James started using Finale notation software in high school, over a decade ago. During his studies at Mannes, James' typesetting expertise was greatly enriched by his experiences as a performer and composer. This allows him to create scores that are easy to navigate by performers while being very organized in detail. His training also allows him to dissect and notate complex recordings of performances by ear.

James has typeset numerous compositions ranging from solo to large orchestra. He has experience both with new music and with existing works. He's also completed transcriptions and arrangements from either written scores and/or by ear. When necessary, James can synthesize realistic electronic performances of scores as well.