Jim Waterman – Bass flute, alto flute, C flute

I live in Springfield, VA with my wife Susan. We have a son who David who lives in Richmond, VA and a daughter Tracy who lives in Minneapolis, MN. I earned a BS in mathematics and physics from Clark University, Worcester, MA, and a MS in physics

from Georgetown University, Washington, DC. I retired after 43 years of service as a research physicist at the US Naval Research Laboratory and work part time as a

technical consultant. Along with my interest in all kinds of music, I enjoy cooking, eating, cocktail making, poetry, traveling, and exploring the natural world.

A wide range of music was always present in my home during my childhood, but no one in my family played an instrument. During this time it was common for elementary school teachers to play the piano, and every classroom had a piano in it, so music was a part of the everyday curriculum through 4th grade. I started playing the flute (an Artley student model) in 5th grade in an elementary school program where I received weekly one on one lessons with Lewis Crocker. It was a very small school and there weren’t enough students to have a band that met regularly, but at the end of the year students from all the schools got together for an end of the year concert.  In 7th and 8th grade I was a member of the concert band that met every day. In 8th grade I had the hippest school band director that ever taught, Charlie Cassara. When not teaching, he played

the flute in an avant garde jazz combo. I credit him with instilling the love of flute playing in me. At that time, I started taking lessons with Helen Ferrigno who was a student of the flutist from the Hartford CT Symphony.

In high school I played in concert band, marching band, stage/jazz band, Dixieland band, and pit bands for musicals. We started out as a ragtag group of seven students the first year, but by my senior year had grown to about 50 members. In everything except concert band I also played either alto or tenor sax. We were led by Donald MacTavish, a dedicated and passionate teacher who gave his all to his students. Music was the center of my life in high school. 

After high school there was about a 20 year break in any organized playing, though I would occasionally pick up my flute to play familiar simple tunes. I started up again when I was about forty, taking lessons with area flutist Toby Rotman, who open opened my ears and mind to things about flute playing and music that I treasure to this day.

I joined the Woodbridge Flute Choir under the direction of founder Rebecca Jefferys in 1996 as one of the charter members of the group. Our first gig was an outdoor garden party in Manassas, VA. I’ve been an active member of the group since then. In 2001 we had the thrill and honor of performing at the White House for a Christmas event in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack and at the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage. I frequently enjoy playing in quartets with members of the choir for church, library, and retirement home performances.