Tim Blackmon Jr.

Artist Information

Hailing from Miami, Tim Blackmon Jr. started his musical journey by picking up the trumpet at the age of 11. Welcomed into the thriving music community of South Florida, Blackmon began gigging locally while attending Dillard School of the Arts in Fort Lauderdale, under the direction of famed jazz educator Christopher Dorsey.

Shortly after graduation, Blackmon continued his studies by enrolling into the Jazz Studies program at the Florida State University College of Music in Tallahassee. While completing a B.A. in Music (2013) from FSU, Blackmon began his relationship with band leader/mentor Marcus Roberts, the genius of modern jazz piano. Upon graduation, Blackmon began his professional performance and educational career with Roberts and his multi-generational group, The Modern Jazz Generation. Through the engagements of this ensemble, Blackmon has had the privilege of traveling and performing throughout the United States and Europe with The Modern Jazz Generation (MJG).

After settling briefly in New Orleans, Blackmon received a gracious invitation to start his graduate work at Michigan State University under the tutelage of trumpeter Etienne Charles and Distinguished Professor of Jazz Studies Rodney Whitaker. Blackmon earned his M.M. in Jazz Studies (2019) and currently holds a position as the Applied Instructor of Jazz Trumpet at Oakland University.

As an educator and artist-in-residence, Blackmon has taught masterclasses at the Florida State University, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Alabama (Birmingham), University of Vermont and The Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Canada. As a performer, Blackmon is a member of The Modern Jazz Generation led by Marcus Roberts, a member of The Rodney Whitaker Sextet, a member of The Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra, and as a Geri Allen fellow and member of the Gathering Orchestra of Detroit. He has also appeared alongside a diverse list of great artists such as Parliament-Funkadelic, Joan Rivers and Savion Glover.