BIOGRAPHY
Adam is a trumpet player, composer, songwriter, educator, and entrepreneur living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He is an Edwards Instrument Co. Performing Artist and Clinician and leads the Adam Meckler Orchestra (AMO), an 18-piece big band that plays his original compositions. The AMO's release 'When the Clouds Look Like This' was listed as one of the best jazz releases of 2014 by iTunes. Their 'Magnificent Madness' album was released to critical acclaim in 2018.
Meckler's 2025 release "Sampled" is now on all streaming platforms. "Sampled" is a highly collaborative record in which Meckler commissioned six producers to sample 10 Adam Meckler Orchestra songs. Meckler took those samples and turned them into 10 new songs via collaborations with artists from all over the world.
Adam has toured and/or recorded with Youngblood Brass Band, Cory Wong, Dave Koz, Steve Cole, Nooky Jones, The Hornheads, and many others. His collaborations with L.A.-based beat maker JFab have more than a quarter million streams on Spotify.
An award-winning educator, Meckler is the Director of Jazz Studies at Michigan Technological University, and is featured as a guest artist at educational jazz festivals all over the world. Meckler is passionate about teaching jazz by ear and is frequently tapped to demonstrate his approach at music conferences and educational institutions. In 2019, Meckler founded the Workshop Brass Band as a credited ensemble at Michigan Tech. Workshop Brass Band learns both traditional and modern New Orleans-style Brass Band music by ear (with no sheet music).
Adam is co-founder and CEO of Gig Boss, LLC, an app that serves as a DIY self-management tool for artists. Born of his busy career as a freelancer and bandleader, Gig Boss was designed to help musicians organize their groups, schedules, and finances. Meckler is host of the How Musicians Make It (HMMI) podcast where he breaks down the music business, and interviews artists and music industry professionals and asks them how they're making it.