From the age of 8 he started trombone tuition followed several years later by lessons in jazz and music theory at the 'Music Life - School of Performing Arts', Rouse Hill, Sydney under the direction of Rory Thomas (OAM). After finishing school, Vaughan began a bachelor of music at the 'University of New South Wales' Sydney, studying both composition and jazz trombone. In 2009 Alex Vaughan moved to Weimar, Germany where he continued studying both composition and trombone.