Member Profile

Writer and musician Jim Reilly studied jazz guitar and journalism in college and has spent the past 20 years or so combining those two loves. “I see music and writing as different expressions of the same creative impulse,” he says. “Music lives in the moment – writing captures that moment, giving it form and shape.” Currently living in Calgary, as a musician, Jim is equally at home on guitar, bass, or Chapman Stick. As a writer, he has done promotional work for fellow artists and international music companies, written for CBC Radio One, and had features published in many music magazines. 

His most recently published book, Steinberger: A Story of Creativity and Design, joins The Bass Player and StickMan: The Story of Emmett Chapman and the Instrument He Created as explorations of how the creative impulse manifests itself through unconventional heroes. 

His latest project, Chasing Tone, (coming soon from Rowman and Littlefield) continues this theme. This time through exploring American designer Rob Turner's and his company, EMG's, contribution to some of today's most important and influential music and musicians.

In addition to music and writing, Jim is a skilled educator who began as a high school English teacher and is currently the principal of Bow Valley High School in Cochrane, Alberta.

For more information, please see www.jimreilly.ca.