LAPLACE — James R. Miller III, the band director at St. Joan of Arc Catholic School, has been nominated to the Louisiana Association of Jazz Educators Hall of Fame.

Miller held the position of Director of Bands at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge from 1984-2004. During that time, his Jazz, Marching, and Symphonic Bands consistently received superior ratings in festivals throughout the South.

Today, Miller teaches and directs at St. Joan of Arc Catholic School in LaPlace with an enrollment of approximately 150 band members. As a professional trombonist, Miller has performed with Tony Bennet, Sammy Davis Jr., Doc Severinson, Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald and others.

Active as a clinician and adjudicator, Miller has served as president of the Louisiana Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators. He is a graduate of Loyola University and a member of the Louisiana Music Educators Association and the Louisiana Bandmasters Association. Many of Miller’s former students perform professionally today.