Having grown up in a music loving family that had a piano playing mom, and a singing dad, it’s no surprise that James Larken would end up with such a love of music. Combine that with what his  mother called once a “love affair” with “electronic impulses”, and you have a unique combination that has led to his  love of performing, writing, teaching, appreciating, and presenting music via the radio show The Morning Coffee Mix™.  Add to that his life experiences, and it’s a pretty good basis for what he does.  

James studied music for several years at Baptist Bible College in Springfield Missouri. His primary instrument through the years has been trumpet. He also plays keyboards, and sings. For a number of years he helped several churches with their music programs. Most recently it has been his DJ’ing & performing in the virtual world Second Life©. He loves jazz, classical, movie soundtracks, and has an affinity for any music by real musicians. Some of his favorite artists are trumpet players of coarse. Players like Chuck Mangione, Chris Botti, Louis Armstrong, and of coarse Phil Driscoll.  He is heavily influenced by vocalists like Frank Sinatra, Barry Manilow, & James Taylor. Add groups like Chicago, The Doobie Brothers, The Bee Gees, and Seals & Crofts, and you have a good idea what you might occasionally hear on James’s play lists.

One of the things that  greatly influences James’s life is the fact that experienced a stroke, brain surgery, and a coma at the age of 40. Is was caused by a very rare condition in his brain called an Arteriovenous malformations, or “AVM” for short. AVM’s are defects of the circulatory system that are generally believed to arise during embryonic or fetal development or soon after birth. They are comprised of snarled tangles of arteries and veins. AVMs of the brain or spinal cord (neurological AVMs) are believed to affect approximately 300,000 Americans, and often lead to the necessity of brain surgery, and unfortunately often cause strokes. But in spite of the difficulties and challenge, James has come out ahead in this situation.  James lives in Baytown Texas with his wonderful children Corey Michael & Rachel Elizabeth, and his dog Twoey & their cat Travis.