James William Stamm completed his classical guitar and theory/composition B.F.A. at Marshall University in Huntington WV. As of the release of PATTERNS, he is completing an M.F.A. in film music composition at UNC School of the Arts. His musical background also includes songwriting. Jimmy’s ambition going forward is to continue creating concert works and establishing a career in film scoring, songwriting, and sharing music of all kinds.
Today, Jimmy is our featured artist in “The Inside Story,” a blog series exploring the inner workings and personalities of our artists. Read on to discover what makes up the artists who have inspired Jimmy the most in his career…
When did you realize that you wanted to be an artist?
I believe that artistry for me came as an accumulation of existence. It seems more and more that I became such as I am because of how I identify in life. Identity comes from a very troublesome game of action/reaction and your personal judgement as to what kind of reactions you enjoy from your actions. I enjoy the wide spectrum of reactions that music and art can evoke through individual interpretation. One piece or song can mean many different things to different people.
Who were your first favorite artists growing up?
There isn’t a specific group or genre or period of music (artists) that I would like to reference here. Some artists I was shown, others had just fallen unto my lap. But one recurring trait these artists had was uniqueness and individuality. They strove for nothing but what their hearts and minds lead them towards and what they believed in. They sacrificed moderate lives for causes that they kept behind them during their artistic movements. They are the true inspirations in the world of art. These are my favorites of all time.
Asymmetry on PATTERNS is now available for streaming or purchase through Navona Records. Click here to explore this new album.
