James Backmon (he/him/his), a long-time resident of East Harlem, graduated from local public schools and attended Queens College’s Aaron Copland School of Music. He has worked with a number of choirs in the NYC area including the Boys Choir of Harlem, New York Boys Choir, and Rainbow Voices. In the late 90s, Backmon worked with the legendary folk singer Pete Seeger and other New Yorkers to form the intergenerational choral organization NYC Street Singers. He is the Director of the New Amsterdam Boys and Girls Choir and serves on the board of directors of Project 142 (a concert-presenting organization).