Mr. Brandt holds a B.M. from Michigan State University and a M.M. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and has studied with Charles Owens, Salvatore Rabbio, Robert Pangborn, Douglas Roose and Tom Schneller. Jim was a charter member of the DCI Midwest Judges Guild and served as the caption chairman of the Great Lakes Judges Association. Currently, he holds active memberships in The Percussive Arts Society, ASCAP, The Jazz Education Network, The Sabian Education Network, and The D'addario Education Collective. Jim is an active performer, instructor, clinician, adjudicator, composer, and arranger for school, university, and professional bands, orchestras, drum and bugle corps, marching bands, jazz ensembles, chamber ensembles, percussion ensembles, and vocal groups.

Currently, he is performing with The Piedmont Wind Symphony as well as fronting his own ensembles, The Dead Parrot Society and Mirage. Jim has performed, recorded and toured with The TWA Jazz Ensemble, The Carpenters, Hubert Laws, Eumir Deodato, Don Ellis, Grover Washington Jr., Lionel Hampton, and Daphne Nichols. Equally at home in all genres of music, Brandt has performed with the Rochester, Detroit, Grand Rapids, and Lansing Symphonies. He has also toured with numerous off-Broadway production companies and appeared as a guest soloist with The Ferndale High School Symphonic Band and the Michigan State University Wind Ensemble. Current and former students of Mr. Brandt are currently performing on Broadway, in major US symphony orchestras, in Nashville, Los Angeles, and New York clubs and recording studios as well as DCI and WGI percussion sections.

Drum Lessons in High Point, North Carolina.

• TWA Jazz Ensemble
• The Carpenters
• Hubert Laws
• Eumir Deodato
• Don Ellis
• Grover Washington Jr.
• Lionel Hampton
• Daphne Nichols
• Dead Parrot Society
• Mirage
• Rochester Symphony
• Detroit Symphony
• Grand Rapids Symphony
• Lansing Symphony and the Piedmont Wind Symphony
• Guest soloist with The Ferndale High School Symphonic Band and the Michigan State University Wind Ensemble