James Mauck is a drummer and percussionist based out of Champaign, IL. He performs as a soloist, Forebeat, where he mixes drum set, found percussion and electronics and also does freelance work around the Midwest. By participating with local theatre companies, community orchestras, and supporting national touring acts, James is building a reputation as an on-call musician in his region.

      James studied at Eastern Illinois University where he received his B.A. in Music Performance in 2013. While at EIU, he performed with their Jazz Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Blue Note Quintet, Orchestra, and Percussion Ensemble. This gave James the opportunity to perform alongside a variety of talented guest artists throughout his education. Some of these notable musicians include Jeff Hamilton (Diana Krall), Sara Caswell (Esperanza Spalding), Scott Wendholt (Kenny Garrett), Conrad Herwig (Clark Terry), and Bobby Shew (Woody Herman).

      After graduating, James has performed in many venues across the Midwest, including The Little Theatre on the Square (Sullivan, IL), David Palmer Arena (Danville, IL), and Memorial Stadium (Champaign. IL). He has had the chance to share the stage with artists/groups such as Gavin Lee, Sean MacLaughlin, Sarah Pfisterer, Ben Portsmouth, Lou DiBello, Kansas, Survivor, the Danville Symphony Orchestra, the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra, and the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra.      

      James has also done a variety of session work at well-known recording studios including Pogo Studios (Champaign, IL), SCP Studio (Danville, IL), Music Garage (Indianapolis, IN), and The Pearl (Minneapolis, MN). In March 2014, James was a featured drummer in the New Blood segment of Drum! Magazine.