Branden Brown was born and raised in a suburb of Dallas, TX, where he was fortunate enough to attend a strong high school band program at Rowlett High School. He began playing the saxophone at age 12, and immediately felt a strong connection to playing music. Branden attended the University of North Texas majoring in Jazz Studies, where he performed and recorded with award-winning ensembles, including the UNT Two O’ Clock Lab Band and the North Texas Wind Symphony. In 2018, Branden was selected to play lead alto in the Disneyland All-American College Band, and spent the summer in the Los Angeles area working with prominent musicians like Sal Lozano, Wayne Bergeron, Steve Houghton, and John Clayton. After being exposed to so many great musicians and educators in Los Angeles that summer, Branden chose to attend USC for his Master’s degree, where he graduated Spring 2021. 

Branden is also an in-demand educator, having recently worked with the Musicians at Play Foundation’s Inglewood Band program. Through the program, he worked to help build a music program from the ground up, teaching 6 beginner woodwind classes consisting of varying age levels, elementary through high school. Before his time in California, Branden taught private lessons in the Garland ISD school district from 2017-2019. He most recently began as a Conservatory teacher at the Orange County School of the Arts Jazz, Winds, and Classical Conservatories in Santa Ana, CA. At OCSA, Branden teaches Jazz Arranging, Classical Composition, and the Jazz Saxophone Ensemble.

More recently, Branden has been finding a great deal of meaning and pleasure from studying composition, songwriting, and music production. Mentors that have greatly influenced him so far include Vince Mendoza, Bob Mintzer, Brad Leali, Sal Lozano, Adam Larson, and Jason Goldman.

Branden takes influence and inspiration from the music of Wayne Shorter, Lee Konitz, Ornette Coleman, and Kenny Wheeler, as well as Sufjan Stevens, Björk, and Arthur Russell.