Alan Blanchard

Alan Blanchard is proud to return to his alma mater as Specialized Teaching Faculty – Music Industry. Blanchard received both the B.A. in Jazz Studies and M.M. in Jazz Performance from Florida State University under the tutelage of Scotty Barnhart, Leon Anderson, and Rodney Jordan, among others.

During his undergraduate studies at FSU, Blanchard began working as a project manager at Outside in Music, a prolific indie jazz record label based out of New York City. Upon graduation, Blanchard was promoted to Director of Operations and began overseeing the production and marketing of over 20 albums a year. During his tenure at Outside in Music, Blanchard helped to guide the marketing campaign for GRAMMY® Award winning album How Love Begins by Nicole Zuraitis.

In 2018 Blanchard was selected as a member of the Jazz Aspen Snowmass Big Band Academy under the artistic direction of Christian McBride. The following summer he was awarded a full fellowship to study with Rufus Reid, Billy Childs, and Steve Wilson as a part of the renowned jazz program at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute.

In 2019, Blanchard, along with colleague Nick Finzer, presented “Create, Connect, Repeat: Taking Advantage of the Modern Music Marketplace as a Jazz Artist” at the College of Music Society’s GenNext event at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Conference in Anaheim, California. Over the next few years Blanchard would continue guest lecturing at universities including University of New Orleans, Long Island University of Brooklyn, Southeastern University, Florida Gulf Coast University, and more.

After moving to Nashville in 2021, Alan began working with close mentor and industry veteran Heather Bohn at Heather Bohn Public Relations & Management (HBPR & Mgt).  At HBPR & Mgt, Blanchard serves as the day-to-day manager for artists including five-time Billboard reggae album chart topper Mishka and AAA/Rock Radio regular Jonathan Tyler. In 2021 Blanchard also began building his own management roster, signing acclaimed jazz pianist Isaiah J. Thompson and GRAMMY® Award-winning saxophonist and educator Roxy Coss. In 2023 Blanchard signed vocalist Lauren Henderson (TIDAL Artist to Watch 2024). In 2024 Blanchard stepped away from Outside in Music to focus on management and signed three-time GRAMMY® nominated alto-saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin.

From a young age, giving back through education had always been of huge importance for Blanchard. “Jazz has always had a strong sense of mentorship and I’ve been fortunate in those who have taken the time to help me and encourage me. Whether it was musicians after gigs or veterans of the music industry, these mentors have taken the time to share their experiences and have had a huge impact on my life. Keeping on with that spirit, I aim to do the same for the next generation.” 

Alan is an artist for XO Brass and plays an XO 1602 trumpet.