James Riles III is from Nicholls , Ga and has been playing drums since his parents bought him his first set at age 5. Riles drummed his way through middle school & earned the position of the lead drumset player in the Coffee High School Jazz Band "Trojectory" while he was just a freshman. His God-given talents landed him a scholarship at Morris Brown College where he composed a lot of their new aged Drumline material.

 

Riles was also a composer and performer for the hit movies "Drumline" and "Drumline 2: A New Beat". He used his gift to teach people of all ages how to play drums and life skills. His motto "Pray and Play" is one he holds onto dearly by letting everyone know that it's through Christ that he's able to teach the way that he does.

 

Riles' two sons, Sadarien and Darius Riles, are also drummers and co-owners of the Atlanta Drum Academy. According to Riles, they are much better drummers than he was when he was their age.