James Martin Self (born August 20, 1943) is an American tubist and composer from Los Angeles.
James Martin Self was born on August 20, 1943, in Franklin, Pennsylvania, the third youngest of four siblings born to Helen Louise (née Martin, 1907–1980)[1] and James Warren "Pete" Self (1906–1959),[2] and grew up in neighboring Oil City, Pennsylvania.
His father, James, worked as an assistant production manager at the Worthington Corporation and was a softball and baseball player.
He studied under trumpeter William Becker,[4] whom he considered a "a father figure and a kind of soul mate".
The concert band tuba section included Leo Hurst, Bob Pallansch, Dan Perantoni, Chester Schmitz, and Paul Scott.
During his time with the US Army Band, Self earned a Master of Music in Tuba Performance from Catholic University of America and studied with Harvey Phillips.
[9] In recent years, he performed on John Williams' scores for The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker.