Youth Treble Choir
7th, 8th, 9th Grade

James Golden is a New Mexico music educator, pianist, conductor, and accompanist whose career has been shaped by a lifelong dedication to choral excellence, student growth, and meaningful music-making. Originally from Portales, New Mexico, he was raised on a family
farm in eastern New Mexico where he developed early the values of discipline, perseverance, and hard work—qualities that continue to define his teaching philosophy and professional approach today.
 

James began studying piano at the age of seven under Eunice Schumpert, continuing private instruction with her for eleven years before later studying with Dr. John Olsen at Eastern New Mexico University. By age nine, he was already serving as pianist for Arch Baptist Church, beginning a lifelong commitment to church music and community collaboration. During his formative years, he also accompanied the choirs at Portales Junior High and Portales High School, gaining early experience in collaborative performance and developing a deep passion for
choral accompaniment.
 

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Communicative Disorders and Interdisciplinary Sciences from Eastern New Mexico University with a minor in piano performance in 2012. After briefly pursuing graduate study in speech-language pathology, James transitioned fully into music education when he accepted a position as Choir Director at Portales Junior High School.
This marked the beginning of his professional teaching career and a trajectory that would span multiple programs across New Mexico.
 

Over the course of his career in Portales, Clovis, Farmington, and beyond, James has directed choirs at both the middle school and high school levels, including leadership positions at Portales Junior High School, Portales High School, Yucca Middle School in Clovis, and Piedra Vista High School in Farmington. His work has consistently focused on building strong musical foundations, fostering student leadership, and creating ensembles known for both technical excellence and expressive performance.
 

At Yucca Middle School, James along with Education Fellow Seth Baldock led the choir program to a historic achievement when the ensemble qualified for and won first place at the NMAA State Choir Contest in the same year—marking the first time in school history the program both attended and won the state competition middle school division.
 

At Piedra Vista High School, he continued to build upon a strong tradition of choral excellence, leading ensembles to Division I ratings, All-State representation, and multiple state championship titles while further strengthening the program’s reputation across New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado.

 

James currently serves as Assistant Director of Choirs at Clovis High School and Choral Vice President of the New Mexico Music Educators Association. In this leadership role, he supports one of the most active and successful high school choral programs in the region, contributing to ensemble development, performance preparation, and statewide music education initiatives.

 

Under his direction, ensembles have consistently earned Division I ratings at Music Performance Assessments, Best-in-Class honors at the Greater Southwest Music Festival, and recognition at regional and national festivals. He is a Nine-Time State Champion Director, with multiple ensembles earning New Mexico state titles under his leadership.
Most recently, at Clovis High School, both the Women’s Select Choir and Chamber Choir earned State Championship titles at the NMAA State Choir Contest in 2026. During the same season, Concert Women and Men’s Chorale were named Best in Class at the Greater Southwest Music Festival in Amarillo, TX and Women’s Select Choir earned Best in Festival honors at the Lone Star Classic in Dallas, Texas. These accomplishments reflect a large shift of excellence and
sustained program growth as Mr. Golden & Mrs. Martin continue to bring the program to new heights.
 

Beyond the classroom, James remains deeply engaged as a pianist, accompanist, and collaborator throughout New Mexico and beyond. He has worked extensively with school programs, church music ministries, honor choirs, recitals, juries, musicals, and community ensembles across the region. He served for many years as accompanist and organist for First United Methodist Church in Portales and First Presbyterian Church in Farmington, and he co-founded and continues to accompany the Clovis Community Choir. Performance highlights include appearances at Carnegie Hall, collaborations with the San Juan Symphony, and featured roles with both the New Mexico Music Educators Association (NMMEA) All-State Ensembles and the New Mexico American Choral Directors Association (NMACDA) All-State Ensembles. Through this work, he has maintained an active presence as a performer and collaborator at the highest levels of student and professional music-making.
 

James earned his Master of Education degree with an emphasis in Secondary Education from Eastern New Mexico University, further strengthening his foundation in educational leadership and pedagogy.
 

His work as both educator and musician is driven by a core belief that music education should develop not only skill, but identity, confidence, and connection. He is especially passionate about helping students find their voice—both literally and figuratively—through ensemble performance and artistic expression.
 

Across every position he has held, James Golden’s mission has remained consistent: to build meaningful musical experiences that shape students into confident performers, thoughtful musicians, and lifelong lovers of music.

“Make music meaningful by making meaningful music.”