Tom Brantley grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana, and is a third generation trombonist. He began trombone studies while in grade school, and he attended the Interlochen Music Academy in Michigan during high school. Tom studied classical music in Europe as he completed a bachelor's degree in music at the University of Southern Mississippi. His undergraduate trombone teacher was Marta Hofacre. While an undergraduate, Tom studied with Christian Lindberg at the Umea Music Festival in Sweden, performed with an opera orchestra in Austria, and spent a summer playing at Disney World in Orlando. Tom earned a Master's degree in Trombone Performance and Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas. His trombone teachers at North Texas were Vern Kagarice, Jan Kagarice, and Royce Lumpkin. While in graduate school, he was lead trombonist and jazz soloist for the Grammy-nominated One O'Clock Lab Band, under the direction of Neil Slater. Tom appears on four One O'Clock Lab Band CDs and another CD with the Dallas Jazz Orchestra. At North Texas, Tom was a teaching fellow. He taught undergraduate and graduate trombone students, conducted the Seven O'Clock Lab Band and the Six O'Clock Lab Band, and he coached brass quintets. In 1994, Tom joined rhyth3 & Brass as trombonist. He appears on More Money Jungle (the Duke Ellington tribute CD) as well as the educational Team Play CD. In the fall of 1999, Tom accepted a teaching position at the University of South Florida in Tampa. He now serves as trombone and euphonium professor, replacing the recently retired Don Kneeburg.