James Bane

James Bane is a graduate of Warren G. Harding High School in Warren, Ohio. The excellent music program there and the encouragement of his band director, Robert E. Fleming, were the primary reasons why he decided to pursue a career in music education. He holds degrees from the Ohio State University, the Cleveland Institute of Music/Case-Western Reserve University and the National Conservatory of Music. He also attended Cleveland State University as a post-graduate student in education. His conducting teachers were Dr. Donald McGinnis and James Levine. He served as an Associate Conductor under Clifton Williams and John Wakefield for the All-American Youth Honor Band for four years and conducted them in England, Greece, Russia and Italy. He is a member of the Music Education National Conference (MENC), the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA), the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) and the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle (CLSC). He received the Cleveland Institute of Music Silver Circle of Alumni Award in 1995, was selected jazz educator of the year at the Lakeland Jazz Festival in 1996, received a special recognition award at the Tri-C Jazz Fest in 2001, is listed several times in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers and his biography is published in numerous editions of Marquis Who’s Who in America. He spent the last twenty-seven years of his full-time teaching career as Director of Instrumental Music at Cleveland Heights High School where he conducted Symphonic Winds, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo. He retired from public school teaching in 2001 after thirty-five successful years of service. He joined the Hiram College Department of Music faculty in 2001. At Hiram College, he conducts Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo, teaches instrumental music education classes, music technology classes, supervises student teachers majoring in music education and is the faculty advisor for the Terrier Sound Marching Band.