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I am James’ mom. He sang before he talked. He wrote songs & played the piano at age 3. Thank y’all for all the wonderful things & memories you shared.

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I only met James last year, but he had a large impact on me both as a person and as a percussionist. Not only did James want everyone to be the best player they could possibly be, but he also taught others how to be a better person. My favorite memories of James often come from the breaks during practice and the time before everyone went home for the night. He would always share stories that would make everyone laugh. At band camp this year, we were doing an icebreaker, and everyone in pit got to hear all about James’ worst hair decision. We talked about his extensive plans for the koi fish pond he wanted to put in his yard. And, of course, Disney was a frequent subject that came up. James put so much time and effort into everything he did, from the electronics to writing show music to helping everyone in the band. No matter how busy he was, James would take the time explain a concept to someone. Last week, someone asked a question, and even though he was getting ready to leave, James put down what he was carrying and called everyone together to have a discussion about music theory.

James constantly pushed everyone in the band to become a stronger player. He would take the time to encourage people as well. At band camp this year, I was feeling overwhelmed by some of the music, and James told me that day after practice that if I was able to play the whole show perfectly at band camp, he made it too easy. He would give everyone tips on technique and practicing. So many things that James said have stayed with me over the past year that I have known him.

Even though I did not know James for long, he had such a large impact on me. James, thank you so much for all of the things you taught me and the joy you brought to my first two years of marching band.

-Sarah Clark

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I'll be the first to admit that, as a wind, I didn't know James nearly as well as any of the percussion kids did. With that said, the passing moments when James would walk back to percussion during concert band rehearsals or when I could hear him from my podium during marching band rehearsals were simultaneously some of the funniest moments I have ever had in band as well as some of the best music education I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. From my observatory position, James was both incredibly endearing and instructive, a mix of personality and teaching traits I had never seen before and doubt that I will ever see again in another teacher.

I'll never forget marching at the Powder Springs BOA Regional sophomore year in the rain; I went into the lean back set in the middle of the 1st movement, looked over to watch the Drum Major, and saw James under a plastic poncho with the brain. That exact moment, weirdly, was the first time I ever felt "the feeling."

James was a constant presence at rehearsals for me throughout the past 4 years, and even thinking of a rehearsal where I can't hear him speaking into the mic from the tower to pit while I wait for another rep to start feels surreal. I never got the chance to know James incredibly well, but I know that my main goal in life is approaching my future with the same passion that James clearly approached every day and every rehearsal with.

-Justin C.
Class of 2022

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James,

This absolutely does not feel real. A week and a half ago we were blasting music in the band room while we attempted to dry off our instruments after sprinting in the rain. Now, I sit in the band room after school waiting for a criticism on my technique that will never come. You taught me, above all else, to strive for unfailing perfection. Our sophomore year pit shirt literally had a quote by you that said “‘Just be perfect.’ -James Pluth.”

To enter a percussion room full of your never ending projects feels painful. You were never able to finish spray painting my xylophone black. I wanted to ask you if I could switch my cymbal with Spencer’s since his is the one I had for the last 3 years of band. So many loose ends. So many unfinished memories. So many jokes I’ll never be able to tell and see your disappointed face as you try not to laugh.

When I was an underclassman, a senior once told me that you are hard on us for the first three years but we become best friends with you as seniors. It makes me so sad to think that I only ever got a month-long peek at this potential friendship. I never thought I would have to ask myself what message to write about your death. You constantly complained about being old, but 31 years was no time at all for a mind as brilliant and creative as yours. It always boggled my mind how you were always thinking of new ideas, new shows, new technology, new instruments. Every single year I had a different pit experience. Freshman year it was two pods, sophomore year it was four pods, junior year it was single pit, and senior year I had in-ear monitors for the first time. And throughout it all, you were always the same: always pushing us to expand our boundaries, overcome any obstacle in our way, push beyond what we thought we could do.

I genuinely would not be the person I am today without your guidance and teaching. But you weren’t just a teacher to me. Yeah, a lot of people thought you were snarky (which you kind of were). But there was a side to you that not a lot of people were aware of, and I was fortunate enough to witness that side on more than a few occasions. You were so understanding when I had to miss every single day of band camp to be with my grandfather in Orlando. Seeing pictures of “stand-mir” behind my marimba was so incredibly sweet, but hearing that you insisted on bringing stand-mir down to every single ensemble rehearsal on pride field and in the stadium was an absolute shock. For the three years that I’d known you, you had never once performed as kind a gesture as that. And I was so filled with joy when I returned back to Atlanta for my first practice since the passing of my grandfather only to find a card on my marimba that said “we are thinking of you!” Signed by all the percussionists and many other band kids. What shocked me even more was finding out that the card was YOUR idea. Beyond that, you and I had an incredibly meaningful conversation one night after practice when you told me your father had died suddenly a few months ago, and that was one of the first times that I ever felt genuinely close to you. To have a teacher as amazing and compassionate as you was one of the most rewarding experiences I will ever take from high school. You did that. You made me feel loved and welcome.

