CARROLLTON -- Carrollton Baptist Church’s new music minister James Bailey is looking forward to this new role in his music career.
Bailey, a Calhoun County native, also serves as director of bands at Holmes Community College in Goodman where he teaches music, marching band, concert band, jazz band and other music courses.
“I began teaching at Crystal Springs High School for one and a half years, Winona public schools for 11 years, and currently teaching at Holmes Community College for 12 years now,” he said.
Being a music minister is new for Bailey. He has been with the church for eight months and looks forward to learning more as he goes. The choir has around 25 members.
“I’m really loving it. The people are super-friendly and very supportive,” he said.
“The choir members are very supportive, encouraging, and helpful in so many ways. Hopefully, as I gain more experience and more confidence, I can begin to gather a more specific plan of engagement with the choir,” he said.
Bailey has sung in many choirs over the years. He has always had a love for music.
“My daddy was a great musician, choir director and minister of music at our church. He got me started on this road of music. I have always been drawn to the sounds of instruments and voices. I loved to hear great music, but then, I decided that I wanted to be the one making those sounds, not just listening. I wanted to take an active role in creating music. So, I got started at a very young age, second grade to be exact. I play the banjo, guitar, bass, a little bit of piano, and pretty much all the wind instruments of a concert band; flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and more,” he said.
He graduated from Bruce High School in 1985. He received an associate degree in music from Northeast Mississippi Community College, a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Mississippi.
Bailey lives in Winona with his wife Cori, and three boys Ethan and Aubrey, twins who are 12 and Miles who is nine years old.
