Artist description My name is Timothy James, most of my friends actually call me TJ. I was born in Hinsdale, Illinois, and grew up in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove. I have a great family. My mom and dad, Karen and Rudy just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary recently. And my sister, Laura is married to a campus pastor in Minnesota.As a young boy I was extremely active, energetic and full of life. I was once strapped to my chair in 3rd grade to keep me in my seat. It didn’t work. I am the same way today except that my energy is used to achieve productive goals, not to harass poor school teachers. My eight years at a small private school made the transition to a 2,000 student high school somewhat difficult at first, but I soon found my niche. I played 4 years of varsity baseball, was on the swim team, and still found time to coach, work a part-time job, and date. As a freshman, I was voted “most unique.” I began playing piano at this time and actually performed one of my first songs “You Are There” at a school talent show my junior year. ( I lost!)I was accepted into 6 colleges, and decided to attend Minnesota State University - Winona mainly because of its aviation program and scenic location. I earned two degrees, one in business and one in aviation. I missed baseball so much one fall that I actually tried out my Junior year and made it as a walk on. I learned to fly airplanes in college and I also learned that I really enjoyed business, so I applied to graduate schools all over the country, deciding to put off my piloting dreams for a while.I came to Texas in the fall of 1995 to attend graduate school. The hard work will paid off in May of 1997 when I graduated with my MBA. Texas was a great change from the cold Midwest, one which I now prefer. I began playing the piano in high school, but it wasn’t until my involvement with Chi Alpha in college that I began playing in front of a crowd. The reaction to my songs was so positive that I began to take my musical talent more seriously. It was at this time that I began investing in better equipment. In the Spring of 1995 I made a 12 song cassette tape for my friends as a going-away gift. My music continued to get better, and new ideas seemed endless. In late 1996 I made an independent CD called “From my Heart,” and another called “Walk the Road” in 1998.After pursuing music full-time after graduation, a couple neat things happened. I meat a lot of music artists and producers, recorded a demo for Forefront Records in Nashville, auditioned for Rebecca St.James for a week, and wrote songs for BMG for a year. I plan to continue writing new songs, both worship and contemporary.I am a Christian guy working as an Investment Broker with a large brokerage firm in Dallas. If I find that special woman who rocks my world, I’m have no fear of commitment or putting a ring on her finger, but the timing, and woman, must be right. I enjoy sports, (especially basketball and baseball), flying, traveling to new places and different cultures, hanging out with family and friends, leading worship, and trusting God for direction, for He is yet to disappoint me. I give a lot of credit to my parents for how I turned out, for they taught me the Christian morals that I now value so dearly.

Music Style Christian Contemporary, worship

Musical Influences Michael W. Smith, Michael Card, Fernando Ortega

Similar Artists Michael W. Smith

Artist History I have always loved to play the piano, but I didn’t start writing songs until I was 14. I never even took music seriously until I was in college when some friends encouraged me to play some songs for the congregation at church. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and ever since then, I have been writing many songs with varying themes. My music’s purpose is to offer encouragement and hope to those who have none, and at the same time challenge the listener and make them think. My target audience includes Christians of all ages, particularly ones dealing with doubt, discouragement, and “lukewarmness.” I also target those who desire to learn about God in ways they may have never known before.Many people tell me that they can relate to my songs in a unique, personal way. Some have told me that my lyrics are not like the “watered down lyrics” so prevalent in the Christian music industry today. Still others have said that they appreciate how my songs “grow on them” and make them feel better when they are dealing with certain issues in life. I know how blessed I am to have such positive feedback. Why does the music have such an impact on people? It’s not a secret at all. I know that by my own strength I can do nothing. By giving my musical gifts for God’s glory, I have succeeded.All my songs are piano based. Through my music I try to convince others that they can overcome adversity in their lives and in every situation. I personally have been told time and time again to not pursue music because it was crazy, or because I lacked “formal” training. But God’s training has been sufficient, and I have refused to let this stop me from writing songs. I am living proof of God’s ability to overcome adversity, and this is a large part of my musical testimony. I made my first independent CD “From My Heart” because I was tired of having over 30 original songs just sitting around on home-made tapes without people being able to experience them. I followed that up with my sophomore CD project, “Walk the Road” which is a very intimate collection of ballads, you need this CD in your collection! And if the stock market hadn’t been so cruel, I would be able to fund my next one, which I cannot wait for, since the songs are so tight, and powerful.I love performing and playing the piano. I love sharing the message of Christ, and I really love to think about what God still has in store for myself and others. My music affects peoples lives in a positive way which is why I have decided to trust God for my future in music. If I could make a living writing songs full-time, I would give up an MBA salary to do so, because that’s where my heart is.

Instruments Piano, Keyboards, and some acoustic guitar

Albums From My Heart & Walk the Road

Location Dallas, Texas - USA

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