Yeah, I didn’t really like you freshman and sophomore year because I thought you were too hard on me, but once when I complained to a friend about how tough you were on me, she told me “you know he’s only hard on you because he has such high expectations for you, right?” That really stuck with me. See, I didn’t have a ton of people believing in me for a long time, but your hope for my potential as a player, as a leader, and as a person were so inspiring. Even now, my motivation for being a good leader stems from the one thought that echoes in my mind: “What would James do?” Well, James would probably make an unnecessarily rude comment and smile as if to play it off as a kind suggestion, but he would do it out of care for our playing abilities and our development as musicians. Because I know that you cared beyond belief for us high schoolers. You took a dinky little set of keyboards 10 years ago and turned it into one of the most incredible percussion/front ensemble sections in the country. I am eternally grateful to have had the opportunity to play with the equipment and instruction we had, all by your doing.

So James, thank you. Thank you for being a friend. Thank you for being a teacher. Thank you for being someone who believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself. I truly miss you. It’s a loss I feel every day. But I love you, and I love the percussion kids so much, and I think you’d be happy with the way things are going right now. And I guess that’s the best I could possibly do.

Samir Handa

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I remember the first real time I talked to James. It was the first pit audition for my freshman year, and we were doing ice breakers in a circle. The question was favorite movie and I remember him going on and on about marvel. That’s when I knew I was going to like him a lot. The most important thing James taught me was to believe in myself more. During one of the percussion ensemble practices last year, I remember him saying something around the lines of “you’ve changed.” And that really stuck with me. James had the goal of teaching us to be ourselves and to be confident in our abilities. There were so many times where he said to me “You know the part, you just have to believe that you know it.” He also always made sure we were all doing okay. There were multiple times when I walked into the band room and saw him, and the first thing he would say was “How are you doing?” Each time, I felt surprised. But I shouldn’t have been because it was James. He always pushed us to be the best versions of ourselves and never gave up on us. And he cared about us a lot. I will miss you so much James. You will always be a part of the Walton percussion family.
-Camy Teichman, Class of 2022

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Although I met James three years ago, I feel like I didn't truly get to know him until this year. I was genuinely shocked when I was named pit captain for this season, but I soon came to learn how much faith James had in me and our section. Despite how covid damaged last year's season, James always stayed optimistic about how good we could get. He was always so encouraging and supportive of the pit, and I will forever miss his spirit and enthusiasm. I remember one day at rehearsal, we were talking about one of both of our favorite things: Disney. He mentioned that there's a secret lounge for special guests near the Test Track ride that he wanted to get into, and I remember he said, "I like going places that other people can't go to," which made me smile.

Another thing I'll always remember is his fascination with the electronics. Four years and I still don't understand how it works. Anyways, he had this microphone that was connected to each of the pit members' earbuds. He used it to give us feedback in between reps so that he didn't have to yell across however many yard lines our set up spread across, but one time he talked WHILE we were playing one of the hardest runs this year, and I swear I'll never get his "yessss pit" out of my head.

However, my favorite memory with him would have to be one day after a rehearsal at the stadium. Practice had just ended, so everyone was packing up to head back up to the band room. It had been a rough rehearsal. Like usual, some of the runs were muddy and I kept getting frustrated (yes, tears involved). When I went to go grab my marimba cover, James stopped me and essentially said that he was really proud of me. He told me that I was doing a great job and that the show was going to be really good. He said a lot more and I obviously wish I remember it word for word, but that was the gist.

James, you had so much more to teach me, but I am forever grateful for what I did get to learn from you in our short time together. I think there will always be plasti-dip on the keyboards.
-Ryann Jacobson, Pit Captain 21-22

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How do you describe someone like James? It is impossible to put him into words, but he has made one of the biggest impacts on my life. As a teacher he always had great music lined up and his passion for writing was always astounding. But James was so much more than his musical ability. While music was a massive part of his life, deep down he was stubborn, passionate, and kind. He gave me one of the biggest pep-talks of my life when things just got too overwhelming, he stayed long after rehearsal to explain music theory to us, and he had us spray every keyboard in the pit with plasti-dip (something that will always be in my memory with the countless plasti-dip peeling parties) then had us spray over it with black spray paint since it still hasn't come off. On the St. Louis trip, he came to dinner late one day looking kind of off, and when asked where he was, he said he was hit by a car and used it as an excuse to get everyone to come to practice no matter what. He always encouraged us to work harder and get better. When asked on an essay about my opinion on the value of striving for perfection, I wrote about James. He always wanted us to strive to achieve the 5th scoring box "Always". After the Corky Kell performance he stood up on the drum major podium right in the middle of the walkway and told us we were working so hard and he couldn't wait for the rest of the season. He was excited by our run and how together it had been. His anecdotes during class made everyone laugh and inspired conversation even on the dullest of days. His spelling, while atrocious was always a conversation starter. He made fun of us for being in the film club, and encouraged us when we did musicals. One time recently we were talking while waiting for the football team to finish up and we asked him whether he thought Robert Pattinson was objectively attractive. James really was a friend, and I will miss the way his face lights up brainstorming a show and his voice coming through the in-ear monitors directly into our ears in the middle of a rep. The world has lost one of the most creative and kind people. He was always there for us when we needed it. But he also meant business. The way you have fun is by putting on a great performance and by being proud of the show you work towards. "You are never going to get to the show and wish you had practiced less" - James. He cut us off on reps until we got it consistently and his perfect pitch meant we couldn't hide behind others. He challenged us to work hard to sound great as an ensemble. While searching for possible career paths and colleges, my mom has been trying to push me to ask the adults in my life about their jobs and if they enjoy what they do. So I asked him. He replied with, "I love what I do. Sometimes it's a lot of work, but it is also a lot of fun."
Lindsey, you said he talked about us all the time and I'm sure my Mom can attest that we have done our fair share of talking about James. He worked with me to help me grow as a musician and a person. He always had us working hard and gave us a space where friendships could blossom. The Walton percussion section would not be the way it is now without James.
James, I will miss you and all the memories we could've had this year. I will never forget the impact you have had on my life and on the lives of those around you.

