James Zipfel

What’s been the highlight of your professional career — like your biggest spotlight moment to date?
“I feel like the biggest highlight of my career so far was when I had the pleasure of playing violin with Josh Groban on his “Harmony” Tour. The entire experience was new to me, since that was the first “gig” I had ever gotten of that level. Needless to say, I feel like I really was able to take away and learn a lot from that experience, and the added benefit of being able to play in my hometown of St. Louis for my family was an extra treat. Overall, it was a really uplifting and encouraging experience for me to further pursue my passion for and career in music.”

What type of student will excel under your mentorship?
“I always try to meet students with where they’re at! With this, students that come to me with any concerns, issues, or questions about their instrument or the music they’re playing will get the most out of our lessons!”

What does being a “Mentor” mean to you and why are you excited to step into this role?
“Being a Mentor is so important to me not only as a musician, but as a person. When I look back, all of my past music teachers instilled such a great love for music in me that I feel now it’s something I could never live without. Being a Mentor myself now, I’m excited to continue to share music with students that spark their creativity and curiosity while also having fun and being able to share their music with others!”

What type of music did you grow up listening to? How did it influence your artistry?
“I grew up listening to a lot of different styles of music growing up, but I feel that the styles that stuck most to me come from a few different worlds. I really admire the songs of Jim Croce, Prince, Adele, Fleetwood Mac, The Goo Goo Dolls, and Van Morrison, and they really helped me spur my excitement for music early on. As I pursued my violin studies, I credit the sounds of legendary violinists and fiddle players such as Vassar Clements, Stephane Grappelli, Tracy Silverman, and Itzhak Perlman. These musicians have revolutionized the fields for my instrument throughout several genres, including Bluegrass, Country, Jazz, Rock, Celtic, and Classical music. Without hearing the recordings from these players and from all of the artists and bands I love, I doubt I’d be the player I am today.”

Where is your favorite local spot? 
“Bill’s Sandwich Palace in East Nashville, hands down!”

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
“When I was a kid, I had always wanted to be a baseball player for the St. Louis Cardinals, my hometown team! Growing up watching those 2006 and 2011 World Series games were some of my favorite memories from when I was younger.”