Jim was the one of the most amazing mentors I had. It was wonderful playing in the London Youth Orchestra and I'll never forget our memorable trip to Aberdeen. He and Gail treated us like family during the summer we stayed in London to prepare for the trip. I feel very lucky to have spent a year in his program at Althouse College and I really believe I owe him my career. He had a positive way of inspiring you to believe you could achieve success by raising your expectations through disciplined practice and work habits. Playing with him in Intrada over the last few years was a real treat as he shared his tremendous musicianship and creative ideas!