Dr. Andrew Binder is a bassist and composer from St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Binder currently teaches at Jazz St. Louis, Jefferson College, and the Community Music School at Webster University.
Dr. Binder holds a D.M.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Jazz Performance with a cognate in Music Composition. He also holds a M.M. in Music Composition from the University of Miami Frost School of Music, and B.M. degrees in Composition, Jazz Studies and Double Bass Performance from Bowling Green State University.
For bass, Andrew has studied jazz with Larry Gray, Don Coffman, Jeff Halsey, and Willem Von Hombracht; Classical bass under Robert Rohwer and Dr. Brian Powell.
For composition, Andrew has studied with composers Stephen Taylor, Christopher Dietz, Mikel Kuehn, Marilyn Shrude, Dorothy Hindman and Lansing McLoskey. He has also received multiple lessons through residency from prestigious composers including Augusta Read Thomas, Martin Bresnick and Christopher Theofanidis.
Additionally, Andrew has studied jazz composition and arranging with Scott Lavender (arranger for Johnny Mathis), Jim Pugh (trombonist, Steely Dan), and Gary Lindsay (author of the book "Jazz Arranging Techniques: From Quartet to Big Band").
Some of his awards include winner of the 2018 Ensemble Ibis Competition Graduate division for his piece Brux, and winner of the 26th Annual Craig's Keyboards/UT Young Composer's Competition. Finalist in the 2014 Douglas Wayland Chamber Competition Graduate Division; Andrew has had works performed by new music groups Dal Niente, Ritual Action, and Ensemble Ibis, in addition to works read by the Toledo Symphony Orchestra and members of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra;
Andrew regularly presented at Conferences including the International Society of Jazz Arrangers and Composers, Jazz Educators Network, and most recently the International Society of Bassists Convention in 2025 on his in development bass method, “The New Standards Method”.
Andrew has performed in a wide variety of groups with high caliber musicians. Some notable jazz musicians include Thaddeus Tukes, Jay Webb, Melissa Aldana, Edu Riberio, Tammy McCann, Eric Slaughter, Steve Davis, Chip McNeill, Joel Spencer, Tito Carrillo, Larry Gray, Chip Stephens, Mark Tonelli, Jose Gobbo.
In 2023, Andrew was awarded an Urbana Arts Grant for his original group “Conspiracy Deliracy”, featuring all original compositions and artwork based on different conspiracy theories, and self-released as an album on October 13th, 2023.
Andrew also has his own video game band music project called “Joystick Drift”, that performs neo-soul and funk versions of popular video game music, along with mashups of pop songs.
INTERVIEWS
Have You Heard interview with Richard Dole & Matthew Altizer on “Conspiracy Deliracy”
Interview about “Conspiracy Deliracy” by Derrick Philips of Smile Politely
“Conspiracy Deliracy, Andrew Binder’s experimental jazz album, is a treasure trove of musical ingenuity, each track a foray into the unexplored territories where music and myth intertwine. On the topic of his album’s themes, Binder shares, “half of them are about classical conspiracies, and then the other half are based on conspiracies about musicians.” In this intriguing crossover, Binder takes snippets from renowned artists’ works and distorts them to fit the conspiracy narrative. It’s an artistic choice that reflects the essence of conspiracy theories themselves – taking pieces of truth and bending them into something new and often unrecognizable.”
https://www.smilepolitely.com/music/andrew-binder-bends-the-rules-with-conspiracy-deliracy/
Interview about “Conspiracy Deliracy” with Joe Dimino of Neon Jazz Kansas City
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvBBmDZHSM8&ab_channel=NeonJazz
Interview with CanvasRebel “Meet Andrew Binder”
https://canvasrebel.com/meet-andrew-binder-2/