Clarinetist James Zimmermann joined the Nashville Symphony as Principal Clarinet in 2008, a principal position that he held until he was "cancelled" in 2020. I urge you to read about that here, as it serves as a backdrop for our conversation: https://freebeacon.com/culture/how-racial-anxiety-conquered-an-orchestra-and-crushed-a-career/

He holds a Bacje from the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, a M.M. from the University of Minnesota and has served as a guest with the Boston, Detroit, Charleston, and New World Symphonies; prior to his time in the Nashville Symphony, he was a member of the Pacific Symphony.

As a pedagogue, James has served on the faculty at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music and has presented masterclasses and clinics at conservatories nationwide.

Finally, he's an active recording musician whose playing can be heard in major motion pictures, in theme parks such as Disney World and Sea World, and on various video games, advertisements, and television programs.

FOLLOW ME:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cliftonaduncan

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cliftondunc...

Subscribe to my Substack: cliftonduncan.substack.com

Intro/Outro: https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/s...

Find me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/ee5pye8r

TIMESTAMPS

0:06:39 -- Blind Auditions, Merit, and "Diversity"

0:20:28 -- The "Progressive" Worldview Sabotages Black Artists

0:29:27 -- The Tragedy of Titus and James

0:43:45 -- A Short Digression on Black Hair

0:48:13 -- An Affirmative Action is Taken

0:59:47 -- The Diversity Hire's Dilemma

1:24:44 -- A Better Brand of "Woke"