James Stokes, Sr.

Year: 
1966

James Stokes, Sr. (BME ’58, MM ’66) is a retired NC music educator currently living in Flat Rock, NC. He highly valued his association with William Spencer, Nick Erneston, and the music faculty during his graduate studies. Stokes taught in Coeburn, VA, Laurinburg, NC and Hendersonville, NC schools from 1958 until his retirement in 1988. During his teaching career, his bands marched in the Cotton Bowl Parade, was invited twice to play during the NCMEA convention, and consistently performed at the highest “Superior” level at the state band contest. He was president of the NC Bandmasters, co-founder and conductor of the Hendersonville Symphony and Hendersonville Community Band, principal clarinet with the Asheville Symphony, and a 2007 NCBA Hall of Fame award recipient.