Dr. James Ray has been an integral part of music education here on the peninsula since before any of our counselors were even in middle school. He spent 9 years in Port Angeles teaching at every level, from grade school to high school. I personally had the honor of receiving his private violin instruction every week for seven of those years, and many of our current students, counselors, and staff have been able to forge lasting relationships with Dr. Ray.
Just recently, in 2019, Dr. Ray was given the opportunity to move from Port Angeles and begin his journey at Western Washington University as the Assistant Professor of Instrumental Music Education. While teaching classes at Western, he has somehow come up with the energy and drive to continue to conduct, play, and even stay involved with what he has been known to call his “other hometown”—Port Angeles!
Dr. Ray was first approached by Dr. Chuck Whitney when the idea for the camp had just begun to brew. James was very familiar with the students in the area and was able to bring valuable insight into how they would best benefit from the camp. Since its inception, we have been fortunate enough to welcome him as our conductor. He says that he was “honored by Chuck and Monique Mead to be invited to take on an active role in the workshop itself.”
As the conductor for the Olympic Strings Workshop, Dr. Ray most enjoys being involved when students are able to participate in what he describes as “co-construction,” the process of learning a new piece as a group, where each participant is “contributing their unique
musicianship toward a coherent and impactful whole.” James explained that when put into a
camp-like setting, where students are only given a short amount of time to come together and
prepare a piece, they are able to dig much deeper than they would have been if they had been given months to learn the piece rather than a matter of days. These students, he says, are given the unique opportunity to discover something about themselves. They are able to "see themselves as capable of achieving more than what they may have previously thought
possible.” James revels in this process, and is able to take on a direct role in it, “insisting upon attention to detail and challenging performers to expand their musical imaginations from that very first downbeat.”
Dr. Ray is looking forward to seeing the students build community amongst themselves, finding somewhere that they will know without a doubt that no matter their instrument or the part that they play, “their role is both vital and valued.” This lesson can be brought with students from our one-week camp to every walk of life. Whether it’s musical or personal, Dr. James Ray has always ensured that every single one of his students feels special, and we are so fortunate to be able to welcome him as our maestro and continue to foster that environment here at Olympic Strings Workshop.
