Andy Ament is a 2007 graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, with Bachelor’s of Music degrees in Jazz Performance and Music Education. He performs all over St. Louis and the Midwest with various jazz, pop, rock, funk, and dance bands. He has performed with such notable artists as Randy Brecker, Clay Jenkins, John Clayton, Dennis Mackrel, Jeff Coffin, and Motown legend Martha Reeves, to name a few. He is also a founding member of the jazz quartet, Utter Chaos, which pays tribute to the great baritone saxophonist, Gerry Mulligan.

 

As an educator, Andy has worked with students all over the St. Louis region as a clinician, instructor, and adjudicator. He has worked as an instructor at numerous jazz camps, including camps at St. Louis University High School and the Birch Creek Performing Arts Center in Door County, WI. He has presented at the Missouri Music Educators Association conference, lectured for Illinois State University’s Senior Professionals program, and led honor bands in Illinois and

Missouri.

 

Andy began working with Jazz St. Louis in 2008 as an instructor for their JazzU program and as a consultant in developing various educational programs and materials before becoming a permanent part of the education staff in 2014 and Director of Education in 2019. He now directs all of Jazz St. Louis’ Education and Community Engagement programming. He is currently finishing his Master’s of Education degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, specializing in diversity and equity in education.