Jim Tempest – Director of Music
Jim Tempest joined the Delta Community Band as musical director in the fall of 2006. Jim was born in Alberta, but his family relocated to New Westminster when he was young. Jim attended high school before going to Douglas College to study music and transferring to Western Washington University in Bellingham to complete his degree. Following university, Jim moved to London, England to continue his musical studies with some of Britain’s finest trombonists and to soak up the culture in one of the world’s greatest cities. He has been active as a professional musician and educator since his return in 1984 and has worked with all kinds of musical groups from a touring brass ensemble to jazz and symphony orchestras. In 1994, Jim returned to university to attend graduate school. He successfully defended his thesis and was awarded a Master of Arts Degree in Music Education in the fall of 1995. Later, he attended the renowned Saskatchewan Conducting Workshop twice, to study with Canadian conducting teacher Wayne Toews and the world famous Saito master Mirohito Okabe .
For much of his career, Jim was a member of the Canadian Army, beginning as a trombonist in the Band of the Fifteenth Field Artillery Regiment in Vancouver and eventually rising through the ranks to become the Director of Music. Before retiring from the military in 2019, Jim worked at Canadian Army Headquarters for five years as the Army Senior Director of Music, advising the Commander on all issues regarding bands and developing policy and doctrine for more than 1200 musicians. Since 1995, Jim has also been a member of the music department faculty at Vancouver Community College in Vancouver, where he teaches trombone, brass pedagogy and leads a large brass ensemble.
Jim brings a love of music for winds to the Delta Community Band. He believes community bands provide the opportunity to enjoy in the creation of music and that they are a vital source of community spirit. To that end, he works to encourage the growth of community based music making through active membership in the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the Canadian Band Association and the British Columbia Band Association.