Vocal Instruction
Jamie Atkins
James B. “Jamie” Atkins has a B.A. in Music Education from Glenville State College, Glenville, West Virginia and a J.D. from the West Virginia School of Law, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Jamie is an experienced instrumentalist, vocalist, conductor, arranger and stage performer. Comfortable on numerous instruments and vocal styles, his opportunities to perform have been wide-ranging in both venue and instrument selection. Jamie finished undergrad with a major emphasis in trombone, and minor emphasis in piano and voice. He was a regular lead in the musical theatre department and also an original member of the first bluegrass band as GSC pioneered the nation’s first certificate in bluegrass music.
Jamie has numerous on-air credits for both television and radio and has appeared with many musicians and bands in countless performances around West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky. He regularly accompanies theatre performances on-call on piano, trombone or bass guitar, and performs The Star Spangled Banner at a variety of public events. He was the front vocalist and instrumentalist for a successful ballroom dance band from 1999 to 2014. Jamie served on faculty at West Virginia State University from 2006 to 2011 as assistant band director, drum line instructor, indoor percussion instructor and department recruiter. He has also served in various assistant director roles for high school music programs in West Virginia since 2000. Jamie currently works with both the show choir and marching band at his alma mater, Winfield High School.
Jamie has conducted the choirs at Trinity Fellowship Church in St. Albans, WV since 2001, most notably coordinating the annual Christmas Cantata, and been a vocal and instrumental member of the praise team for over 30 years. He has trained dozens of high school and collegiate marching band drum majors over the last 20 years and now keeps a private studio, teaching piano, drum set, guitars, brass, voice and drum major lessons.
Jamie works with Atkins & Ogle Law Offices, in Buffalo, West Virginia, and lives with his wife and three children in Teays Valley, West Virginia.
Marla Hopkins
Marla Hopkins is an instrumentalist and performer on piano, flute, guitar, and voice. She is a music education major at WVU. In high school she was very involved in show choir, marching band and concert band. She studied piano and voice with Jamie Atkins for 7 years and has studied flute with Betty King for 4 years. She was a 4-year member of the West Virginia All-State Band.
In addition to her credentials as an all-state musician, Marla has also earned the position of first chair flute for the Putnam County all-county band, West Virginia's all-area symphonic band, and the Marshall University honor band. She teaches beginning piano and voice lessons at the studio since 2020 and looks forward to continuing to encourage and inspire young musicians.
Jason Skanes
Jason Skanes earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, with emphasis in Vocal Performance, from Marshall University in 2001. While attending Marshall University, he was a member of the Marshall University Chamber Choir, University Chorus, Choral Union and received vocal instruction from Mrs. Linda Dobbs and Dr. Paul Balshaw. He also spent some time performing with “Opera for Youth” and traveling to schools in West Virginia. Jason also graduated from Wheeling University with a Master’s degree in Education Leadership in 2014.
Jason has been a Music Educator for 20 years, with 18 of those years teaching in Putnam County. He is currently the Music Specialist at Mountain View Elementary and has been the Elementary All-County Chorus Coordinator for Putnam County Schools since 2008.
Along with having a love for teaching music, Jason also has a love for gospel music. He has served as Assistant Music Director and Music Director at Teays Valley Baptist Church, in Hurricane, and began serving as Music Director at Grace Baptist Temple, in Saint Albans, in 2017.
Jason lives in Nitro with his sons, Jaron and Kenan, and their two cats, Bandit and Sienna.
JD James
JD James is a performer and multi-instrumentalist who is currently pursuing a B.A. in Music Education from Marshall University.
JD studies as a voice student at Marshall with piano as his secondary instrument. JD is active in the Chamber Choir as well as being an undergraduate member of the Chamber ensemble, “VONE: Voices of the New Era.” JD has been part of the Marshall University Marching Thunder where he played Tenor Saxophone and also enjoys playing guitar and bass for his church.
JD is a part of several student organizations at the MU School of Music. He currently holds the officer position of Festival Coordinator for the Collegiate National Association for Music Educators (cNAfME) and is a member of the MU Choral Board - a group dedicated to the organization of choral events and furthering of choral education.
JD is a graduate of Winfield High School where he was a part of the Marching Band and “General Admission” - the mixed show choir ensemble. He also was a part of the West Virginia All State Choir in 2023.
JD currently serves as the Assistant Director and Co-Showband Director for Poca High School’s show choir, “Visual Volume.” JD teaches voice and beginner piano at Atkins Music Studio and hopes to continue being an encouraging figure to young, developing musicians.