Adrian Mickens: An Examined Life
The formative years of musicians are shaped by many common themes: artistic hunger, spiritual awakening, self-expression, and escapism, to name a few. Recently, a new unifying theme has emerged: the challenges and opportunities brought on by the pandemic and its aftermath. The abrupt cessation of live performances and face-to-face instruction posed unprecedented challenges to rising talent during one of the most crucial phases in their development: the late high school and early college years, that tiny window where a person will likely have more time than they ever will again to hone their craft. Some musicians walked away from their instruments for good. Others sharpened their saw, biding their time until a return to normalcy.
Adrian Mickens, a Baltimore native and a junior trumpet player in the jazz studies department at UMBC, is among the latter group of people. I had the pleasure of speaking with Mickens in October, after he came highly recommended by his peers and mentors to be the subject of this profile. His demeanor was impressive: poised, mature, insightful, and honest. Mickens’s story is like that of many who have begun to rise through the Baltimore jazz scene. Knowing from an early age he was bitten by the music bug, Mickens has fond memories of a summer program in second grade that featured an instrument petting zoo. “I just found the scene fascinating,” he recalls. “It all seemed so interesting to me, even though I didn’t quite know what anything was.”
Like so many kids, when fourth grade came at Hamilton Elementary/Middle School, his first-choice instrument was drums – he only picked up a trumpet after it became clear the band didn’t need any more percussionists. Early trumpet lessons with Wanda Maynor further stimulated his musical curiosity. One of Mickens’s happiest early memories was as a fourth grader sequestering himself in his room with his trumpet, leaving his parents to watch a movie. “They told me it was a bit of a shock with how loud my practicing was going to be,” he told me with a smile. “They looked at each other, realized how persistent I was, and realized this might be for the long haul!”
Beginning in fifth grade, Mickens enrolled in the TWIGS (To Work in Gaining Skills) program through the Baltimore School for the Arts (BSA), and staying on in a mentor role through high school. Ultimately matriculating at BSA, he studied trumpet under Patrick Whitehead, played in big band under director Ed Hrybyk, and immersed himself in all aspects of practice and study, even playing on the school’s New Orleans JEN Conference trip – everything an ambitious teenager should be doing.
In the spring of his junior year, the pandemic hit, putting an abrupt halt to his fruitful routine. Mickens persevered, continuing his studies online, immersing himself in the music of Freddie Hubbard, Marquis Hill, Christian Scott, and so many others. With the rest of the class of 2021, he made it through his senior year in the face of unprecedented obstacles. What was a year lost for so many became a year of productivity for Mickens. Rather than going straight into music school immediately, Mickens had the presence of mind to realize that one size did not fit all, opting to study information technology at CCBC, work in an Amazon warehouse full-time as well as the Peabody Preparatory, and put in heavy practice hours the second he got home from work, his eye never far from the prize: a return to music, full-time and for good.
The work paid off, and in the fall of 2023, Mickens was accepted into the jazz studies program at UMBC under the direction of Matt Belzer, who happily told me that “Adrian is a strong, creative presence in our jazz community.” He credits the program as being the right school at the right time. Studies with trumpet faculty member Brent Maden have been especially fruitful. Mickens was effusive in his praise of Madsen, saying that “Brent is great at understanding me – he’s a wonderful problem solver. He’s always interested in my influences, goals, and projects.”
When it came time to embark on the rite of passage of jam session attendance, Mickens would often accompany Ephraim and Ebban Dorsey, first to Todd Marcus’s session at Homeslyce and then to Clarence Ward’s sessions at Terra Cafe and R House. The Dorseys were supportive friends (and outstanding musicians in their own right), and it was through them, trumpeter Brandon Woody, and others that Mickens began to foster additional connections and make his voice heard. Jam sessions can be brutal, and he remembers after one particularly tough night, Bernadine Dorsey (Jazz Matriarch of Baltimore) took him aside, saying, “Just trust yourself and play what you feel. You’re doing great – we see you.” Encouraging words from this trusted source meant the world to Mickens.
He is an active freelancer, and you can catch him around town performing with his group, Modern Inflections, a band quickly gaining notice. Mickens arranges extensively for the group (comprised of pianist Caleb Johnson, vibraphonist Wanye Williams, bassist Kai Beauchamp, and drummer Kevin Kearney), contributing over 20 adaptations of standards and originals to the band’s repertoire. “I like to write the parts with the individual players in mind and try to gear things to their strengths and individual musical voice.” Even a casual student of jazz history is reminded that this was the approach that Duke Ellington took when writing for his band. Modern Inflections recently played a well-received show at Keystone Korner, with many more performances sure to come.
What’s next for Mickens? The allure of a touring musician is an intriguing possibility, as is continuing to build on his local freelancing and teaching presence. Already an assistant with TWIGS and the Peabody Preparatory (working with jazz improv classes), Mickens is also involved with the non-profit Right Direction Project, a music education program geared toward helping Baltimore City youth self-actualize through music. He is sure to build on this early and valuable pedagogical experience after he graduates from UMBC.
When I asked Mickens some big picture questions about long term goals and musical philosophies, he knew immediately what he was striving for. “Music is more powerful than people give it credit for,” he told me. “It can build bridges and connect people on a deep level.” After a pause, he continued, saying that “With that great power comes with great responsibility. I hope I can use music to give back to the community and use it to help others the way it has helped me.”
Mickens is clearly well on the way to making that happen, and Baltimore can be proud and grateful for this home-grown talent.
by Greg Small
An accomplished pianist, trumpeter, educator, and writer, Greg plays regularly with the Ravita Jazz Ensemble is featured on their debut recording Jagged Spaces, He has played with many other notable ensembles and has released Singularity (original solo piano music), 72 Lanterns (original poetry), and How Alfred Won (a novella). Greg is also an active educator. For more information, visit gregsmall.net or follow him on Facebook or Instagram: @gregsmallworld