Education, scholarship and all that jazz

On one hand, saxophonist and University of Cincinnati student Andrew Brown is going solo.

He is the only student in the 2026 graduating class of UC's College-Conservatory of Music pursuing his specific fields of study.

On the other hand, by majoring in music education with a specialization in jazz studies, he is also immersed in a rarefied duet.

“I think it’s important to note that my degree is not offered almost anywhere else,” Brown said.

At some universities, a jazz musician could major in education and perform a few concerts. Or a musician could major in performance and take a few education courses. At CCM, Brown said, “I’m doing both education and jazz.” 

A scholarship recipient, Brown travels dual paths so that, following graduation, he can enjoy stable, full-time work as a music teacher while also performing gigs with jazz ensembles when opportunities arise.

Brown is grateful for his scholarship, which has allowed him to afford to live off campus in the city — where the gigs are — while eliminating the worry of repaying student loans. To those donors whose generosity has supported his scholarship, he says thank you.

“What they are doing is one of the most selfless things they can do, which is invest in the future. What they’re doing is giving forward so that the next generation can continue to do what they love and to provide for others what they want.”

Imagining his future, Brown said, “I want to teach at the middle school, high school or perhaps the collegiate level. And I want to be performing around the city, with a band with my name attached. I do write my own music. Some people think, ‘Oh, jazz is dead. It’s a product of the past.’ But a lot of people really do like to come out and listen. I’d like to be a part of that scene in the future.”

Brown’s CCM experience has reinforced his commitment to teaching. “I want to help people, especially teenagers, who are still figuring out what they want to do. Do they want to be a doctor or a musician? What do they want to do that enables them to create a product they can become proud of? That’s the end goal of a lot of music classes: to create something that students can become proud of.” 

Brown, who is from Hamilton, Ohio, began playing the saxophone in fifth grade. In middle school, encouraged by his band teacher, he began taking private lessons. In high school, after joining the school’s prestigious jazz band, he realized he wanted to pursue music as a career.

Brown feels CCM is more collaborative than outsiders might imagine.

“When people talk about CCM, they normally like to call it a pressure cooker because it’s really high intensity. You have a lot of competition,” Brown said.

“But after meeting all the people who are there, especially in the jazz department, I realize that we all really want each other to succeed. We all want each other to get better. We’re all there for the same reason, which is to get better at our craft.”

Brown is clearly good at his craft. This past summer found him booking three to four gigs a week. His most memorable performance at UC occurred earlier this year when, as part of the CCM Jazz Orchestra he performed with the celebrated New York jazz drummer Ari Hoenig at Caffè Vivace in Walnut Hills, a neighborhood near UC.

“We played two whole sets,” Brown said. “I got to play with real musicians at a real local venue, which was a great experience.”