Jim Bailey served as Associate Caption Head and Percussion Instructor for The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps from 2002 to 2005. As an instructor and former marching member of the corps, Jim assisted in earning three of the six world championship titles held by the corps. He also has served on the instructional staff for the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps, worked with the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps indoor percussion program from 1996-1998, served as Program Coordinator and Caption Head for the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps and served as an arranger for Revolution Drum & Bugle Corps, among others. In 2005, Jim co-founded, instructed and composed for the Indianapolis Independent Percussion Ensemble (I-2), a youth-based performance ensemble that was a WGI Independent World Finalist in its first year of existence. As an author and composer, Jim's work has been featured by Row-Loff Productions, and his educational resources have been authored for Innovative Percussion, the Indiana Percussion Association and Yamaha Corporation of America.
As a performer, Jim was one of 50 corps members elected to travel to Japan to represent The Cavaliers and the United States in a series of performances in Tokyo and Osaka. Since then, his clinics have been seen across the United States, Japan and Europe. He has had the pleasure to work under the direction of Raymond Leopard (Indianapolis Symphony), Stephen Pratt (Indiana University) and Sir Francis McBeth. In 1996, Jim was crowned with the Percussive Arts Society's International Solo Champion. He has also played professionally around the Midwest as a concert percussionist and freelance jazz musician. Jim has been a featured clinician for the Indiana Percussion Association, Bands of America, Yamaha Corporation of America, Drum Corps International and the Percussive Arts Society as well as at several high schools and universities.
Upon earning his Bachelor in Music Education from the University of Indianapolis, Jim began a position as Director of Bands for Doe Creek Middle School and New Palestine High School, where his ensembles captured multiple state titles in both concert and marching events as well as a WGI World Championship title in 2002. Jim has served as Director of Education for the Indiana Percussion Association and serves as Educational Relations Manager for D'Addario.
