Jim Casella is a composer and music publisher. He is best known for the music he’s created for percussion ensembles and the drum corps' Santa Clara Vanguard (Santa Clara, CA) and Cavaliers (Rosemont, IL). His emphasis on color, melodic drum writing, and tightly woven blending of the full ensemble has contributed to DCI championships, high percussion awards, and has influenced new generations of modern, holistic percussion arrangers. 

Tapspace, the company Casella co-founded with Murray Gusseck, is one of the leading publishers of percussion music in the world. He also pioneered and produced the versatile software sample library, Virtual Drumline – an industry-favorite tool used for over 2 decades by arrangers for marching band, drum corps, and indoor percussion, as well as film, media, and concert composers. 

Casella’s signature series of drumsticks and keyboard mallets are manufactured by Innovative Percussion and are popular worldwide. He has served on the board of advisors for the Percussive Arts Society (PAS), the world’s largest percussion organization and is a member of The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). Jim Casella endorses Pearl/Adams instruments, Innovative Percussion sticks & mallets, Zildjian cymbals, and Remo drumheads. 

In addition to his work in the percussion industry, Jim has composed music for film and advertising. He lives in Portland, Oregon.