James Povich is a fourth grade teacher and writes and performs solo piano as well. He has a wonderful wife and family and creating music is a passion of his.
James Povich grew up in North St. Louis County in Jennings, MO. He started playing piano by ear at age 5. Songs he would remember from Sunday Mass were the first tunes he would play on his 20-key keyboard.
A major musical influence in James’s life was his elementary music teacher, Leonard Bobrowski. Mr. Bobrowski played piano and sang in school and church and encouraged James’s musical passions. Throughout his teenage years and twenties, James would try to play piano wherever he could: Malls; department stores; restaurants; 2 o'clock in the morning in church near his house on the baby grand piano, with the haunting echoes throughout the church.
On 6/13/2013, James released his first original solo piano album, Innocence, which can be described as an emotional journey inspired by his life and experiences. In January of 2015, James lost his brother/best friend to drug overdose. This was a devastating time in his life. This was the catalyst in taking popular songs from all genres and interpreting them into piano versions. The first song he covered was Hearts Burst Into Fire by Bullet for my Valentine. This was a song he and his brother would listen to and loved together. This led to creating piano versions of many more songs and eventually releasing his second album (first piano cover album) in 2018, Reimagining, which includes 10 piano covers of songs across many genres and popular artists. He released each song as singles along the way, and then compiled them into an album.
In April of 2021, James released his third album (his second 10-song piano cover album), Second Thoughts.
James has been teaching fourth grade since 2011 and has a beautiful wife and family of 4 children just outside of St. Louis, MO. His musical goals are for people all over the world to enjoy his music and to eventually have one of his piano tracks placed in a TV spot or a motion picture.
Some of James's favorite artists and influences include: AFI, Beatles, Bob Dylan, Bone Thugs N Harmony, Boston, Celine Dion, Dave Koz, Doobie Brothers, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Guns N Roses, James Taylor, Journey, Mayday Parade, Michael Jackson, Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Collins, Rage Against the Machine, Simon and Garfunkel, Smashing Pumpkins, Steve Winwood, The Eagles, The Used, and many more.