Hollywood Tubist Jim Self to Headline MSU Guest Artist Residency

Morehead State University will welcome internationally acclaimed tubist, composer, and recording artist Jim Self for a Guest Artist Residency from Oct. 20 to 24, 2025.

The weeklong residency will feature a series of performances and educational events that are free and open to the public.

Highlights include:

• “Self-Evident: The Music of Jim Self” Concert – Wednesday, Oct. 22, 7:30 p.m., Duncan Recital Hall. The program will feature Self on tuba alongside SymbiosisDuo (Dr. Gail Robertson, euphonium, and Dr. Stacy Baker, tuba, with Dr. Deborah Eastwood, trumpet), the MSU Faculty Baird Winds and Baird Brass, and MSU student and alumni guest performers.
• Glenn Ginn Trio with Guest Artists – Thursday, Oct. 23, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Sawstone Brewing Co., Main Street, Morehead. The concert features the Glenn Ginn Trio with Self on tuba and Robertson on euphonium.
• “Studio and Movie Business Session” with Jim Self – Friday, Oct. 24, 11 to 11:50 a.m., Duncan Recital Hall. Self will share insights from his decades of experience as a Hollywood studio musician.

“MSU is delighted to host renowned Los Angeles tubist and composer, Jim Self, for a residency this October,” said Baker, music program lead and professor of music, tuba/euphonium. “Mr. Self has built an impressive career as a Hollywood studio musician, award-winning recording artist, and composer. We are excited to have him on campus to share his expertise with our students, faculty, alumni, and community. We are especially appreciative of the generosity of Mr. Self and his wife, Jamie, for endowing a tuba scholarship at MSU.”

Self’s residency comes just months after the MSU Foundation announced the creation of the Jim and Jamie Self Tuba Scholarship Endowment in February 2025. Established through the couple’s generosity, the endowment honors the service of Baker and the late Dr. Earle Louder, Professor Emeritus of Music. The scholarship supports undergraduate and graduate music and music education majors, with a preference for students who play tuba as their primary instrument.

For more information about the residency, contact Baker at s.baker@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2107.

For more information regarding the Music & Theatre Department, email mtd@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2473.