About The Musician
Jim Cornfoot is a sought out pianist, vocalist, and educator through Memphis and the Mid-South area who passionately seeks to build community around music. He is the Director of Music Ministries for Evergreen Presbyterian Church, where he directs the choir and provides music for Sunday worship services, and he oversees the handbell ensemble and children’s music. Through Evergreen, Jim also leads the Memphis chapter of Beer + Hymns, a national movement to reclaim public spaces for public singing; he was a featured panelist for Beer + Hymns at the 2018 Wild Goose Festival in Hot Springs, NC. Jim welcomes you to our monthly gatherings at Midtown Crossing Grill on the first Friday every month, except for July and August.
Jim operates his own private piano and voice studio, featuring over 20 talented musicians of all ages and abilities. A firm believer in every student’s ability to pursue musical excellence and creative diligence, Jim tailors each student’s curriculum to their musical goals and learning styles so that each student has needs met in a highly personalized, safe and nurturing environment. Through musical education, Jim hopes to foster a spirit of creativity, perseverance, courage, and emotional intelligence in each student that enters his studio.
Jim is a charter member of BealeCanto, a premier men’s chamber ensemble that specializes in a capella music written for men’s choral ensembles. Jim regularly serves as accompanist, director, percussionist, and soloist in this ensemble. Jim also serves as a section leader and assistant director for the Rhodes MasterSingers Chorale, a major symphonic chorus, and in 2012, he was selected as a featured soloist for the ensemble’s tour of Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague. Through these ensembles, Jim has collaborated with such musical luminaries as Pulitzer Prize winning composer Dr. Jennifer Higdon; Darius Brubeck, son of jazz icon Dave Brubeck; Tim Takach; James DeMars; Burton Beerman; Robert Patterson. Mr. Cornfoot previously held a teaching post at Rhodes College, where he offered courses in music history, global music cultures, and directed the Rhodes Chamber Singers and Rhodes Women’s Chorus.
Like many of students, Jim began his musical training as a child in the children’s music ministries at his hometown church, and he began his piano lessons at 10 years old. Mr. Cornfoot received the Bachelor of Arts in music from Rhodes College, where he studied voice with Dr. Diane Clark and Dr. Sean Cooper, piano with Dr. Tom Bryant, and conducting with Dr. Tim Sharp. He received the Master of Music in choral conducting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he studied conducting with Dr. Carole Ott and Dr. Welborn Young, and voice with Dr. Nancy Walker. Jim is a member of the Music Teachers National Association and the American Choral Director’s Association.
When he isn’t making music, you’ll find Jim enjoying a pour of bourbon with good friends, then negating it the next day lifting weights.
Jim operates his own private piano and voice studio, featuring over 20 talented musicians of all ages and abilities. A firm believer in every student’s ability to pursue musical excellence and creative diligence, Jim tailors each student’s curriculum to their musical goals and learning styles so that each student has needs met in a highly personalized, safe and nurturing environment. Through musical education, Jim hopes to foster a spirit of creativity, perseverance, courage, and emotional intelligence in each student that enters his studio.
Jim is a charter member of BealeCanto, a premier men’s chamber ensemble that specializes in a capella music written for men’s choral ensembles. Jim regularly serves as accompanist, director, percussionist, and soloist in this ensemble. Jim also serves as a section leader and assistant director for the Rhodes MasterSingers Chorale, a major symphonic chorus, and in 2012, he was selected as a featured soloist for the ensemble’s tour of Salzburg, Vienna, and Prague. Through these ensembles, Jim has collaborated with such musical luminaries as Pulitzer Prize winning composer Dr. Jennifer Higdon; Darius Brubeck, son of jazz icon Dave Brubeck; Tim Takach; James DeMars; Burton Beerman; Robert Patterson. Mr. Cornfoot previously held a teaching post at Rhodes College, where he offered courses in music history, global music cultures, and directed the Rhodes Chamber Singers and Rhodes Women’s Chorus.
Like many of students, Jim began his musical training as a child in the children’s music ministries at his hometown church, and he began his piano lessons at 10 years old. Mr. Cornfoot received the Bachelor of Arts in music from Rhodes College, where he studied voice with Dr. Diane Clark and Dr. Sean Cooper, piano with Dr. Tom Bryant, and conducting with Dr. Tim Sharp. He received the Master of Music in choral conducting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he studied conducting with Dr. Carole Ott and Dr. Welborn Young, and voice with Dr. Nancy Walker. Jim is a member of the Music Teachers National Association and the American Choral Director’s Association.
When he isn’t making music, you’ll find Jim enjoying a pour of bourbon with good friends, then negating it the next day lifting weights.
