Jim Ford – Music Director – MusicDirector@Rappahannockpops.org
has been a resident of Fredericksburg since 2002. As a retired 30-year Marine, he has had a long career as a professional musician, conductor, trumpet soloist and educator. Born in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1957, he graduated from High School in Laurel, Mississippi, then earned his Bachelor’s of Music
Education from the University of Southern Mississippi, then taught high school band for two years in Hattiesburg. He studied trumpet with Allan Cox, Michael Tunnell, Norbert Carnovale, Rick Chapman, and Mike Vax, and has performed with artists such as Ray Eberle, Myron Floren, Bill Watrous, Marvin Stamm, Rich Matteson, Dan Hearle, Bob Hope and others. He has written arrangements for and performed on numerous recording projects for artists, ranging in style from pop to gospel. During his Marine Corps career, he served as music arranger and trumpet soloist with the Marine Corp Band, New Orleans, and was on the faculty of the Armed Forces School of Music in Norfolk, VA, instructing band performance, rehearsal techniques,
conducting, advanced academics, and trumpet. As a Band Officer, he was Music Director and Officer in Charge of the Marine Corps Band, San Diego from 1992-1996 and the Marine Corps Band, Okinawa, Japan from 1996 to 2002. For the last ten years of his career he was Head of the Marine Corps Music Program, retiring from the Pentagon in 2012. He has performed as a conductor, soloist, educator and adjudicator across the US and abroad, including performances for/with Bob Hope and Vicki Lawrence; Indianapolis 500; Professional football, baseball, and hockey games; 1994 World Cup Soccer finals; Yokohama Birthday Concert at Minato Mirai Hall, Yokohama, Japan; International Rugby Sevens at Hong Kong stadium; The Royal Show, Perth, Western Australia; Queensland Brass Band Championships, Australia; International Port Visit, Qingdao, China; Iwo Jima Island; Phnom Phen, Cambodia. Jim earned a Master of Education degree with emphasis in Leadership of Educational Organizations in 2012 from American International University and a Master of Science in International Hospitality Management in December 2013 from Stratford University. Besides teaching and performing throughout the Northern Virginia region, Jim is the owner of The Popcorn Bag, a gourmet popcorn shop in Eagle Village, which has included a giving back to the local community through partnerships and support of civic, youth, and charitable organizations, called “Popping for a Purpose”. The Popcorn Bag was recently recognized as “2018 Small Business of the Year” by the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is married to Helen Flores Ford, of Houston, TX, a 30-year beauty industry professional and founder of the original “Popcorn Bag”.
FIRST VIOLIN
- Kevin Crowder
- Brian Schmidt
- Alison Rolf
- Peter Wong
- Luke Gray
- Connor Skelly
- Zach Payne
- Kathy Buchanan
- Kelsey Payne
- Gheorghe Tomoiaga
- Robyn Bauer
SECOND VIOLIN
- Charles Stout
- Katie Martino
- Ioana Weathers
- David Kalman
- Denise McCollum
- Catriona Kimball
- Priscilla Scott
- Simone Stephens
- Matthew Dunmire
- Lydia Foster
- Briana Fiegl
VIOLA
- Ron Barricklow
- Kelly Barricklow
- Kelly Ralston
- Chloe Rippel
- Kaylee Payne
- Aili Barricklow
- Marta Perrine
- Caroline Dunmire
CELLO
- Chris Abeel
- Margery Schafer
- Kathy Pellegreen
- Rebekah Noe
- Courtney Jones-Peters
- Peter Worford
BASS
- David Yohe
- Randy Sharp
- Luke Gray
- Patrick Peapples
- Rachel Conway
HARP
- Marthellen Hoffman
- Ryleigh Wood
PIANO
- Amy Shirk
- McKenneth King
FLUTE
- Kelly Kazik
- Allison Langridge
- Sue Muchler
- Marla Snyder
- Tina Christie
- Jennifer Bailey
OBOE
- Claire Workinger
- Brendan Shirk
- Laurel Sieberts
- Mary Stout
- Marty Riedl
- Melissa McCreary
- Mary Padilla
CLARINET
- Kay Reid
- Kevin Paxton
- John Robie
- Erika Batalla
- Lisa Bogardus
BASS CLARINET
- Erika Batalla
- Joe Shy
BASSOON
- Eunice Richardson
- Jarrett Rodriguez
- Karen O’Donoghue
- William Jokela
- Kim Elkins
SAXOPHONE
- Ron Pronk
- Scott Shirk
- Will Gillespie
- Amy Shirk
- Aaron Shirk
- Brian Washington
TRUMPET
- David Mersiovsky
- Michael Huffman
- Charles Workinger
- Tim Otis
- Jonathan Allison
- John Schranz
HORN
- Damien Bollino
- Colleen Shaffer
- Josh Wagner
- Jason Homard
- Joshua Mitchell
- Tina Gemmill
- Katie Settle
- Robby O’Brien
- Jacob Mitchell
- George Harple
TROMBONE
- James Kazik
- Eddie Steenstra
- John Fitzmaurice
- Jim Breakiron
- Doug Haas
BASS TROMBONE
- Kevin Hertlein
- Gary Carper
TUBA
- Kate Wohlman
- Max Yarrow
- Michael Paquette
- Gary Carper
PERCUSSION
- Rainier Homoroc
- James Steimer
- Jordan Snow
- Chris Mallory
- Nora McIntire