep. The point is he acquired a love for music that moved beyond the point of no return thanks to his Godfather, Ervin Sapp, who taught him for 7 years until he passed away from AIDS in 1981. James' real love lies in classical jazz, film music and musical theatre. He continued his musical training on his own for the next 25 years until enrolling in UCLA to learn how to score for film. He has written four musicals, several film scores and 1 book. He has a wife, and three beautiful children.