James M. DesJardins holds a B.M. from SUNY College at Buffalo and a M.M. from SUNY College at Fredonia. He has earned specialized certifications from the University of St. Thomas and from SUNY Buffalo in Orff-Schulwerk and Music Learning Theory, respectively. He has been teaching music for 13 years in Western New York, and is a registered Music Together teacher.
Mr. DesJardins is also a sought-after guest conductor and presenter on the topics of music pedagogy and choral conducting, and has been a church musician and soloist for three decades. He has conducted honors choruses throughout the Northeast and has presented workshops for various chapters of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, Erie County Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference, as well as for the New York State School Music Association Winter and Summer conferences. Mr. DesJardins has been a guest lecturer at SUNY Fredonia, has served as composer-in-residence for the Buffalo Niagara Youth Chorus. He has been a featured composer in the Harmonia Chamber Singers Echoes of the Present Concert Series and is the 2017 recipient of the ECMEA/Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Award for Excellence in Music Education.
When he is not composing, teaching, presenting, or conducting, Mr. DesJardins enjoys exploring his city with his wife, Julienne, and their son, Luke.