-Rainey S
Marimba
Class of 2022

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James was always working on new ideas for shows.

I remember being on the bus returning from St. Louis in 2018.  It was the last show of the season and we were heading home.  James stuck his head between the seats of the charter bus and said “I’ve got some ideas for next year’s show.” He then proceeded to send me links to music for the rest of the trip home.

He always had 3-4 shows he was actively working on, and probably another 20-30 just stored in his head.  He was one of the most creative people I know, and I will really miss his dropping random songs on me.

-John Palmer

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James loved to argue, and he was VERY good at it.  It took me awhile to understand that this was his way of showing his passion for the music and his desire for the band to be the very best it could be.

He always approached everything from the lens of what would make the kids better, what would are the band better, what would make the students better.  If he felt that something would accomplish that, he would fight for it.

Sometimes it would be difficult to admit James was right - he would get this little grin on his face.  I’ll miss that.

He would also (occasionally) acknowledge another point of view… usually with a “that’s fair…”. That was high praise from James.

I am going to miss James and his passion so much.  We were so much better with James in our corner, and he will always be a part of the Walton Band.

-John Palmer

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I never got to know James personally, but I remember being introduced to him as “flip flops” my freshman year since he was always wearing flip flops. His positive attitude was contagious and I know I’ll never forget the impact he’s left on the band.
I regret not getting to know him
He is a treasure to the band and we will all love him forever
Katherine S.

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There are countless stories that I can’t bring myself to remember right now, but I know they’re there. He was so involved with all of our lives, not just with teaching. He would ask me if I’m ok, even if I had just the slightest look of sadness on my face. He cared for us. Every compliment he gave you could tell was genuine. Practice was always so much more engaging and fun with him teaching. It’s hard to picture our pit section without him fiddling with the cords in the front, without him bouncing to the warm ups. It’s hard to imagine percussion ensemble without his interactive style of teaching, his insightful feedback. I’m going to miss him so much. The other day, I was crying in my bed when my sister walked in to comfort me. As she was hugging me, she tearfully said, “I didn’t know him very well but with the interactions I’ve had, he seemed nice. He talked about you.” I asked what he said about me, and she said, “He really liked you.” I really liked you too, James.
-Clarissa H

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I loved listening to the amazing music James created each year for the band's show. I enjoyed watching him work with the pit students because you could see how much they respected him and it was amazing to see how much better each student got over time under his instruction. I feel fortunate to have been able to work with him for a couple of seasons as a fellow staff member and to get to know him better as a person and to get to hear more of his jokes. I loved watching him absolutely light up when talking about or being near Lindsey. He made an impact on my life and on the lives of my sons. The world has lost an incredible artist and great human being.
Bevin Newton

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For 7 years, James appreciated and understood my son in a way no other adults at school did. I will be forever grateful to him for that. He made a huge difference and will be remembered.

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I have started to write something many times. When I first met James I didn’t know what to make it of him…until I got to know him. I had the pleasure If causally chatting with him during one of the our band trips in which I was chaperoning and was is AWE of how much he knew about music and as a non creative I was so impressed with all I learned from James, Lindsey and Scott Brown that Night. I said “ I could talk to you all night too understand how you come up with your show ideas” . He warmly replied “ Come hang out at the house sometime”. I didn’t feel I was “cool” enough to hang out with the “cool kids”… but I regret not having taken him up on it. Over the years I found James to be funny, caring and witty. He was made go to person when a certain character was president and I needed to vent. He was always well informed and up for a quit text exchange to give info to support my argument. He was a support system. It was nice to have a like minded friend. We both celebrated when the world seem ti be restored to order. He had a sweet tooth and loved to get cookies. He smiled big when he saw I had some for him too. I enjoyed seeing James. I often asked him where Lindsey was … when she was going off teaching other… I would tell him that I missed her and he concurred. The two of them fit and made sense. I will miss James creative genius! I will miss his humor, his sarcasm and his humorZ i will miss our FB banter against the non sense of the world… you left us too soon James. I am grateful that I got to know how amazing you were… Rest In Peace mi amigo…

