I am a jazz trumpeter, improviser, and composer as well as an avid listener and enthusiastic educator. I maintain an active performance schedule playing improvised music as well as funk, soul, afro-beat, reggae, hip-hop, and American folk music. In addition to trumpet, I have experience performing and recording on slide trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, and french horn. I write and arrange music for my own groups and regularly write and record horn arrangements for folk, pop, and reggae groups. I have attended Berklee College of Music and Ithaca College, and I have a Master's degree in jazz trumpet performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. I have over nine years of experience working with students ages 7 to adult. I have worked both from my home studio and though several public and community music school programs including the Hudson Arts Alliance in Hudson, MA, the Kittredge Elementary School in North Andover, MA, and the Performing Arts Center of Metro West in Framingham, MA. I have studied jazz performance with trumpet greats John McNeil and Walter White, improvisation with jazz gurus David Schumacher and Jerry Bergonzi, and George Russell's Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization with master composer and theorist Ben Schwendener. As an educator, my aim is to inspire in my students an enthusiasm for the artistic performance of music of any style. I strive to convey my own excitement for the art to young trumpeters and improvisers, and I have worked to encourage self-motivation and a longstanding interest in musical self-expression in elementary through high school students and adults. I have experience performing many styles of music from jazz and experimental improvised music to funk, reggae, and afro-beat, and I use my knowledge of divergent genres to encourage creative experimentation and convey the expressive artistic elements shared by all music. As an improviser I am particularly interested in teaching the theory and philosophy of spontaneous composition and musical communication.
Teaches all skill levels
Teaching since 2005
M.M. Jazz Trumpet Performance
Teaches ages 7+
Speaks English, Spanish
Has background check
Subject: Trumpet
Location:
Having Bobby as an instructor has been a great experience. I have taken 3 1-hour long lessons so far. He plays both trumpet and trombone, so we've gone back and forth on each instrument in each lesson. Bobby takes the time to talk with you and identify your goals and challenges. He also experiments with different techniques which has also been fun. I would highly recommend taking at least 1 lesson with Bobby if you're interested. He knows his stuff and he's easy to talk to.
Bobby Spellman is a very skilled music teacher. We met him when my son was in the fifth grade and had just started playing the French horn. Bobby came to our house every week and did a truly fantastic job helping my son learn a really tough instrument. He has taught my son for three years--switching to Zoom classes during the pandemic--and established a terrific rapport him which enabled him to improve significantly and develop a real passion for his instrument.
Bobby is a great teacher, trumpet player and musician. He is the real deal. Look no further. I highly recommend him!