American Jazz Ensemble

Art Forms: Music

My earliest memory of music awareness came from an incident I remember when I was 4 years old. I was in a car with my mother, and the radio was playing. I remember listening to the music and realizing that I could hear a pattern of something changing in the music and could predict when these events were about to occur. All these years later, I realize that I was hearing the chord changes and anticipating the meter of the changes. This is a vivid memory for me, which is surprising considering I was just 4.
~ Steve Ambrose, Ensemble Lead

View My Programs

About Me

The American Jazz Ensemble has been entertaining school audiences with Arts for Learning for over 30 years. In its present configuration, this talented trio correlates musical concepts with the Virginia Standards of Learning objectives in three different presentations for students: Math and Music, The American Dream: Jazz in America, and Nouns, Verbs, and Music. These educational programs involve students in musical activities that enhance their music awareness while also reinforcing learning objectives in math, social studies, and language.