Program Director

Andy Ament is a 2007 graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, with Bachelor of Music degrees in Jazz Performance and Music Education. He received his Master of Education, with a focus on Diversity and Equity in Education, from SIUE. After years as a freelance musician and educator, 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. He joined the staff at Jazz St. Louis in 2014, eventually becoming Director of Education in 2019 and Director of Education and Community Engagement in 2022 before his departure in 2023. 

Throughout his time at Jazz St. Louis, his ability to work with a wide variety of students, schools, and school districts gave Andy a unique perspective on the inequities that lay within our community and furthered a passion to work with traditionally marginalized and underserved youth. Hope Creates provided a wonderful opportunity for him to continue that passion while utilizing his years of nonprofit arts education experience.