Allen’s musical influences started with bands that had horns, even far before he played an instrument himself. As early as he can remember he had this strong connection with groups like “Earth Wind and Fire”, “Blood Sweat and Tears”, “Tower of Power” and “Chicago”. Stevie Wonder had incredible horn sections over the years and of course guys like James Brown, George Clinton, and many others were significant leaders in the use of horns and made a big impact on Allen.
His first wind instrument was actually Clarinet, and he later switched to Baritone, then to Trombone in 9th grade. Allen was an All-State Trombonist in high school and went on to major in Music Education at Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) and the University of North Texas in Denton, TX. He performed with the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps in 1987, winning the DCI individuals competition on Baritone. Austin became Allen’s permanent home after he began a career as a high school band director. After 6 years he decided to leave the teaching profession and start his own business. Allen currently leads a financial strategy company and also is a partner in a small business online consulting firm. He resides in south Austin with his wife and their 8 year old triplets.
“I put my horn down for about 8 years after I quit teaching and didn’t realize how much I missed playing until I joined Uncle Bruno in 2007. It has been like a dream come true for me to play trombone in a group with such a high level of musicianship.”
