James earned a Bachelor of Music in Composition from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and a professional certificate from the Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program at the University of Southern California. He has a performance background in classical piano, rhythm guitar, and as a singer in choral and a cappella groups. He produced a series of Classical and Children’s CDs, and has composed music for an assortment of documentaries, web series, podcasts and theatre productions. In 2013, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the Seattle Composers Alliance.

James learned recording and mastering techniques while interning at Acoustik Musik, Ltd and on the public radio program, Pipedreams. From 2004-2008 he served as the Technical Director for public radio’s Marketplace Money, overseeing all audio content that aired on the show. He became a charter member of Mutineer Theatre Company in 2008, spearheading their production of the audio play The Miller’s Ghost. His sound design for their inaugural stage production, Lie with Me, was nominated for an LA Weekly Theatre Award. Most recently, he has worked with Sucker Punch Productions, implementing audio for the PS4 game Infamous: Second Son.