James Watson

Santa Barbara, CA 93110  ·   james@coachwatson.net

As an experienced leader in education and technology, I have empowered faculty and students to make the best use of technology in the classroom and for numerous performances and events. I have a unique perspective as a teacher, student, leader, and technology specialist. I can help any organization achieve its technical goals.

I am mission-driven, computer savvy, technically minded, a problem-solver, and love working with people of all ages and backgrounds.

In aviation, every instructor I have flown with has told me I should be flying professionally. I take great pride in my preflight planning, limitations, execution of flight, and safety of flight considerations.

Education

Pepperdine University

M.A. in Educational Technology
2009

San Francisco State University

B.A. in Music, Electronic Music Emphasis
2007

Aviation

  • FAA Certificates:
    • First Class Medical 18-Jan, 2023
    • Private Pilot Certificate - 2-Oct 2014
    • Instrument Rating - 3-Apr 2016
    • Emergency Maneuver Training - 7-Oct 2016
    • Commercial Single Engine Certificate - 28-Jul 2017
    • Commercial Multi Engine Certificate - 13-Oct 2017
    • Private Pilot Rotorcraft Certificate - 7-Sep 2018
  • 800+ hours of accident-free time.
  • Santa Barbara Flying Club member 2014-2021
    • elected Vice President 2018-2019
    • elected President 2019-2020
    • served as Safety Officer 2020-2021
  • Safe and responsible flight planning, with multiple alternates and outs.
  • More than 170 hours flying with EFIS and cockpit automation
  • Experienced Foreflight user

Experience

Music Lab Supervisor, Tech Support, Faculty, and Performer

Santa Barbara City College, Santa Barbara, CA

Technical support for all music department students and faculty

  • Led the technology evaluation, setup, and distribution for 2020-2021 remote instruction, including developing methods and systems to use Jamulus low-latency audio software and hardware setups, enabling live concerts to be performed from multiple remote locations, such as this world’s first real-time international remote music concert.
  • Wrote online sections of many music courses from scratch for other faculty and myself, using Moodle, and then later, Canvas Learning Management Systems
  • Expanded the audio labs from 3 ProTools-only stations to 11 general music stations with ProTools, iZotope RX, Logic Pro, Melodyne, Finale, Practica Musica, and many other department specific software packages.
  • Wrote a completely custom FileMaker database app to keep track of our equipment.
  • Work closely with our central IT department to take care of technology issues in our area before they get escalated to others.

August 2007 - Present

Creative Arts Technical Services

San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA

  • Supported students and faculty with technological issues, maintained the music department library and instrument collection, supervised student workers.

2004-2007

Programmer

MegaVision, Inc.

  • Documented code, implemented simple features, designed UI elements with WX Widgets (a C++ library meant to help create cross-platform user interfaces).

2002-2004

Intern Programmer

Cisco Systems, Inc

  • Unix scripting, C-based code optimizations, debugging, testing of hardware and software, version control, data analysis and presentation.

1999-2002

Aviation Ordnance Technician

United States Marine Corps, Reserve

  • As a certified Team Leader, I led groups of Marines in loading, unloading, arming, de-arming AH-1W and UH-1N helicopters. I also was able to diagnose faulty ordnance related avionics and repair or replace as needed.

1996-2002

Music

  • Professor of Music at SBCC - currently teach Music Theory, History of Music, and History of Rock, and Applied Trumpet
  • Past courses are World Music, Music Technology for Musicians, Sound Recording & Electronic Music, Fundamentals of Music.

  • Current Performance groups:
    • Lead Trumpet in SBCC Monday Madness and Lunch Break Big Bands
    • SBCC Theatre Group principal trumpet
    • Lights Up Theatre principal trumpet
    • Principal trumpet and soloist, St. Mark's In the Valley, Los Olivos
    • Principal trumpet and brass section leader Santa Barbara Revels
    • These and other performances total about 20-40 per year
  • Past groups:
    • SBCC Music Now modern music show producer, director, and performer
    • SBCC Quire of Voyces and Concert Choir
    • Pepe Marquez and the Latin Soul Review
    • SFSU Afro-Cuban Ensemble
    • SFSU Orchestra, SFSU Wind Ensemble
  • Instruments:
    • Trumpet
    • Trombone
    • French Horn
    • Guitar

Other

  • Maintained a 4.0 in a Master’s degree program from Pepperdine while leading the move of the entire department out of its current home into temporary buildings for renovations. I lead the faculty and student workers in planning, packing, moving, setup, room modifications, and everything else involved in the move, including computer setup and technology upgrades along the way.
  • Have managed and supported approximately 40+ events per year for the past 15 years, ranging from small songwriter shows to big fundraisers featuring Michael McDonald, classroom interview sessions with David Crosby, and everything in between.
  • While in the USMC Reserve on deployment, I was also the only person on the flight line to be able to figure out and use an avionics diagnostic tool for our helicopters. It was intended for contractor use only and did not have an instruction manual.

CV