Brian Powell is a native of Ludlow Falls , Ohio , a northern suburb of Dayton .  He is a 1992 graduate of the Armand Hammer United World College of the American West in Montezuma, New Mexico, and stayed out in the mountains to finish his undergrad work at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, NM, in 1995 (B.A.- Music performance).  In college, he started to play his first paying gigs, and still stays somewhat busy leading groups ranging in size from to duos to quintets, and playing in various local big bands.  Along the way, Brian has played in a diverse number of settings, from Afro-Cuban to salsa, with dance and music troupes, to theater and pit work.  Brian began his apprenticeship with Ralph Morgan in the fall of 1995, and learned the art and science of mouthpiece handcraftsmanship from Ralph for nearly 13 years.  He left the Morgan Mouthpiece shop in July of 2008 to pursue self-employment full time. When Brian doesn’t have a mouthpiece in his mouth or on his bench, he can usually be found on the sidelines of a soccer field or basketball court coaching little people, or at any number of youth sports events or school programs, staying very involved in the upbringing of his children.