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James Land and Jett Walker, Low Brass Faculty at Western Illinois University present a guest artist recital.
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Originally from Jasper, Georgia, James Land is the Assistant Professor of Tuba at Western Illinois University (WIU). Prior to his appointment to WIU, Dr. Land was the Instructor of Tuba and Euphonium at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Dr. Land received both a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree in Tuba Performance from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, a Performance Diploma from Indiana University where he was also the Associate Instructor of Tuba and Euphonium, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Memphis.
Dr. Land is an active performer throughout the Midwest and East Coast and has performed with many ensembles; including the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, the Dayton (OH) Philharmonic, and the Saint Louis Low Brass Collective, among others. Additionally, Dr. Land has performed as a soloist with numerous ensembles, to include the Western Illinois University Wind Ensemble, the University of Memphis Wind Ensemble, the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble, the Saint Louis Low Brass Collective, and has presented recitals and masterclasses at many colleges and universities. Dr. Land serves on the faculty of the WIU Summer Music Institute, and has also served both as a Brass Teaching Assistant and on faculty at the prestigious Interlochen Arts Camp in Interlochen, Michigan.
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Jett M. Walker, DMA, currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Trombone at Western Illinois University. In addition to his work with the WIU Trombone Studio, he also instructs courses in conducting and performs with the La Moine Brass Quintet, the resident faculty brass quintet at Western Illinois University. He is also the author of The Quintet Playbook: Effective Strategies for Amateur or Pre-Professional Brass Quintets , published by Cherry Classics Music, in which Dr. Walker provides practical strategies and techniques for addressing challenges and achieving success as a brass quintet.
Outside of his academic life, Dr. Walker enjoys a busy freelancing schedule. He currently serves as the Acting Principal Trombone with the Battle Creek Symphony for the 2025-2026 season and has regularly performed with the Illinois Symphony, Quad City Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, and Peoria Symphony. He has also performed with numerous orchestras including the Cincinnati Opera, Dayton Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, Kentucky Symphony, Queen City Opera, Carmel Symphony, Lexington Philharmonic, and Brazos Valley Symphony. A versatile musician and enthusiast of jazz and commercial music, his freelance work has allowed him to share the stage with such illustrious performers as Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., and most recently, The Who.
Dr. Walker is committed to regularly commissioning and performing new works for solo trombone. He has recently commissioned and premiered two such works, Jett Stream Blue by David Wilborn, and Sonata for Trombone and Brass Quartet by Jack Wilds, in which Jett served as the consortium’s lead commissioner. In 2023, Walker performed Jett Stream Blue on faculty artist recitals at both the Big 12 Trombone Conference and the International Trombone Festival, and in 2024 performed Wild’s Sonata for Trombone and Brass Quartet at the ITF alongside his colleagues in the La Moine Brass Quintet.
Prior to attending graduate school, Walker also served as a middle school band director for five years in central Texas. Bands under his direction were consistent recipients of the UIL Sweepstakes award among many others. He is also a contributing writer for the growing online journal The Collective: Shifting the Paradigm for Critical Musicians, and serves as a writer and album reviewer for the International Trombone Association Journal.
Jett received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Trombone Performance from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Texas State University in Music Education and Trombone Performance, respectively. Jett is also an S.E. Shires Performing Artist and performs exclusively on Shires trombones.
For more information, please visit www.jettwalkertrombone.com
