Musical Director - Jim Coates
Jim
Coates began his barbershopping career 32 years ago in Ohio as part of
the Johnny Appleseed District (JAD). While in Ohio he was Assistant
Director of the Centerville Colonial Chordsmen (Centerville, OH chapter)
and the Miami Valley Music Men (Dayton-M
etro, OH Chapter) for 10 years.
Moving to the Southern Gateway Chorus (Cincinnati-Western Hills
Chapter), he was Assistant Director for 6 years and on the Music Team
for 11 years. He competed with Southern Gateway in the BHS International
Chorus Contest six times, earning a fourth-place and two fifth-place
medals. Jim sang in many quartets over the years and was a District
Finalist several times. He was the founding director of the Ohio Harmony
Chapter (Springboro, OH) of Harmony, Inc. in 2001 and was the recipient
of their Barbershopper of the Year award in 2004. Jim was on the faculty
of many JAD schools and clinics, and ran the quartet coaching clinic at
their summer school for several years.
Jim has also taught and coached at many District- and Area-level
schools, coaching retreats, etc., and has been on the faculty at the
International-level Harmony Intensive Training School (Harmony, Inc.)
and the Society’s Harmony College. Jim has coached both men’s and
women’s groups at all levels throughout the United States and Canada for
many years. In 1995, Jim was one of Marquis’ three primary coaches as
they reached the International gold medals. In 1999, he coached Change
of Heart to Harmony Inc.’s quartet championship and the Village Vocal
Chords to the chorus championship. And in 2002 and 2004, he coached the
Derby City Chorus to gold medals. He has coached many other
International- and District-level champions and medalists. Jim was named
the JAD Coach of the Year in 2002.
Jim is starting his 21st year as a Barbershop Harmony Society Certified
Judge. He first certified in 1988 as an Interpretation Judge, and then
certified in the current Presentation Category in 1993. Jim has judged
contests in every District in the Society and has judged the
International Contest four times. He has also been a coach and judge for
Harmony, Inc. since 1998, and this year he will judge his second Harmony
Inc. International Contest. He was also privileged to judge the AAMBS
National Contest and be on the faculty for their Harmony College in
Perth Australia in 2003 and to judge the SNOBS National Contest in
Stockholm in 2004. Jim just completed a six-year stint on the
Presentation Category Board of Review. In that position, he helped set
the direction for the Presentation Category and trained and recertified
all of the Society’s Presentation Judges.
Since moving to Massachusetts in 2005 with his wife, Diane (also a very
active Barbershopper with New England Voices in Harmony), Jim has been
very active with the Nashua Granite Statesmen. He has served on the
Music Team and as Presentation Coach. In 2006 he was named Nashua’s
Barbershopper of the Year. Until recently, he was in an active quartet,
The DJs, who were Division Champions in their first competition and were
fifth place Northeastern District medalists three years in a row. He is
very active in the NED and Harmony Inc., both by coaching and being on
the faculty of many schools, and is proud to have been recently inducted
into NEWCANEWENG, the Northeastern District’s Honor Society. In addition
to his recent appointment as Director of the Granite Statesmen, Jim also
just assumed the office of NED’s District Vice President for Music and
Performance.