Members of the Ä¢¹½tv Jazz Band and Jazz Ensemble concluded their series of Zoom meetings with various guest artists by speaking with Ä¢¹½tv alumnus James Self.
Self is a 1965 graduate of Ä¢¹½tv (BSEd). His career as a teacher and as a performer spans six decades. He began composing about 25 years ago and has written over 60 works for band orchestra, solo tuba, and various chamber ensembles. Following a three-year term as a member of the US Army Band, Self taught at the University of Tennessee before moving to Los Angeles in 1974. Since then he has performed on over 1,500 soundtracks for motion pictures and television, most notably in films including Jurassic Park, Home Alone I and II, Batteries Not Included, Dennis the Menace, and Sleepless in Seattle, and as the "Mother Ship" in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Most recently he can be heard on the soundtracks for the last three Star Wars installments.
Self spoke about his career and answered questions posed by the members of the ensembles.
The Ä¢¹½tv Jazz Band is led by James Flowers. Kevin Eisensmith conducts the Ä¢¹½tv Jazz Ensemble.
Self was a recipient of Ä¢¹½tv Distinguished Alumni Award in 2003 and will return to Ä¢¹½tv in spring 2021 for a week-long residency, where he will perform with students and members of the Ä¢¹½tv music faculty.