Steve Alford

Steve Alford is a multi-instrumentalist, educator, and composer currently serving as Assistant Dean of Recruitment and Enrollment at the School of Music, University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). He has held teaching roles at Mars Hill University, UNC Asheville (as an Adjunct Professor), and the University of Minnesota Morris, where he developed a contemporary music pedagogy emphasizing multi-lateral ear training and melodic immersion.

• M.M. Jazz, University of Tennessee
• B.M. Saxophone, University of Miami

Alford’s research and teaching focus on jazz education, improvisation, and innovative methods like "Mind's Ear" and "Downbeat Reduction." These approaches prioritize aural learning over rote theory memorization, encouraging students to explore sound through trial, mimicry, and ownership of melodic fragments.

He is active in performance, leading ensembles such as the 11-piece Rational Discourse, METAL quintet, and E.Normus Trio, blending jazz with punk, industrial, and experimental genres. He co-created the Asheville Jazz Workshop, a weekly jam session fostering risk-taking and innovation in improvised music.

His pedagogical work redefines scales and ear training, emphasizing vertical harmonic structures and cross-instrumental rhythm section methods. Alford continues to guest conduct clinics and performances while teaching at UNCSA.