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From the first time I had met James, I knew that this was a man that I wanted to know. In my time in the pit, I never saw him too often or interacted with him much due to the fact that the majority of my time had been with Colin. Even still, every time that he was at practice, it was a great pleasure. He could light up a room with his humor, and was always working to help and make everything better. He truly taught us, using constructive criticism whenever he saw something being done wrong so we could do it better in the future. He always had something positive to say, whether our performance was good or not. He was always there to encourage and help us. The music he wrote was beautiful, and I honestly prefer to listen to his show music over most anything. I wish I had a story that I could share about James; however, the time we saw each other was simply too short to have created any great stories. Even still, I can vividly remember the time he consoled me about my performance with my music because I was very obviously stressed about it. He explained the best ways to practice it to get better at it, and he made sure that I knew to not get too worked up because "if you were playing every note perfectly as a freshman in high school, you should probably be in college." There were other times when similar things occurred, and he always knew what to say and when. I wish I had gotten to know him better and made stories that I could share much later in life, and maybe even make a story that he'd share with someone.

I'll never forget you James,
Spencer L

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One time we were practicing inside and James was discussing what he wanted to get for dinner. He decided he wanted a "Shaqaroni" pizza because he said it would help him ball out. I couldn't play for the next few reps because I was laughing so much. I realized that behind James' infinitely creative and passionate mind was someone who was just really fun to be around.

Saajan J.

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While I didn’t know James for long, he made a very big impression on me. We both knew a lot about technology and digital mixing, so I enjoyed being around him. Whenever there was a problem with the synth he would be quick to fix it, and would always make sure I knew what the problem was and how to fix it for when it happened again. The music that he wrote amazed me with its different sounds and elements, which made it super fun to perform. He would always crack the best jokes that would brighten my day.

One that I remember was when he asked one of the marimbas if they could scream like a girl for a sample that he needed. The other synth, Sam, mentioned that he thought I could scream for the sample for him, and James’ comment was ‘yeah, let’s not encourage Mitchell to do any more stupid stuff, ok? Boom, roasted. Mic drop.’ The funniest part about it was that only front ensemble heard the conversation because we had our own earplugs, so no one else in the band had any context as to why the whole of front ensemble looked at me and why we were all laughing.

James was an awesome, talented guy. I’ll miss you, James. You meant a lot to me. To all of us.

- Mitchell P.

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James was one of the most extraordinary people that I have ever had the privilege of knowing. He had such a rare combination of extreme intelligence, deep musical talent, a great witty sense of humor, and a such a high level of empathy and compassion.  I greatly admired James and am very grateful for all of the jokes exchanged and deeper conversations that I was able to have with him while I was in marching band. I will never forget you James and the positive impact that you had on my life. Thank you for being such an extraordinary person, I will miss you greatly.

-Avery Arasin

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I remember my sister coming home from Jacksonville and crying while telling me and my mom about how the cord to her synth got run over and how it ruined the run. She mentioned how James was the one to comfort her when she broke down after the run and his kindness will forever be remembered by me and my family. -Abhai

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I remember this one time we had a practice where we were sent inside and we’re figuring out what to do because we couldn’t use the theater to continue practice. And so we all sat down and watched some other bands perform there shows from past years and it was really cool to see mr pluth show his love for marching band to all of us.

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So, I never knew James that well, but whenever he told me good morning or helped me out in some sort of way or whenever he complimented me, it just made my day and that can honestly never be replaced. I am gonna miss you so much James, you were such a cool teacher and you helped me persevere through so much my freshman year, and that can never be replaced by someone else, and I will always miss that feeling. Walton will never forget how much you treasured Walton as a second home and how kind and nice you were to the band and every single one of the band students that you ever met. Thank you for that experience, and from now on I swear that every marching step I take and every note I play, I will try my hardest and break through my limits, and dedicate them to you James, Plus Ultra
-Andrew Gillman, Baritone/Sousaphone, Graduate of 2023

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He seemed like such a bright light in everyone's life and he'll be dearly missed by everyone here at Walton.

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When I student taught you were my closest friend. We spoke every day and rolled our eyes too many times to count. I loved our conversations in the car going to lunch and actually use many things that you taught your kids for my current students today. You had a huge heart, advocated for the right things, and had SO much talent. You gave people hope and made a career out of doing something that you love. I have not fully grasped that you passed and the amount of people who are talking about it shows the impact that you made on others. I am so concerned for your students and staff who were close to you every day. Their hearts are shattered and I wish that I could find a way to heal that for them. I find comfort knowing that almost every story about you will involve laughing in some way. I hope that your family heals in some way and sees the impact that you made on others. -Maria Menendez

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When I student taught you were my closest friend. We spoke every day and rolled our eyes too many times to count. I loved our conversations in the car going to lunch and actually use many things that you taught your kids for my current students today. You had a huge heart, advocated for the right things, and had SO much talent. You gave people hope and made a career out of doing something that you love. I have not fully grasped that you passed and the amount of people who are talking about it shows the impact that you made on others. I am so concerned for your students and staff who were close to you every day. Their hearts are shattered and I wish that I could find a way to heal that for them. I find comfort knowing that almost every story about you will involve laughing in some way. I hope that your family heals in some way and sees the impact that you made on others. -Maria Menendez

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I didn’t really know James on a personal level, but he was always extremely kind and funny. I loved the 2019 show, it is one of my favorite memories.

