Colby Drown graduated from Southeast Polk High School in 2022 and was a member of the Jazz One band for three of his four years there. During that time, he received numerous outstanding soloist awards from various competitions and festivals, including the Iowa Jazz Championships, the Tallcorn Jazz Festival, and the SCIBA Jazz Festival. Also in 2022, Drown was awarded the Louis Armstrong Jazz Award. Drown is currently attending Drake University, where he is majoring in music and is the guitarist for the Drake Jazz One ensemble.