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- James
Coffey
- Award-Winning
- Singer/Songwriter
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- AWARDS AND
HONORS
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- 2000 Children's Music Web Award Winner
"Animal Groove" (www.childrensmusic.org)
- 1999 Parents' Choice Award for the Video
"Lots & Lots of Trains"
- 1999 Parents' Choice Award for the CD
"Animal Groove"
- 1998 Parents' Choice Award for the CD "Come
Ride Along With Me"
- 1st Place Award-Children's Programming, The
Kind Club Show, Alliance For Community Media,
Washington D.C.
- Award For Academic Excellence-IPFW
- Award For High Scholastic Achievement-IPFW
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BIOGRAPHY
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- Having settled in Fort Wayne, Indiana after
living briefly in Chicago, Jim started to become
more and more aware of his growing interest in
music. He began piano lessons at the age of 8.
At the age of twelve he began listening closely
to the musical revolution unfolding around him.
Little by little the usual childhood pursuits of
playing basketball and watching TV were replaced
with hours upon hours of sitting at an old
upright piano in his family basement taking
every opportunity to hear the latest recordings
and then working diligently to copy every note
and every rhythm.
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- Through the 60s and 70s Jim became
fascinated by the multitude of musical styles
that existed. Blues melodies and Latin rhythms
as well as classical, jazz and folk music all
became new avenues to be explored. One day he
would be listening to the improvisational
melodies of the great Art Tatum and the next day
a Mozart string quartet. His hunger for diverse
forms soon brought him to combine them into the
beginnings of his own musical style. By his
early teens he was already composing and
performing original music.
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- After high school he decided to try his hand
at playing music professionally. He was asked to
join a successful Top 40 band playing many of
the more upscale clubs and vacation resorts in
Indiana and Ohio. It was nice being able to make
a decent living playing music. But being
constantly on the road left little time for his
own musical growth. So after a few years he
found himself applying to Indiana University.
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- College proved to be a tremendous growing
time for him musically. With his existing skills
as a composer the initial challenges of music
theory and composition were easily mastered
earning him two awards for academic excellence.
He participated in as many musical opportunities
as possible oftentimes with a full schedule of
required classes along with extra studies in
18th Century counterpoint and composition. His
keyboard skills increased through strict
classical training along with at least 4-6 hours
of practice every day. He was given many
performing opportunities including the honor of
being the piano soloist with the university
orchestra for the premier of a new orchestral
piece by Canadian composer David Roe which was
later broadcast on PBS radio.
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- Soon after graduation in 1982, Jim was
working as a freelance musician when he was
offered a teaching position at a rural
elementary school. Even though his degree
permitted him to teach all areas of music he was
not totally prepared for the task at hand. So
his first priority was to assemble the materials
that would accomplish the goals and objectives
he was going to set for his students. This is
when he realized the tremendous void that
existed in quality music for children. Most of
the music he found had not changed since the
days when he was in elementary school. So it
seemed only natural that he put his composing
skills to work and began writing songs that not
only entertained his students but taught the
basic skills of rhythm, notation, ear training,
sight&endash;singing and music theory.
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- His class soon became the highlight of every
students week. What they appreciated most was
not being force fed the same old music that most
grown&endash;ups thought they should be
listening to. His students weren't just studying
the latest trends, they were experiencing all
that modern music had to offer live in their
classroom. And he was pleasantly surprised not
only by the positive response he was receiving
from his students but also the comments and
letters of appreciation he regularly received
from their parents.
