Marimba One Artists

Originally from Washington D.C., Brandon Mitchell is a jazz musician and music educator based in North Carolina. As an actively performing artist, you can hear Mitchell primarily on vibraphone as a leader or on drums as a sideman. Mitchell is making his mark in the music scene with his rhythmically captivating and spaciously melodic sounds on the vibes. He honed his musical technique while completing a Master of Arts in Jazz Studies at North Carolina Central University and a Bachelor of Arts in Percussion Performance at Elon University. Mitchell has since returned to both of his alma maters to give back to the programs that molded him into the musician he is today. Mitchell served as a Professor of Music at Elon University, directing the jazz ensemble and annual jazz festival. He was also a performing musician for the vocal jazz ensemble at NCCU. 

Currently, Mitchell focuses on his passion as a private music lesson instructor, teaching more than 30 weekly students on drums, piano, vibraphone, and music theory. He has guided some of his private students in their college admissions journeys, assisting them in admissions to top universities such as Berklee College of Music, the University of North Texas, and the University of North Carolina Asheville. In a large classroom setting, Mitchell has experience as a jazz clinician, coordinating and leading workshops in K-12 schools and colleges in North Carolina and Washington, D.C. Mitchell’s community engagement is further amplified through his previous experience as the director of a community outreach program, Let’s Talk Jazz, along with his partnership with the Durham Jazz Workshop nonprofit to teach jazz history courses and host jazz awareness programs and performances for Gen Z. 

When he’s not in the classroom, Mitchell shares his talents from the main stage. Over the course of his performance career, Mitchell has performed in several states along the east coast and has also had the opportunity to take his musical talents overseas. Mitchell graced stages abroad while touring in Italy, specifically at the Jazzit Festival, Teatro Piccolo in Milan, as well as a Notte Bianca performance in front of the Duomo. Other notable performances include the Eye am Music Festival in Colorado, Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival in Maryland, along with staple events in the North Carolina jazz scene like the John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival and the Ocean City Jazz Festival. He’s also had several performances at the annual Give the Drummer Some concert, including an opening slot for Jeff Tain Watts. Michell has performed alongside some of the industry greats including Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo, Jon Metzger and John Fedchock.

Mitchell’s creativity is underscored through his work as a recording artist. He released his debut solo album, Black Guardian, in 2020 followed by an EP, 4 for 4, in 2022. Mitchell is endorsed by Marimba One and is an educator-affiliate of 2112 Percussion.