James is an award-winning composer and sound artist who studied Composition at the Schulich School of Music under the direction of Philippe Leroux. Originally from Vancouver, he remained in Montreal after graduating from McGill University.
Visit James' website to learn more about him.
From Fall 2015
Where are you now and how did you get where you are?
I continue to live and work in Montréal, and am engaged in new projects with ensembles and organisations across Canada and elsewhere. For the first time I am making a living off of my art - something that seemed near-impossible only a few years ago.
In terms of how I got here, I tend to take things as they come. A quality which has helped me is a kind of thirst to keep busy and curious and invested in a community. So, I've been persistently engaged, lucky with a smattering of recent successes, and subsequently momentum has certainly been building the past few years. The nice thing about working in the arts is that you are usually working with other artists, who tend to be curious, ambitious, generous people. I think we recognise that in each other and support each other. I feel lucky to be part of our community, and I think any success I have had comes from wanting to contribute to it.
Do you have a story from your time at McGill?
No wacky 'Animal House' hijinks to speak of, but if there's something that really connects me to a memory of the place, it's the many recordings I made in the Digital Composition Studios or at CIRMMT. Usually very late at night (when there was minimal chance for noise bleeding through from nearby practice rooms), I would go alone to these studios with various objects and record for hours. So, I have these recordings of celery breaking and being peeled apart, of balloons popping inside of pianos, and so on, that I've used in various ways in different compositions of mine - some of which I continue to turn to for material. So, every time I work with these recordings, or hear them in a piece of mine, however heavily manipulated and recontextualised, I am immediately pulled to the time and place in which I recorded them. It's a kind of simple, unglamorous activity, but the bonding strength of those memories are what gives me my fondest connection to my time at McGill and I think a permanent deep connection to those recording spaces. Particularly those recordings I made that interact with the site itself, like footsteps and door squeaks on the farthest stairwell of the East wing, have cemented a lasting personal connection.
What do you take away from your McGill experience?
I think the biggest thing is the personal connections I made with other students. While I was there I got pretty heavily involved with a lot of student-driven activities like concerts at the music library, regular score-reading and listening sessions. I was closely involved in the creation of the McGill Association for Student Composers, and the Montréal Contemporary Music Lab, which are both still going strong. I'm still involved with the latter and we're planning our 5th year.
Many of these activities took place off-campus and have continued outside of McGill, but there was a real spark of community while I was there - so many ambitious, enterprising people who wanted to contribute something.
What advice would you give a current student?
It's a very big school and I think sometimes it can feel like the wheels are turning without you. One thing that was difficult for me was communicating any struggles that I had - in a smaller department it's more typical that each person knows where everyone's coming from and what they're working on. At McGill I felt I really had to be upfront and direct about what my needs as a student were: usually when I worked up the courage, it paid off. So, I think one thing is not to be afraid to voice concerns and ask for help. Part of that is having a good support network of peers.
I think it's absolutely essential to get out of the McGill bubble and see what else the city has to offer. Get involved with the many forward-thinking cultural organisations here, it will be a fantastic way to grow and learn from this amazing city. For students who don't speak French, this can be a challenge, but in my experience, any effort (no matter how small) to reach out and join the existing culture in the city is met very warmly and openly.
Watch the McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble perform "IF:IFF" by James O'Callaghan on Youtube. This performance took place on April 9, 2014 in Pollack Hall at the Schulich School of Music.
