James Stanley grew up in the church and played his first worship service on the organ at the age of eleven. Re received his BM and MM from the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University in Georgia where he studied with Joseph Golden. He acted as Assistant to the Executive of the Jordan International Organ Competition in 2004.

A lifelong lover of jazz, James played both piano and guitar in the Rob Houze Quartet from 2014-2016 as well an active solo career playing jazz piano in the Louisville Metro area. During this time, he was also the Director of Music at Hanover Presbyterian Church and the organist at Hanover Methodist Church in Indiana.

James is a frequent consultant with churches wishing to begin contemporary worship services, and he served as the reviewer of Contemporary Christian Music for WorshipArts Magazine, a publication of the Fellowship of United Methodist Musicians and Worship Artists.

He has frequently been commissioned to compose both jazz and classical works for organizations including the Shenango Presbytery in Pennsylvania and the St. Cecilia Festival at Christ Episcopal