Esh's Background

Esh (Jim Eshleman,ll) is a dedicated professional composer and arranger, contemporary pianist/multi-keyboardist, certified recording engineer and a specialist in the field of MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) applications. Esh has thirty seven years of professional experience as an entertainer and as a public speaker, DJ and master of ceremonies.

Esh began playing keyboards early in life - about 6. He was privately tutored and became a professional performer at the age of 14, featured regularly in solo performances and a variety of bands throughout his native Middle Georgia area. He studied music theory and composition in high school and college. Esh is a veteran of the United States Air Force and was trained and certified as an Audio-Visual Engineer at Norton AFB, California. He was stationed in Omaha, Nebraska in the late 1970's where he also continued to perform regularly as a keyboardist with several popular regional bands. He returned to Georgia after his military service and performed with popular bands throughout the Southeast.

In 1982 he broke with the traditional ensemble and formed his own unprecedented, all-electronic band "Esh & Star Company". The group won top honors in the Georgia state SEARCH competition. Esh went on to perform in a series of concerts as featured guest soloist and synthesist with the Chattanooga and Fort Worth Symphonies. He also performed in a series of his own planetarium concerts and became well known for touring with a custom 14ft blue fiberglass "spaceship" that housed his extensive stage system. The spaceship now resides at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Esh was also one of the founders of New Lake Studio in Macon, Georgia; which specialized in jingle and commercial music production, and his voice has been used in many commercial broadcasts. Esh has been featured in Keyboard magazine and has worked as a technology consultant and free-lance writer for local and national publications, including "Music, Computers and Software" and "Music Technology". Besides his extensive solo performances, Esh has also performed as guest keyboardist for many well-known recording groups in the Southeast. He has also conducted seminars on music technology at many colleges and universities.

Esh currently resides with his wife Sheila on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. In addition to his extensive live performances, Esh also continues to produce music for commercial applications and is also an experienced computer network specialist. Esh is an active member of the American Mensa Society.

Besides a nickname used for all of his professional life, "Esh" is also an ancient Hebrew word for "fire".