Josh S

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James pluth  taught  one of my school years and it was a bumpy ride he got onto everyone for not playing right notes but then one day he pulled me to the side and said I was doing a good job but he also critized how impatient I am but it was all to make me a better person 

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James pluth  taught  one of my school years and it was a bumpy ride he got onto everyone for not playing right notes but then one day he pulled me to the side and said I was doing a good job but he also critized how impatient I am but it was all to make me a better person 

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One of the things I admired most about James was his incredible writing skills. My favorite thing he ever wrote was the ballad in our 2016 show Superstitions (it starts around the 5 minute mark in this video). The title of this movement is "Broken Mirrors" and the way he portrays the theme through music is so clever. Most of the ballad is exactly what you would expect a ballad to be, slow, peaceful, beautiful. Towards the end the energy starts building and working up to what you expect to be a beautiful resolving chord, but remember that the theme of this show is bad luck. Instead of the major chord the audience is expecting, he hits you with a loud, dissonant one, representative of the mirror breaking. James took an already incredible theme and just made it extra special with details like this making Superstitions my favorite Walton show of all time. Thank you James for your music and your life. We will never forget you.
-Allison Stewart

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Walton High School Marching Band BOA Atlanta 2016

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James, you’re a brilliant musician, composer, and human. We were so blessed to have a mind like yours. You were there when I had just graduated high school, and you made me feel like I did belong in the adult world (at least somewhat), and I wasn’t just some dumb kid infringing on other peoples fun. I can’t believe you’re not still here. I can’t believe I won’t get to go to Mazzys with you and the band staff again.  I wish so bad I had seen you one more time.
-Meredith

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One day me and my friends were running really late to practice and we were sprinting across the parking lot with all of our stuff, about to drop it all. And James was walking from the field to the band room and when we passed him I expected him to say something about how late we were, but he just said, "I like the hustle". And that made me laugh and feel less stressed about being late.

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The music he wrote gave us so many memories that we will remember forever, and I know I will remember the music he wrote forever. Let us continue his vision of our show and go thorough the rest of the season with his memory at heart. James, thank you so much for gifting us beautiful music and memories and you will be deeply missed.

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Hi, last year James taught the percussion for the concert 1 class. Even during COVID and at home he still tried to keep all of us engaged and playing. As I may not have known him as well as some of the Marching Band kids I know he was dedicated and loved band and percussion. He will be missed. Dylan C

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For every band memory with James, there was a passionate discussion about our favorite Disney attraction. For every passionate discussion, there was an excited text about the latest Apple product. For every excited text, there was a crass joke, a dumb meme, or (most often) a bad pun. And for every bad pun, there were vulnerable and meaningful discussions about our hopes, our passions, and our loved ones.

James was one of my closest friends. Even when we drifted apart (usually when the marching season was over), he was only a quick text away. He was one of the only people with whom I shared so much in common, and almost every passion of mine has some memory of James associated with it. I already miss you immensely dude, and I forever will.

I don’t know what heaven will look like or feel like. But I know that when I get there, it will sound beautiful because God will have given the mixer to James.

-Michael Foo
(“They’re not booing you, they’re Foo-ing you!”
-James)

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Hey so one of my favorite memories in the Walton marching band was during my freshman or sophomore year, it was a practice day but I showed up super late and rushed into a set I never learned before. As I rushed on to find my new dot while everybody was set I couldn’t find it and I panicked and asked James for some reason and I’ll never forget the facial expression he gave me like he knew where it was. After that I always liked James he was an incredibly young talent and he will be loved and missed by us forever. - G

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This is by far one of your greatest arrangements - we will always think of you every time we hear it.

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In seven years of being a band parent there are too many James memories to cover them all. Mostly I remember being greeted with a playful smile because he’d dreamed up something for us to build at band camp (like a double-decker gong stand). Or he’d purchased a big new instrument and it was up to us to figure out where it would fit on the trailer.

I also remember the enormous amount of time he invested in our kids. Few things touch a parent’s heart more than that.

Goodbye James, your time on this earth was over too soon.
— John Underwood

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James pushed everyone to do better from the students to other instructors and even the roadies.  I meet James ten years ago when he first showed up at Walton.  He was easy to approach and I enjoyed the conversations about technology and making things better.  He was always asking if we (roadies) could add, modify, or build something to help make the music or show better.  That typifies James – always wanting to make it better.  Though the picture does not show James, it really does.  This is us rewiring a speaker for James.

