Dr. James Snell has performed as a percussionist with the Kansas City Symphony, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Opera, the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, and the Missouri Chamber Orchestra. He has performed as a timpanist with the Kansas City Symphony, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra and Missouri Chamber Orchestra. He has recorded with the New Mexico and Dallas Symphonies as well as the Dallas Wind Symphony.
He received a Bachelor of Music in percussion performance from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Master of Music in percussion performance from Southern Methodist University and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. Dr. Snell has served on the faculty of the Department of Music at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque and currently serves as Assistant Professor of percussion at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance and as a faculty member of the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan. Dr. Snell maintains an active schedule as a free-lance timpanist and percussionist.
