James McNair
James McNair is a member of the team at Bell Trombones as an artist and educational consultant. Mr. McNair’s experience as a musician and music educator since 1992 is as vast as it is varied ranging from military musician to middle school and high school band director to elementary music teacher to private lesson teacher to college professor. Mr. McNair taught elementary music, middle school band, and high school band for 14 years in the Argyle ISD. During this time, the Argyle HS Marching Band was a 5-time UIL State Marching Band Gold Medalist and a 2-time Silver Medalist. Additionally, the Argyle Middle School Band performed at the prestigious Music For All Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis and the Argyle High School Wind Ensemble was named the 2022 TMEA 4A State Honor Band.
Prior to his arrival in Argyle, Mr. McNair served as Assistant Professor of Music, Associate Director of Bands and Coordinator of Instrumental Music Education at Texas Christian University. Previous to this appointment at TCU, Mr. McNair taught at Lake Highlands High School, The Colony High School and Cross Timbers Middle School. 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 in San Antonio.
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 many 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/Ft. Worth area, performing as Principal Trombone with the Plano Symphony Orchestra and the Lewisville Lake Symphony Orchestra, and second trombone with the East Texas Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, the Dallas Opera, the Dallas Winds, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, the Richardson Symphony Orchestra, the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, Imperial Brass, and the Chris Watson Band.
As a soloist, he has appeared with the Argyle High School Wind Ensemble and the Coyle Middle School Band on their TMEA Honor Band performances. He has also performed as a soloist with The Colony High School Wind Symphony and the Rowlett High School Brass Quintet at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. Mr. McNair is a two-time winner of the Eastern Trombone Workshop National Classical Solo Competition in Washington, D.C.
Mr. McNair has maintained a private trombone studio throughout his career and has had multiple students make various All-State groups at TMEA. Mr. McNair’s students have been accepted to the University of North Texas, Southern Methodist University, Baylor University, Oklahoma State University, Texas Tech University, Indiana University, the Eastman School of Music, and the Manhattan School of Music. His former students have earned Masters and Doctoral degrees, won positions with military bands and hold university teaching positions. 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 proudly performs exclusively on Bell Trombones and is an artist for Greg Black Mouthpieces.
Mr. McNair can be contacted via text or phone at (214) 679-1162 or email at jmcnair1968@yahoo.com. He can also be found on Facebook (James T. McNair, Jr.) and Instagram @jamesmannequin.