Ed East

Ed East attended the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) from 1980 to 1984. There he earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree with honors.

 

He started his teaching career in Clinton, IA in 1984. He taught elementary and middle school instrumental music. In Clinton he became the founding director of the River City Municipal Band, and played in the “East, Dann and David” jazz trio.

 

In 1986 he became a founding member of  the Latin jazz powerhouse “Orquesta de Jazz y Salsa Alto Maiz” under the direction of Bob Washut.

 

In 1990 Ed was offered the position of head band director and head of the music department at Waterloo East High School (EHS). He taught at EHS until 2001.  During Ed’s tenure at EHS the jazz program flourished, receiving consecutive Division I ratings, and even earning 2nd place at UNI’s Tallcorn Jazz Festival (2000). At EHS Ed created the annual “Jazz on the Lawn” concert, a popular event featuring a “Unified Jazz Combo” made up of student jazz musicians from the metro area, and other local, professional jazz ensembles. While at EHS Ed dedicated the East High Auditorium to long-time Waterloo music educator, Elizabeth A.H. Green, author of “The Modern Conductor”, a required text book in most university music programs.

 

After an extended leave of absence in which Ed performed nationwide and internationally, Ed returned to public education in 2021. He taught at Hoover Middle School in Waterloo, retiring from public education in 2025.

 

Ed has been a jazz adjudicator for UNI’s Tallcorn Jazz Festival, Coe College’s Jazz Summit, and various NEIBA Jazz festivals. He’s been a clinician/guest artist at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, IBA, Coe College’s Jazz Summit, UNI Percussion Camp, Tallcorn Jazz Festival, University of Iowa, Iowa State University, Wartburg College, Augustana College, and the Iowa Corridor Jazz Project, to mention a few. He is a contributing author in Jim Dreier’s “Latin Jazz Guide”.

 

In 2022 his duo “Calle Sur” released the album “Cancún”, a crossover of Latin American music with jazz featuring two JEI hall of fame jazz pianists.

 

More recently, he wrote and performed “Codes for My Father”, a collection of Morse code inspired jazz pieces at the 2025 Iowa City Jazz festival.

 

Ed is married to Lindsey (Rannfeldt) and has four children Vanessa, Sam, Lucy and Ben.