Thaddeus Dixon

Last updated
Thaddeus Dixon
Birth nameThaddeus Gustav Dixon
Also known asThe Music Man
Born (1984-01-14) January 14, 1984 (age 40)
Detroit, Michigan, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Record producer
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • music director
Instrument(s)
Years active2006–present
Website thaddeus-dixon.com

Thaddeus Gustav Dixon [1] (born January 14, 1984), also known as The Music Man, [2] is an American record producer, songwriter, and music director. [3] He co-produced and co-wrote Meghan Trainor's 2015 [4] single "Better When I'm Dancin'," [3] which she performed for The Peanuts Movie soundtrack. The song received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). [3]

Contents

Dixon has also worked as a music director and drummer for Bryson Tiller, Khalid and other artists. [5] He's been featured on series including Making the Band and Late Night with Seth Meyers . [2]

Early life and education

Dixon was born in Detroit, Michigan, the only child of Gus and Denise Dixon. [6] He began playing drums at 4 years old and honed his skills as a church musician. [7] [8] He attended Detroit High School for Fine & Performing Arts, and played at local concerts for gospel artists including Kirk Franklin. [6] [2]

After graduating high school, Dixon moved to East Lansing, Michigan to attend Michigan State University (MSU) on a jazz studies scholarship. [3] He took on professional gigs while pursuing his degree, [6] and graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Music. [3]

Career

Dixon began his professional career as a touring drummer with The Spinners. [6] Thereafter, he performed with artists including Ne-Yo, Sean Kingston, Mulgrew Miller, Roy Hargrove and Steve Nelson. [2] [6] He later appeared on MTV's "Making His Band", a reality TV show where musicians competed for positions in Sean Combs' touring band. [6] He was a drum finalist, however another musician was ultimately selected. [6] Dixon then worked with acts including Deitrick Haddon, [9] Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Dawn Richard and Timothy Bloom. [6] He also performed with his own jazz ensemble, The Thaddeus Dixon Quartet. [6] He then relocated to Berkeley to work as an instructor in the music department at the University of California, Berkeley for two years. [3] [8]

Dixon later became the music director for recording artist Cody Simpson. [10] He then managed music direction for Meghan Trainor, [8] Bryson Tiller, [11] Khalid and Brent Faiyaz. [5] He also produced music for Meghan Trainor, Talib Kweli, Raekwon, Timothy Bloom, Deborah Cox, Teedra Moses and Rick Ross among others. [9] [12] [13] In October 2018, he released his debut single, "Letter To My X's" featuring KR. [14]

Production credits

2011

Deitrick Haddon - Church on the Moon

21:03 - Evolved...from Boys to Men

Disney Jazz, Vol. 1: Everybody Wants to Be a Cat

Robert McCarther - Stranger in Town

Rick Roe - Minor Shuffle

2013

Talib Kweli - Gravitas

2014

Timothy Bloom - Timothy Bloom

Teedra Moses - California Vibes

Abrina – My Playground (EP)

2015

The Peanuts Movie Original Soundtrack

Deborah Cox - Work of Art

Teedra Moses - Cognac & Conversation

Coco Jones

2016

Thaddeus Dixon feat. Timothy Bloom and Talib Kweli

TaeyeonRain

MÄDA

2017

MÄDA - Our Love (EP)

2018

Thaddeus Dixon feat. KR

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