About the Conductor… Jim Meredith

James “Jim” Meredith retired in 2013 after a 40 career teaching middle school band in Lynchburg, Virginia. During his tenure the Sandusky Advanced Band won many awards and gave many honored performances. Among them are the Midwest Clinic in 1990, the Virginia Music Educators Conference multiple times, and several universities for their music education departments. In 2007 the band won the prestigious National Adjudicators Invitation Middle School Grand Nationals. The band typically received superior ratings at adjudicated events including 27 consecutive superiors the last 27 years of Jim’s career. Among Jim’s personal awards and honors are the 2010 Virginia Music Educator of the Year, the BandWorld/John Philip Sousa Legion Laurate (2014), and the 2015 Distinguished Alumnus Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music.

Since retiring Meredith has enjoyed a growing career as a composer writing for band and string orchestra. His music has been performed several times at the Midwest Clinic, at various state conventions, and has been written up in The Instrumentalist. “Good music played well inspires the imagination” is Meredith’s philosophy for composing because through imagination we solve problems and create worlds to visit in our minds.

He graduated from the Shenandoah Conservatory of Music in in 1974 with a BME and major in euphonium. During his college years he began to compose and his music was performed by the Shenandoah Bands and small ensembles. As a senior he was elected by his peers to the post of student conductor which allowed him to rehearse and conduct music with the Shenandoah Conservatory Wind Ensemble and Concert Band on each of their concerts that year. In his junior and senior years Jim played violin in the Shenandoah Conservatory Orchestra gaining valuable insight into orchestra literature.

In November 2021 the Virginia Band & Orchestra Directors Association inducted Jim into their Hall of Fame.

Jim has published music with MusicWorks, Schirmer, but mostly with Carl Fischer and his own company, James River Music. Jim is happily married to his wife, Kathy and enjoys his two children Laura and Michael, and his granddaughters.

“Good music performed superbly inspires the imagination and creates an emotional experience for all.”