James Garret is a music teacher at both the Bluffington Beach Middle and High Schools, and also travels with the school team when they compete in school band competitions. His daughter, Jodie, attends Bluffington Middle School.
He does not like or encourage the "shitty four-chord punk songs" Cory plays in the band room before class, and confiscated Nolan's cassette player and has been using it himself (much to Nolan's ire).
He showed kindness to Ronny by letting him eat lunch in the music room before he was able to make friends after transferring into the school.
When seen in To Be Young Near the Shore, he was dressed like “white dude in his late 30s trying to look professional" in a red sweatervest and tie. He is described as being skinny and in his upper 30s, with a "conservative looking face and haircut".