I will miss him.

Tim Floyd

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I certainly didn’t get the chance to get to know James on a very deep level, but perhaps that’s what makes his impact on my life more significant. As I entered my first season of teaching marching band as a band staff member at Walton, my first impression of James was that he was almost the exact opposite of my personality. So confident, vivacious, and brutally honest. As a shy and constantly anxious person, I have to admit he intimidated me. For a while I wasn’t entirely sure what to think of James; sometimes I wondered if he really liked me all that much. But I have to say that I met James during an extremely tumultuous period of my life. I was coming to terms with my sexuality at the time, which was all the more a struggle knowing that my parents were not accepting of it, and eventually James became a hand to hold on to as I faced the struggles of coming out. There were so many times when I thought I was at the end of my rope, and James somehow was ALWAYS the first to reach out to help. And I don’t mean just reaching out to give condolences - he would put his whole soul into what he offered. He made sure I knew that he was a place to seek refuge. Whether I needed advice, affirmation, professional help, a shoulder to cry on, or even a roof to sleep under, James was always willing to give any and all of those things and so much more. And he always prefaced whatever help he gave by saying “we love you no matter what”. So while it’s true I never got the chance to know James on a deeper level like some of the other Walton staff, the fact that he would give up so much to help out someone who is only a little more than a stranger to him and about a decade younger is something I’ll never let go of. He kept me going, and in remembering all of this he gives me motivation to love as freely and as honestly as he did. As long as I live, I will never forget James Pluth, the happy-go-lucky stranger who loved me like a brother. I love you James.

- Ryan Ragsdale, Walton Marching Raider Band visual staff member 2019

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I spent countless hours under James Pluth’s instruction while I was at Walton. He was not only passionate about music, but he was passionate about teaching. I owe James a debt of gratitude for making me the person I am today. Thank you James for helping me see who I could become!

Joey Lewis

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Before COVID, at least once every other week, it seems, Scott would tell me, “James is coming over for a while to work on music”, which meant for the rest of the night the two of them would most likely be on the screened in porch. Sometimes they would be out there until the wee hours of the morning. He even had his own seat on our screened in porch. Many times I sat out there with them for hours just because the conversations were never lacking in entertainment. It always seemed like the porch nights started off with Scott and James going over brilliant show ideas but before long one of us would tangent off in a whole new direction that sometimes resulted in us watching the weirdest (and hilarious) YouTube videos.

Quite a few times he joined us for dinner; he was always welcomed here because it felt like he was more of a extended family member than just a coworker and friend to Scott. One night he spent over 30 minutes trying to log into a someone’s streaming account just to introduce us to this “new show”, Westworld.  And I’ll never forget the time James helped me debone a chicken to make chicken casserole. I can’t remember what he and I were talking about during that but I swear I think that was the only time I’ve ever enjoyed deboning a chicken.

It’s felt pretty empty over here since Covid because I’m so used to people coming over and hanging out and working on music with Scott. Especially James, more so than anyone else since we moved to Marietta. I was not as close to him as Scott but he never was a stranger to me because the minute I first met him it’s like we always found something to talk about that, many times, actually wasn’t band related, believe it or not.

I still can’t grasp the fact that he is gone. No matter how bad or exhausting my day was, seeing James walking through our back door, with a bottle of something or a Taco Bell bag and an ear to ear smile just made the day end on a brighter note. This house will always feel like it’s missing something, especially during marching season. We will miss you so much, James, and will never forget all the times you made us laugh and smile. Thank you for so many wonderful memories!

- Shannon Brown

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We were both still kids when we marched together. But, we knew exactly what we wanted to do with our lives - teach and design for the marching arts. While we took very different paths to get there, we both ended up living our dream. And I always knew I’d never have even a fraction of the talent, creativity, or innovative drive that you did, but that never stopped you from pushing me as an arranger to step out of my comfort zone and take a risk solely for the sake of advancing the activity.

I’ll miss bouncing show ideas off one another, giving each other feedback on arrangements, or humble-bragging on our students by sending performance videos from opposite sides of the country. Without fail, we’d somehow always see each other after a show in some random state and pick up like it was yesterday.

Your laugh was infectious. Your passion was undeniable. Your genius was inspiring. Your heart was full. You lived and loved as we all should everyday - to the absolute fullest. You changed my life and the lives of every person you’ve ever met for the better. I’ll keep working to be everything I knew you wanted me to be. And, don’t worry…we’re all going to take care of Lindsey for you. Thank you for being you, brother.
- Brandon

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I’ll never forget this photo of James throwing a ball during my promposal picture. I am so thankful for all the memories we shared. One of my favorite memories with him was while watching Maroon 5’s super bowl performance, and my mind thought the stage was a W instead of a M so I asked, “why is the stage a W?” and James and everyone else just busted out laughing, telling me it’s the letter M for the band name. At the end of my high school career James became more of a friend than just a teacher. I’ll be forever grateful to have had such an incredible mentor. You will be missed so dearly.
-Lauren Conner

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The (semi) infinite tower of butter de peanut.

