Jim Shearer is the Regents Professor of Music at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he also holds the title Distinguished Achievement Professor. He holds both the D.M.A. in Performance and Literature and a Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music.

Dr. Shearer has toured the United States, Europe, South America, and the Far East as a member of the NMSU Faculty Brass Quintet, El Paso Brass, and the Eastman Wind Ensemble, and as a soloist with many other ensembles both large and small. Having recorded with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Creole Dixieland Jazz Band, blues artist Eric Bibb, bluegrass musician Steve Smith, and Memphis Beale Street legend Charlie Wood, Jim demonstrates equal familiarity in a number of diverse musical settings.

He is the author of two textbooks, Jazz Basics and MUSIC 101, and he has four commercial CD releases on the Summit Records label, The Memphis Hang, Secret Frets, Haunted America Suite (Music for Horn, Tuba, and Piano) and Music for Tuba and String Quartet. Jim Shearer is a Yamaha Performing Artist.