James McKinney

James McKinney is a multifaceted creative professional with over 20 years of experience in the media and music industries. As an accomplished engineer, producer, songwriter, film-scorer, educator, and musician, James has contributed to award-winning films, Grammy-nominated performances, and commercial scores for major clients like Discovery Channel and Johnson & Johnson.

James' scoring work has earned accolades, including the Best Score Award at the 10th Charlotte Black Film Festival for his work on "S.O.U.L Of A Black Woman." His innovative film scoring is featured in the 2023 BFI NETWORK awarded short film "Just Passing," which will premier this year, and the popular social media animated short "The Awakening." James's groundbreaking approach to blending audio and multimedia has established him as a thought leader in the field, pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms and contributing to the development of immersive technologies. He is currently directing and producing a documentary and
a virtual reality experience that both also incorporate his music writing, arranging, and producing skills.

As an educator, James has played a key role in building the Anguilla Music Academy facilities, which include two state-of-the-art recording studios, office, classrooms and performance space offering production and engineering classes, as well as songwriting confidence camps. He codesigned the curriculum for these programs, sharing his expertise with the next generation of musicians in Anguilla, BVI, and the surrounding regions. In 2021, he joined the faculty of Drexel University's Westphal College of Media Arts & Design as an assistant professor in the Music Industry Program and the Music in the Performing Arts Department. At Drexel, James often incorporates experiences for his students in his professional work in recording arts and multimedia creations.

Driven by a passion for sharing traditional and immersive media with global audiences, James is dedicated to captivating people through film, interactive media, live performance, and recorded music, leveraging his creative talents to enrich the world of entertainment and education.