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Having lived with, marched with, taught with, and generally schemed and shenanigan'ed about with James...I had my fair share of experiences with Pluthums. But, my mind always go back to one of the admittedly more milder James escapades.

We had just moved in together after convincing his former roommate couple to abandon their side of the lease. I believe we had finished getting my furniture in and combined our pantries, or perhaps more like the pantries of James + the couple that James scared off + my own. Anyways, we were hanging out, probably complaining about college marching band, when all of a sudden he blurts out...

"Hey..you wanna know how much peanut butter we have now?"

He walks over to the cabinet and begins *tossing* the peanut butter out of the cabinets.

"ONE.
TWO..
THREE..."

That's when we discovered we had a bounty of peanut butter.

"Hey..we could make a fortress..no..A TOWER of peanut butter."

And so we built the greatest tower of peanut butter known to man (or Jacksonville, Alabama) [but seriously..it was like 5 feet tall].

He then ceremoniously, chops the tower down, and we unceremoniously went back to complaining about college marching band...probably.
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But on a less light note. We were thoroughly complete opposites, but we did everything together for awhile...and somehow didn't attempt to murder each other in the process. I will always miss improv sessions on the porch of Mason, scheming to get out of the piano proficiency exam, practicing together (whenever he decided he wanted to practice rather than write), playing through the entire Halo series together and gushing about the score the entire time, introducing me to Sarah Anne, planning to change the world someday..

It looks like you kept your end of the bargain on the latter. I'll just have to keep chipping away on my end then I guess. Thanks for the memories, brother. See you in the next.

-cbre

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James and I met during our time together at JSU and we had so many great musical experiences together. He was truly amazing at anything he put his mind to, and it is fantastic to see just how many people he influenced and shared his passion with. He will be so missed.

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I had the pleasure of teaching James at JSU in private lessons and many ensembles. He was such a great student and very committed to becoming better as a teacher and a musician. He was very talented and loved to write. He even wrote pit parts to the ballad one year when I was hospitalized due to a bike accident. Not only were the parts incredible, but he was able to write them in my style. James was not only an intense student, but just a great person. I will miss him greatly. Clint Gillespie

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Going into high school, I was the most stereotypical introvert that you could have imagined. With James around, that didn't last long. He was the one who helped me out of that shell and taught me that not everything is about defusing a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. As the wise man once said, "Breath. Stop panicking. Stop over-thinking. They're just notes."

Thanks for the laughs, the tears, the ups and downs, the witty jokes, the inside jokes, the terrible jokes, the pep talks, the stories, the ridiculous moments, and the amazing memories worthy enough to be written in the book of legends.

- Chase

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James Pluth, hearing of your passing was a huge shock and has shaken me up a bit. Knowing someone with such a positively contagious energy, is something that you don’t get the pleasure of experiencing everyday.

I remember, the first time I met you at JSU Band Camp, thinking… “Good lord, this dude can play.” You always put your ALL into everything you did. It was extremely inspiring as a freshman and young percussionist at such a great college￼ band program.

I also got to experience your talent in teaching during the 2012 indoor season at Frequency Indoor. This was my first experience making WGI Finals and will never forget that time drumming with the boys and the good times / laughs that were had. You were a big part in making that season special and allowing me to have that WGI Finals “feeling”…and for that, i’m forever grateful.

You will be greatly missed and I know the band world has been positively impacted by your presence. Rest In Peace, Brother. #BlowSoutherners #FreqNasty

- Taylor McCullough

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I wish I could have let James know how much of an impact he had on my life. He consoled me at my lowest, and pushed me when I wanted to give up. I will forever miss you James.

-Emma Peeples

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I feel so thankful to have gotten to know James during my time in Walton Percussion.  He was an incredible teacher and mentor to me and made such a positive impact on everyone around him

-Paul Weiland

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For the past few years at Atlanta CV James was our sound designer. In 2019 he got a last minute flight to make it to our championship performance. After delays and trouble actually getting on a full flight he landed in Pittsburgh, grabbed his rental car and broke land speed records to get to the stadium almost 3 hours away. There was no way he should have made it, but he did. He pulled up to the entrance to the stadium, left the car at the ticket booth with people yelling at him that he couldn’t park there, and Alan Armstrong handed him his pass to get in. He walks into the seating, I hand him the iPad….. and the show begins. It was epic. I had driven that same drive the day before so I know how far it was. There’s no way he should have made it in that time 😂 Love you brother. You will be missed.

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James was, and forever will be, a part of the Walton Percussion family. James has been my teacher, my mentor, but most importantly, my friend. Without him, I would have never pushed myself to such extremes or been given the opportunities that he presented to me. He not only made me a better player, but he made me a better person.

As I was looking back at some conversations with James, I found a quote that made me smile.

"Look, I’m good at a lot of stuff, organizing things is not one."

