For years a professor of composition at the University of Kansas, James Barnes has written six symphonies, with his Third Symphony ranking as one of the great masterworks in the symphonic band literature, as well as a full catalog of overtures and tone poems which immerse the listener in a rich sound world.
Earlier this year, the author asked colleagues and former students to synthesize their thoughts about Barnes as a composer, teacher and friend on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Here are their replies.
Barnes as Composer: “How Music Impacts the Soul”
Without fail, those close to Barnes praise his gift of orchestration as well as a keen instinct and understanding for what works and what doesn’t with all instruments in the band.
- “There are very few composers who know and understand the sonic capabilities of the wind band as well as Jim Barnes.” – Mark Camphouse, band composer and professor, George Mason University
- “He understands his craft. His form, orchestration, wonderful melodic material, creative and logical development all contribute to a musical architecture which is essential if a piece is to have an intrinsic musical worth.” – Paula Crider, Professor Emeritus, University of Texas at Austin
- “[His] music goes somewhere. Most composers’ music does not do this. It just starts and then stops somewhere. If it goes somewhere, it takes the listener along with it.” – band composer W. Francis McBeth
- “His music soars and careens through the air. It is full of that biting wit and wry humor that we witness day by day with Jim. But it is overflowing with chromatic counterpoint and sensitive interplay, and at times, a quiet angst flowing from that private world that composers seem to be able to speak from with only their music. It is that combination of worlds that makes Jim Barnes’ music endearing to the listener.” – David Holsinger, band composer and professor, Lee University
Barnes’ music can produce sincere and, every so often, overwhelming emotional responses. Composed after the death of his infant daughter, Natalie, his Third Symphony is draining, acerbic, agonizing, and only until the finale, cathartic.
- “One of the most memorable moments I had with the Air Force Band was when we recorded his Third Symphony. The movement remembering his daughter is heart-wrenching. When we finished playing it for the recording, no one moved, spoke or looked at each other. We were in tears and emotionally spent. As a result, it took an extended time to compose ourselves just to move. That play-through is what one hears on the recording. It is a reminder of how music impacts the soul.” – Lt. Col. Lowell E. Graham (Ret.), former conductor of the United States Air Force Band; current professor, University of Texas-El Paso
Barnes as Teacher: “The Dr. Phil of Orchestration”
Barnes combines tough love with a caring attitude when working with his composition students.
- “If he thinks your writing is garbage, he will tell you. He does this because he wants the best for his students instead of telling them what they want to hear. He tries to prepare his students for the real world. He’s sort of like the Dr. Phil of orchestration. He tells it like it is.” – Britt Burns, former composition student and Los Angeles-based composer
- “I was working on a piece that just wasn’t coming together correctly – I couldn’t figure out what to do differently, and when I went to my lesson, neither could he. Over the weekend, I didn’t get anywhere with the piece, but when I came in to see him Monday morning, he was all excited to see me and said, ‘Dan, I was out on a Boy Scout camping trip with [Barnes’ son] Billy over the weekend, and I was laying there at night, thinking about your piece while I couldn’t sleep, and I thought of something…’ And he had a perfect solution for making the piece work, for me…That’s the Jim Barnes I know as a teacher.” – Dan Forrest, former composition student and professor, Bob Jones University
Barnes as Friend: “A Master Storyteller”
Barnes’ musical endeavors have allowed him to strike up countless friendships in and beyond Lawrence, Kansas, and he cites Col. Arnald Gabriel as one friend he most admires.
- “I first met Jim Barnes when he was a camper at KU. I have completed 40 years as a conductor at the Midwest Music Camp at KU, so I have been friends with Jim all that time and have followed his career with great pleasure…It has been a pleasure to watch Jim grow from a student to one of the nation’s foremost composers.” – Col. Arnald Gabriel (Ret.), former commander and conductor of the United States Air Force Band (1964-1985)
And those who know Barnes well know that he hasn’t met a story he doesn’t like to tell. A conversation with him can turn on a dime from discussing the music of Béla Bartók to former Kansas head basketball coach Ted Owens. Somehow, it all fits.
- “Jim is a master storyteller, and one of my favorites is his version of my last day working at the old Sirloin Stockade restaurant in Lawrence. I myself remember that day well, but Jim’s version of the story, the way he tells it, is far more entertaining than mine. It reminds me of what Huckleberry Finn says about his creator, Mark Twain: There were some things he stretched, but he told the truth mostly...Jim Barnes is a great teacher and a great friend, and I treasure the time I spent with him.” – John Prescott, former composition student and composer; professor of composition, Missouri State University
This is Barnes’ 34th year on the KU music faculty, so more composing, teaching and yarn-spinning is still to come. For an introduction to Barnes’ music, his Third and Fifth Symphonies, as well as his exceptional Fantasy Variations on a Theme of Niccolo Paganini, are available for download on iTunes.
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