James McNair

Bach 36B with custom finish

 James McNair is in his 13th year with Argyle Band Staff and his 26th year as a music educator. Mr. McNair teaches 6th grade beginner brass classes and assists with the Argyle High School Marching Band and the Middle School Varsity and Non-Varsity Bands.
 

Mr. McNair’s experience as a musician and music educator over the past 30 years is as vast as it is varied ranging from military musician to middle school band director to elementary music teacher to private lesson teacher to college professor. Mr. McNair served as Assistant Professor of Music, Associate Director of Bands and Coordinator of Instrumental Music Education at Texas Christian University from 2005-2008. Previous to this appointment at TCU, Mr. McNair taught at Lake Highlands High School with Marion West, The Colony High School with Dick Clardy, and Cross Timbers Middle School with Jolette Wine. Mr. McNair is an active clinician, consultant, and adjudicator throughout the state and has been a clinician for the Texas Music Educators Convention and Texas Bandmasters Conventions.
 

Mr. McNair is a former member of The “President’s Own” United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C. where he performed regularly at the White House for the President of the United States, on Marine Band recordings, and on national tours. Mr. McNair is also in high demand as one of the most versatile freelance trombonists in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He performs regularly with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, the Plano Symphony Orchestra, and Imperial Brass. He has performed in the past with the Dallas Winds, the Dallas Opera, and the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Mr. McNair’s recording credits include appearances with the Dallas Winds, The “President’s Own” Marine Band, Imperial Brass, Death Ray Davies, and the Chris Watson Band. As a soloist, he has performed with the Dallas Winds, twice at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, and once at TMEA. Mr. McNair is a two-time winner of the Eastern Trombone Workshop National Classical Solo Competition in Washington, D.C.
 

Mr. McNair was recognized at the 2016 TCU Trombone Summit and presented the “Unsung Hero Award” for his contributions to the trombone community through teaching and performance. Also in 2016, he was named Teacher of the Year for Argyle Intermediate School.
 

Mr. McNair earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from East Texas State University where his primary teachers were Dr. Neill H. Humfeld and Jimmy Clark. He also earned a Master of Music in trombone performance from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
 

Mr. McNair resides in Hurst with his lovely wife, Christin McNair, who is a band director in the Mansfield Independent School District. He is very proud of his son, James Thomas McNair, III who is a freshman Sports Management major at Texas Tech University. In his free time, Mr. McNair enjoys road trips, cycling, hiking, live music, and working part-time at Revolver Brewing in Granbury, Texas.
 

Lastly, Mr. McNair would like to thank Steve Bell of Bell’s Music for the beautiful custom finish on the Bach 36 Stradivarius he is using in today’s performance of “Bolivar!”