Jim Mahaffey composer / arranger

A native of Montevallo, Alabama, Jim is now known world-over for this musical compositions and arrangements for concert band, marching bands, and jazz ensembles. While serving as Assistant Professor of Music and staff arranger at Troy State University and Auburn University in his home state, Jim penned the only official publication of the Alabama State Song for band and chorus, and served as Music Director and arranger for the Miss Georgia Pageant. In his early years, more than 85 arrangements were published with Hal Leonard Publishing Company for augmented stage band, an exclusive series called the "Studio Lab Band Series."

While in school, Jim played lead trumpet for the Auburn Knights Orchestra that featured vocalist Toni Tennille and saxophonist Dave Edwards. They can be heard on their 1960 recording titled "Happy." After college Jim also did mini-tours with Billy Butterfield, June Christy, Warren Covington and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, and two summer tours abroad with "Fred Waring's "Kids from Home." His works have been performed at gatherings of the Music Educators National Conference, National Bandmasters Association, Western International Band Conference, Georgia Music Educators Association, Alabama Music Educators Association, and Texas Bandmasters Association. Jim is a member of American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and a retired member of Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Mu National Music Honorary.

Now retired from teaching and Southern Music Company, Jim and Pam spend winters in San Antonio, Texas and summer months in Lake Guntersville, Alabama. He is recently featured in the new publication "Alabama Musicians" which includes celebraties such as Nat King Cole, Hank Williams, W.C. Handy, Toni Tennille, the country group Alabama, and many others. To date, Jim has penned over 150 publications with Hal Leonard, Southern, Jalen, Matrix, Grand Mesa, F.J.H. and R.B.C. music publishing companies. New works by Jim for concert and jazz bands can be viewed and heard on the new site, www.printmusicsource.com/home.html. He continues to write commissioned works for bands over the United States, and is available to others (Contact Jim Mahaffey). His works are featured on his six CD recordings, and can also be heard from this website (see Publications).

Jim Mahaffey recently authored his very popular book, A Practical Approach to Band Arranging, a textbook-workbook designed for individual or classroom instruction, complete with a CD of recorded examples. The book includes 80 pages of valuable knowledge in a logical and sequential order that takes students from basics to a full advanced arrangement, including 26 assignments that will test the student's comprehension of lesson material. His book is used by major universities and individuals world-wide.