James A. McGeeJames musical interests began as a toddler
who was as many are, drawn to the music he heard on television and
radio. His mother reports that as a toddler, James would only
watch the television commercials for their catchy jingles. His
interest in music was noticed later on by his family who enrolled him
for drum instruction from a small school in Detroit called Metro Music.
Cass Tech was a great experience for James
and a wealth of opportunity for his musical ability. He was a
percussionist in Symphony Band under the late Jack Shelby. There he
focused on a variety of percussion instruments including Vibes and
Marimba. Although his background was strong in percussion, James
attention soon embraced the thick, sweet sounds of Bass guitar.
He made this discovery while playing for the African Dance Ensemble at
Washtenaw Community College (WCC) as well as in the WCC Jazz Band under
the late Meastro Dr. Morris Lawrence.
After years in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor,
James returned to Detroit in 1987 to study record engineering under Bob
Dennis and then assistant instructor, Rufus Harris. This is when
a 23+ year friendship between James and Rufus began. James served
under Rufus' direction as an Assistant Recording Engineer at United
Sound Studios while owned by entrepreneur and music producer Don Davis
(First Independence Bank, Jonny Taylor, The Dramatics). James is
now a certified Project Manager (PMP) who operates his own Non Profit
enterprise (Arcadia Park CDC) in Detroit, Mi.
home, the
music and the
ministry