I will miss you forever James💙

-Anna Bronsted

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I remember my very first football game I pulled my xylophone onto me, which broke my wrist. James was with me the entire time before I left to see a doctor and he gave me a hug. That was one of the thousands of gestures James made to show how much he cared about us, his students. James cared about every single one of his students he ever had. He was always there if we ever needed anything, music related or not.

He was more of a friend/mentor than a teacher to me by my senior year. I know everyone will deeply miss him, but he's leaving behind great memories and an even greater legacy.

- Luke Onori (2021 graduate)

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James, you made the Walton Band better. You made us all better. Your impact on our Walton Band Family will be felt for long, long time. Thank you for everything you did for us, and for being a part of our family. We will miss you, but we will never forget you.

Mike Back

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James and his sense of humor will never be forgotten! I am so thankful for the many memories we shared. James was a big supporter whether it was me struggling to learn my music or just needing a life lesson. He genuinely impacted so many lives and he will be missed. -Caroline S. (2017 grad)

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-CML

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Walton percussion keyboard ensemble: Cloud Forest

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When I was still teaching at South Gwinnett, I brought in Kevin Bobo from Indiana University to come and do a couple of days of marimba clinics with my students.  Out of the blue, this kid named James Pluth from Central Gwinnett emailed me and said “I have to play for Kevin Bobo, can you get me a lesson with him?”  I didn’t immediately respond, so he sent me three more emails.  So I set up the lesson with Professor Bobo, realizing he was never going to leave me alone until I did it.  Afterwards, I asked Bobo how it went, and he said “that kid is intense, man!”

A few years latter, I hired James to write for Mill Creek and design the electronics.  He literally taught me everything I know about Logic and Mainstage, which is probably about 10% of what he knew.  But he explained everything so well that I never forgot it, to this day.

That’s the mark of a good teacher…

Dr. Erik Forst-Messiah University

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My last memory with James was a great one. We were celebrating the annual Band Banquet my senior year and I still look back thankful for everything I learned about music throughout my 4 years with the Walton Band. His sense of humor always helped me forget about the stress of school and enjoy every moment of rehearsal no matter how long we had been rehearsing. My time with the Walton Band began with a Tournament of Roses parade themed around Inspiring Stories. Now I compose music and want to do so in memory of the first person that inspired me to write music. May James never be forgotten.

-Nico Carpio

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I’m not really sure where James had gotten this unicorn mask, but he whipped it out during the 2013 AQ season all the time just to make us laugh. Any time we would have a chop out session, in would come James the Unicorn.
- Lindsay

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James constantly pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to pursue new opportunities. I will always be thankful for his guidance and teaching, plus his witty and sarcastic remarks at practice always brightened my day. He also constantly made us laugh by photobombing our pictures. I can’t imagine band without him in it. -Rachel

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Oh the memories with James. We played Cloud Forest my senior year and I’ll always remember how James approached a keyboard. I remember before a regional with AQ, my dad made a special plate of breakfast to bring to you on the bus. I am thankful to have spent so much time with him through Walton and AQ. Teaching at Walton band camp gave me a new perspective about James as more of a friend than a teacher, but he will always be one of the best educators that I know and one of the reasons I am teaching now.

Thanks for the memories, James. We miss you.

-Caty Mae

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The first time James and I collaborated resulted in AQ getting third place in PIO at WGI championships. It was the start of an awesome working relationship that resulted in many WGI finals placements, BOA placements, commercial projects and too many marching bands show to count. I learned a lot from him and really enjoyed our creative process. From our working relationship a great friendship was formed and I will miss that terribly.

You will be missed my friend.

-Alan

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This was from a video I took during CV in 2019. James was "testing out our speakers" by blasting yacht rock while we were all eating. I'll never forget all the hard work he's done for many different organizations. -Josh M

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You had some of the wildest ideas and somehow made them come to life. Your passion and creativity gave things life. I'm so grateful to have known you. - Josh

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Whether it was teaching band, driving to a regional, or just sitting in the back yard, the best times had were when there was a topic of debate and your sass.

-Alex

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Celebrating James’ birthday by combining his love of games and trains. He’s the reason we escaped! Will always remember his passion and intellect. -Ryan

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Never forget James asking me to help take his sleeper-sofa to the dump. It was going to be tough to get it down the stairs from his apartment. In typical James practicality, he decided to tear it apart, using kitchen knives, and throw it off of his balcony. Can’t imagine what the neighbors below were thinking.
Scott Brown

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Never quiet, always full out. I will miss that! - Andrew

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Nothing could ever match the shade thrown when you and I were together. I will miss that every day. -Chris

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You were a great teacher and friend, I’ll miss you more than I can say.  I feel so thankful to have known you!  - Andrew

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Band camp was always the best! We taught the best kids with the best staff! - Holly Maldonado

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One of my favorite memories with James is going to Ugly Christmas Sweater trivia. Spoiler alert! Our team won! - Holly Maldonado

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You’ve been by our side during our entire time at Walton, and always will be. - Chris and John