Jim Self's Career in Hollywood Studios

LA-based freelance and studio musician for film & television

Legendary tuba soloist Jim Self will share stories from his career as a Los Angeles-based freelance and studio musician, working on thousands of films, television shows, and records.

JIM SELF is a Los Angeles based freelance and studio musician, a veteran of thousands of motion pictures, television shows and records, and tuba soloist on many prominent movies. His tuba was the “Voice of the Mothership” in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, directed by Steven Spielberg. Other solos can be heard in many of John Williams’ sound tracks including Home Alone I & II, and Jurassic Park, James Horner’s Casper, Jerry Goldsmith’s Dennis the Menace and Marc Shaiman’s Sleepless in Seattle. For many years he was first tuba for John Williams, James Horner, James Newton Howard, John Debney, and others.

Jim has recorded with hundreds of artists including Placid Domingo, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand and Don Ellis. He is principal Tuba/Cimbasso with the Pacific and Pasadena Symphonies, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Los Angeles Opera Orchestras. He has recently worked on Star Wars VII, VIII and IX and Indiana Jones 5 with Williams. In the 2007-2008 season, the Pacific Symphony commissioned him to write a feature work called “Tour de Force”. This 13 minute piece was premiered in April 2008 at the Symphony’s home, the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Hall in Orange County. To date Jim has composed over 100 works for symphony, band, brass band, chamber music and solo works.

Upcoming events