Jim DiDomenico - Acoustic Guitar, Lead Vocals
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Jim was born and raised in Palatine, IL with his three talented brothers and wonderful parents. He went to Fremd high school where he ran track and cross-country. He continued his running at North Central College (coach Al Carius is one of Jim’s heroes) where he graduated with a degree in psychology and English. During college, Jim spent his summers as a counselor at a great boys camp up in northern Wisconsin called Camp Highlands. It was during those summers on Tuesday nights, at a bar called the Ancient Mariner, in the town of Minocqua, that Jim first played music in front of an audience. These summers also sparked a great passion for the outdoors that eventually led Jim to his post collegiate occupation. After college, Jim got a master's degree in leisure and environmental resources administration, and took a job as the director of an outdoor adventure program for drug addicts and alcoholics. For 4 years he led therapeutic expeditions to a variety of places doing activities like rock climbing, sea kayaking, dog sledding, cross country skiing, mountain biking, canoeing, etc. All the while, the “Acoustic Diversions” (the original band name), and then Underwater People, were becoming less part time and more full time.
A combination of things led Jim to give music a full time go at it, and so far so good. Above all his other hobbies (running, road and mountain cycling, paddling), Jim's greatest passion is cross-country ski racing. He has competed in over 50 ski marathons all over the world. His big race of the season every year is the American Birkebeiner. Jim recently competed in his 20th “Birkie” this year, and he's been the top finisher from Illinois the past couple of years. He has finished in the top 100 in five of the past six years out of about 4500 competitors annually. His best finish was 53rd in the 2006 race and that put Jim on the podium in 3rd place in his age group (out of 470). Jim has also run in the Chicago marathon (once and he learned his lesson- that pounding is brutal!), and his time was 3 hours and 10 minutes. Currently, Jim splits his time between his home in Minocqua, Wisconsin and his place in Elgin, IL. In 2001, Jim married his best friend Rebecca Bialas. On April 4th of 2003, the couple gave birth to their first child, Tyler James DiDomenico. Tyler is now a proud, very handsome, big brother to his little sister Tessa Rayne DiDomenico. Tessa was born July 6, 2004 and has become Daddy's little girl. Jim enjoys playing music for both his kids and others as he performs a solo children’s show at schools regularly. Contact Jim to find out more about this or anything else regarding him or the band.
Email Jim
Jim was born and raised in Palatine, IL with his three talented brothers and wonderful parents. He went to Fremd high school where he ran track and cross-country. He continued his running at North Central College (coach Al Carius is one of Jim’s heroes) where he graduated with a degree in psychology and English. During college, Jim spent his summers as a counselor at a great boys camp up in northern Wisconsin called Camp Highlands. It was during those summers on Tuesday nights, at a bar called the Ancient Mariner, in the town of Minocqua, that Jim first played music in front of an audience. These summers also sparked a great passion for the outdoors that eventually led Jim to his post collegiate occupation. After college, Jim got a master's degree in leisure and environmental resources administration, and took a job as the director of an outdoor adventure program for drug addicts and alcoholics. For 4 years he led therapeutic expeditions to a variety of places doing activities like rock climbing, sea kayaking, dog sledding, cross country skiing, mountain biking, canoeing, etc. All the while, the “Acoustic Diversions” (the original band name), and then Underwater People, were becoming less part time and more full time.
A combination of things led Jim to give music a full time go at it, and so far so good. Above all his other hobbies (running, road and mountain cycling, paddling), Jim's greatest passion is cross-country ski racing. He has competed in over 50 ski marathons all over the world. His big race of the season every year is the American Birkebeiner. Jim recently competed in his 20th “Birkie” this year, and he's been the top finisher from Illinois the past couple of years. He has finished in the top 100 in five of the past six years out of about 4500 competitors annually. His best finish was 53rd in the 2006 race and that put Jim on the podium in 3rd place in his age group (out of 470). Jim has also run in the Chicago marathon (once and he learned his lesson- that pounding is brutal!), and his time was 3 hours and 10 minutes. Currently, Jim splits his time between his home in Minocqua, Wisconsin and his place in Elgin, IL. In 2001, Jim married his best friend Rebecca Bialas. On April 4th of 2003, the couple gave birth to their first child, Tyler James DiDomenico. Tyler is now a proud, very handsome, big brother to his little sister Tessa Rayne DiDomenico. Tessa was born July 6, 2004 and has become Daddy's little girl. Jim enjoys playing music for both his kids and others as he performs a solo children’s show at schools regularly. Contact Jim to find out more about this or anything else regarding him or the band.
Dayna
Jacob
Jim
Michael
Patrick
Simon
