James Sparling received his degree in Music Education with a minor in Architecture at Miami University. He was heavily involved in the world music ensemble, Global Rhythms, where he served as Percussion Coordinator and Arranger. This ensemble led him to perform across the globe and work with Grammy winners Glen Velez and Jamal Mohammed, Ghatam Khartick's heARTbeat, Musafir, Jeff Queen, Michael Burritt, Anthony Cirone, A.R. Rahman, Nelly Furtado, and Lenny Kravitz. He has been a featured clinician at the North Alabama Day of Percussion, the Illinois PAS Day of Percussion, and the North Carolina Percussion Symposium.

James has served as the Director of Percussion at Bellbrook HS/MS, Assistant Band Director at Baker MS/Fairborn HS, Director of Percussion at Kettering Fairmont HS, Director of Percussion at Seminole HS, Director of Percussion at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park and Percussion Specialist in the Walled Lake Consolidated Schools District. He was also the 20-21 Vice President of Percussion & Winds for the Michigan Color Guard Circuit and is a founding member of the Michigan Alliance for Performing Arts, a non-profit organization that serves Percussion & Winds ensembles across Michigan.

He marched tenors with Trinity Indoor Percussion Ensemble, Music City Mystique, Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps, and Rhythm X. He has served in various roles, including technician, Battery Coordinator, Ensemble Specialist, Visual Designer, Program Coordinator, and Percussion Director/Arranger for: Alchemy Independent, the Cadets, the Carolina Crown, Eastside Fury, the Glassmen, Infinity Percussion, Madison Independent, the Madison Scouts, Redline Percussion, the Phantom Regiment, RhythmX, and Spirit Winter Percussion.

James currently works with Cap City Percussion as a Designer (20-present) and World Battery Coordinator (19-21, 23-25), and as Director of Percussion at Rouse High School and Wiley Middle School (22-present).