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- In 1994, after 12 years of being a music
educator, Jim resigned his teaching position and
began devoting all his time and efforts to
composing, recording and performing quality
original music for children of all ages. In 1995
he created his own music production company,
BLUE VISION MUSIC, and soon after released his
first project "Waddle Penguin" which has
received outstanding reviews from librarians,
video producers, educators, parents and
children. In 1996 he composed and recorded the
theme "Always Be Kind" for the children's
television show "The Kind Club" aired on The
Learning Channel. This series recently won the
1997 "Hometown Video Festival Award" in the
category of children's programs. The award was
given by The Alliance for Community Media in
Washington D.C. which annually for the past 20
years has reviewed and awarded excellence for
media productions emphasizing community
development. Out of 305 cities and over 1,423
entries The Kind Club, which teaches the
importance of kindness and courtesy to all
living creatures, received first place in the
children's category.
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- Jim has also worked closely with TM Books
& Video, one of the nation's leading
producers of train and toy train videos, on
several productions including "Toy Trains &
Christmas" which received national attention
when segments were aired on "The Late Late Show
with Tom Snyder". TM's latest production "I Love
Toy Trains 4", features 9 original songs written
and recorded by James Coffey. Most recently Jim
has completed his second CD project entitled
"Come Ride Along With Me" featuring many songs
from the "I Love Toy Trains" series as well as
many favorites from his recent performances.
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PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE
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- Owner, Blue Vision Music, Music Production
Company (1994-present)
- "Shana Banana-Music & Fun For Kids",
Audio, Walrus Records (Instrumentals
Tracks-James Coffey/Blue Vision Music)
- "Animal Groove", Audio, Blue Vision
Music(Parents' Choice Award Winner, Sesame
Street Parent Magazine "Editor's Choice")
- "Lots & Lots of Trains", Video, Superior
Home Video (Parents' Choice Winner)
- "Children's Sing-Along", Audio, The Singing
Machine
- "Come Ride Along With Me", Audio, Blue
Vision Music (Parents' Choice Award
Winner)
- "Time To Relax", Audio, Mary Reiter
InnerActive
- "I Love Toy Trains", Video, TM Books
& Video
- "Toy Trains & Christmas", Video, TM
Books & Video
- Toy Trains & Christmas II", Video, TM
Books & Video
- "Station at CitiCorp", Video, TM Books
& Video
- "I Love Christmas" , Video, TM Books
& Video
- "Lionel the Movie II & III", Video,
TM Books & Video
- "Toy Trains & Christmas", Music CD,
TM Books & Video/Blue Vision Music
- "Kind Club Show", Television, TLC (The
Learning Channel)
- "Waddle Penguin", Audio, Blue Vision
Music
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- Elementary Music Educator-Central Noble
Community Schools
- 12 years Experience (1982-1994)
- Responsibilities Included:
- K Through 5 General Music
- Gifted/Talented Music Program
- 5th Grade Instrumental Music
- Planning And Performing Musical Programs
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- Three Rivers Festival-Ft. Wayne, Indiana
(1994)
- Responsible For Planning And Performing For
Children's Day Event
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- Gifted/Talented Music Program-Central Noble
Community Schools
- Employed By Corporation To Develop A
Gifted/Talented Program
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- Professional Musician/Songwriter
- 23 years Experience
- Written 150+ Songs And Musical Plays
- Performs As Soloist And With Various
Instrumental Ensembles
- Soloist With The IPFW Orchestra Broadcast On
WBNI Public Radio
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EDUCATION
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- Indiana University -1981 Bachelors Of Music
Education
- Indiana University -1989 Masters Of
Education Science
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TECHNICAL
EXPERTISE
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- Computer Experience
- Macintosh
- Vision/StudioVision Software
- Video Graphics And Animation
- VideoVision/Adobe Premier
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- Recording Experience
- Multi-Track Recording
- Digital Audio
- Mixing
- Multi-Timbral Keyboards
- Digital Video
- Non-Linear Editing
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SPECIAL
STUDIES
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- Conducting-Ronald Ondrejka, Conductor, Fort
Wayne Philharmonic
- Form & Analysis-Dr. James Ator, IPFW
- 18th Century Counterpoint-Darwin Lites
- Piano-Dr. Masson Robertson, IPFW
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