Beyond Notes: The Unseen Forces Shaping Dr. James Ogburn’s Music Life

Written by Diego Andrés Montes Olivar (Student Ambassador, 2025)

Images via the artist

Dr. James Ogburn’s journey is a tapestry of music, life lessons, and personal transformation. His path to composition wasn’t direct; it evolved over time through some experiences, including a background that includes an undergrad on foreign languages and social work. For six years, Dr. Ogburn worked in Santa Cruz, California, primarily with emotionally disturbed children, but eventually, he realized he couldn’t stay in social work forever. “At some point, I realized that I could not stay in social work forever,” he says. The emotional rewards of his work were great, but the toll it took was also immense.

It was the film Bleu (the first in Krzysztof Kieslowski’s trilogy, Trois Couleurs: Bleu, Blanc, Rouge) that changed everything. Dr. Ogburn reflects: “I had always loved music and had spent an enormous amount of my youth playing and composing music, but I had never considered it as a career. Although the film is not about discovering a career in music, it was a personal revelation… it helped me realize that I could be a composer, and from that point, my path was set.”

Dr. Ogburn’s music is deeply emotional, a reflection of his life’s experiences, and often, he doesn’t fully understand the process behind it. “A lot of my process is unconscious and intuitive,” he shares. “Most of the challenges of my life end up becoming topics around which I structure narrative forms. I conceive these things consciously at times, but I find the unconscious expressions very interesting.” His compositions become mirrors of his personal situations and triumphs, allowing him to process and express emotions he might not have realized were influencing his work, something with which many musicians identify.

As a teacher here in Columbus, GA, Dr. Ogburn’s approach to music has been shaped by both his personal experiences and his students. He describes how his role in education has inspired him: “Teaching composition and theory enables me to look at music from many different points of view. I constantly learn from my students, each of whom has a unique voice, purpose, and process… I am inspired to think about music in many ways that would not be possible without the ongoing conversations I have with students.” For him, the classroom is not just about teaching technical aspects of music but also about exchanging ideas and growing alongside his students as a citizen and people.

Dr. Ogburn’s time in Columbus has also deeply influenced his creative process. “Music is inextricable from context,” he says, reflecting on the idea that the place where one lives and works can profoundly affect the music one creates. “When I reflect on my experience of writing music in Columbus, I cannot help but feel that my alienation… has had a profound influence on my writing.” His mini-opera, Eddie’s Stone Song: Odyssey of the First Pasaquoyan, is a prime example of how the specific cultural context of Columbus shaped his work. “Which really couldn’t have been written anywhere else.” He expressed.

Despite the demands of his professional and personal life, Dr. Ogburn acknowledges that balancing everything is not easy at all. “Balance is not possible. My kids are always my priority,” he says. His children (a son and a daughter) have shifted his perspective on both life and work. “Before they were born, I was much more self-centered. But now, my music and teaching are shaped by the love I have for them. It’s a different perspective.” His children also serve as a source of inspiration, helping him develop greater empathy and awareness of others, which is reflected in his music and teaching every day.

Over the years, Dr. Ogburn’s creative process has evolved, but his foundational methods remain largely the same. “The inspiration is always evolving,” he says. He begins his process with improvisation at the piano, followed by analysis and re-composition of the ideas. “It’s simple and it works for me,” he shares. He’s also introduced a pre-improvisation phase, where he decides on certain elements to control before starting. This approach has changed over the years as he discovers new ideas through both his own creative process and his teaching experiences at Schwob School of Music.

Dr. Ogburn’s compositions are often born from deep reflection on personal experiences, like his recent commission for a Mexican and Mexican-American quintet. “Before I began writing, I reflected on the border crossing into the US so many people suffer in search of a better life,” he explains. “My mother’s parents both crossed the Rio Grande to come to this country around 100 years ago.” However, he stresses that while his compositions are deeply personal, he doesn’t expect his listeners to understand his exact story. Instead, he hopes they will connect with the emotional landscape of the music. “I believe they can enter that emotional landscape and have a shared emotional experience with other listeners, with me, and with the performers.”

When asked about the legacy he hopes to leave, Dr. Ogburn’s answer centers not on himself, but on the people he has influenced. “My legacy will surely be through my students and my children,” he says. “I love writing music, but I have no illusions of self-aggrandizement through my music.” He shares that when he was younger, he was kind of driven to write “important” music for recognition, but now he writes because he loves the process of collaboration with musicians. His students, he believes, are where his true impact will be felt. “I see so much potential in my students… They will be my most important contribution.”

Dr. Ogburn’s upcoming Composition Studio Recital will take place on April 2nd at 7:30pm in Legacy Hall. This recital will feature a variety of world premieres, showcasing new works across all instruments with clear influences from many different countries, and highlight innovative chamber pieces in which each performance will reflect the diverse voices and inspirations of Dr. Ogburn’s composition students. The recital is free and open to the public, offering a unique opportunity to support and enjoy the future of music through original, thought-provoking compositions influenced by this amazing composing teacher living in Columbus, Georgia. ◼️

If You Go:

What: Composition Studio Recital

When: April 2, 2025 at 7:30PM

Where: RiverCenter for the Performing Arts

Free admission.