He has been performing and composing music for the past 35 years. His Bluegrass/Jazz/Country crossover group, The New Vinton County Frogwhompers Marching, Singing, Strumming, and Plucking Society - The Frogwhompers for short - were featured in the nationally syndicated PBS series, Hocking Valley Bluegrass, and have been highlighted in Bluegrass Magazine. His music has been used for Emmy Award winning documentary films and commercial advertisements as well as interpreted by various performers throughout the U.S. He has given seminars and workshops in the instruments of his specialty. He plays the six and twelve string guitars, autoharp, hammered and mountain dulcimers and the banjo. Although Jim has performed with numerous ensembles, his current single act includes American, Irish, German, French, English, Scottish, and traditional and contemporary mountain music. Jim is in constant demand for weddings, receptions, parties, school, civic and religious events. He also enjoys doing children’s presentations and has done so successfully for a number of years at festivals and special programs. As a matter of fact, Jim taught music at the Dearing Elementary School in Dearing, Georgia for over 22 years.He is totally conversant with his audience regardless of the venue and relates the history of his instruments in addition to quipping with his audience. He has been included as a regular at the Colonial Times Celebration in North Augusta, South Carolina; Ninety Six National Park, Cowpens National Battlefield, the Love Affair Festival in Tifton, Georgia; and Frontier Days and numerous other events at Georgia’s Stone Mountain. Jim has been playing and demonstrating the hammer and mountain dulcimers for nearly 40 years in locations throughout the eastern mountains and Piedmont plateau. He has performed in parks, resort areas, schools, civic, weddings, religious and private functions as well as in commercial restaurants and lounges. He is also a regular performer in Georgiaand South Carolina’s state parks. He now resides in Savannah, with his wife, Dr. Myrtle McGaw (Sam). He continues an active teaching, composing, and performing life.