Thomas “Tom” Brown is a percussionist, educator, and audio engineer based on California’s Central Coast.

Growing up on an old chicken farm near the Salinas River, Tom spent his childhood immersed in the natural beauty of the Central Coast. His early years were filled with Tom Sawyer–esque adventures: climbing trees, riding bikes, catching frogs and lizards, and wandering with his dogs.

Tom’s musical journey began in fourth grade, made possible by dedicated music teachers in his hometown. Recognizing his enthusiasm, his parents bought him a used drum set for the garage. Though he took a few initial lessons at a local music shop, Tom was largely self-taught. He honed his skills by playing along to his families music collection including Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Nat “King” Cole, Tommy Dorsey, The Four Freshmen, etc.

While Tom continued performing in school ensembles, his sophomore year introduced him to big band jazz. The structured creativity and improvisational nature of the music resonated with him deeply, inspiring after-school jam sessions with friends and sparking a lifelong passion for the language of jazz.

Tom went on to study music theory, composition, arranging, and recording at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. During his time there, he studied under acclaimed jazz big band arranger and audio engineer George Stone. Tom performed with every ensemble on campus, and was featured on the department's studio albums Take Flight and Both Sides. He was also the drummer for Cuesta’s original theater production Refried Elvis, which earned multiple Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival awards. It was at Cuesta that Tom first picked up the vibraphone—an instrument he would later study under the legendary Charlie Shoemake.

To further his education, Tom moved to Los Angeles to attend California State University, Northridge (CSUN). He quickly integrated himself into the Southern California music scene as a versatile percussionist, performing live and recording for various artists across the region. As a member of the CSUN Jazz “A” Band, he was invited by Wynton Marsalis to perform at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City alongside the top ten collegiate jazz ensembles in the nation. Beyond performing, Tom was a founding teacher at MozArt Music Academy—eventually the largest private music studio in the San Fernando Valley—where he taught for several years. He graduated magna cum laude from CSUN in 2020.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tom relocated back to the Central Coast, adapting by performing outdoors, teaching online via Zoom, and engineering live streams. Following his endorsement by artisan percussion manufacturer Marimba One™ with their signature OneVibe™, he became a staple of the regional music scene—performing regularly at venues, restaurants, and wineries throughout the Central Coast.

Tom released his debut album as a jazz bandleader, Expression of Home, featuring guest performances by Charlie Shoemake on vibraphone and Grammy-winning saxophonist Scott Martin. Now residing in Morro Bay, California, Tom collaborates with renowned jazz musicians dedicated to preserving American jazz through Shoemake’s non-profit organization, the Central Coast Jazz Institute.