First Name:
Dr. James
Last Name:
Douthit
Main Title:
Dean
Office Location:
Broyhill Music Center Room 114
Phone Number:
828-262-3020
Email:
Type:
Dr. James Douthit is the dean of the Mariam Cannon Hayes School of Music at Appalachian State University. He led university-wide diversity and inclusion efforts by developing faculty recruiting and hiring plans and is currently working on a retention plan. Douthit organized a Career Development Boot Camp for Music Students with Dr. Angela Myles Beeching, a nationally-known music career development specialist, and hosted a two-day residency with the North Carolina Symphony. He initiated the Hayes School of Music Piano Competition and raised $7 million to add to the School of Music endowment. Additionally, he created financial management tools to foster collaborative budgeting and developed a series of recitals with University Advancement for various living communities.
An accomplished pianist and pedagogy clinician, Dr. Douthit has performed extensively in the U.S., Austria, Poland, China, and Great Britain. He is renowned for his interpretations of Theodor Leschetizky’s compositions and his technical proficiency. His notable performances include a celebrated recital in Łańcut, Poland, and an acclaimed rendition of Beethoven's "Emperor Concerto" with the Southwest Symphony. Dr. Douthit has also published articles in Clavier, The American Music Teacher, and The National Piano Pedagogy Forum.
A native of Western North Carolina, he holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music, a Master’s in Piano Performance with an emphasis in Accompanying and Chamber Music from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance (summa cum laude) from Mars Hill University. He also studied Higher Education Leadership at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.