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Bobby S.
Ridgewood, New York
I love the trumpet, and it's my life mission to help others to experience the transcendent joy of music and the excitement of playing a brass instrument. I take pride in my ability to quickly convey the fundamentals of trumpet technique to beginning trumpeters so that they can get the full enjoyment from playing early on. I perform regularly in a wide range of genres from jazz and funk to pop and reggae, and it's important to me to cater to the individual musical interests of my students. I have been playing trumpet for more than 24 years, and I teach my students valuable brass exercises based on lessons I learned under the tutelage of John McNeil, Laurie Frink, and Walter White, among others. I encourage the use of long tones, air support, and trumpet calisthenics to improve tone, increase range and endurance, and work towards greater flexibility on the instrument. I also focus on the stylistic nuance of jazz, funk, classical, and the many genres that feature the colorful and majestic sound of the trumpet.
About Bobby S.

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

Instructor details
Subject: Trumpet
Arrangement and Composition
Euphonium
Flugelhorn
French Horn
Music Theory
Trombone
Trumpet
Teaches 7 subjects. Different subjects may have different prices.
Location:
Teacher's Studio
Teacher's Studio
SEE MAP
Suydam Street
Student's Home
Student's Home
Teaches Online
Teaches Online
Work hours
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
Times are shown in your local timezone (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
Pricing
30 minutes
$45
45 minutes
$65
60 minutes
$80
New Student Special
First 3 lessons
$30
Photos & videos11 photos & videos
ReviewsWrite a review
4.9
30 Reviews
5Review Star
93%
4Review Star
7%
3Review Star
0%
2Review Star
0%
1Review Star
0%
Online

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.

Posted Sep 28, 2022
Student's home

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.

Posted Sep 13, 2021

Bobby is a great teacher, trumpet player and musician. He is the real deal. Look no further. I highly recommend him!

Posted Dec 28, 2019
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Ensemble Director
Oct 2013 - Jun 2014
Performing Arts Center of Metro West
Directed and wrote arrangements for the middle school concert band.
Trumpet and Wagner Tuba Instructor
May 2013 - Jun 2014
GS Music Center
Taught lessons in trumpet and Wagner tuba to students from age 9 to adult.
Trombone Instructor
Nov 2012 - Jun 2014
Kittredge Elementary School
Taught trombone classes to middle school students.
Trumpet Instructor
Sep 2012 - Jun 2014
Hudson Arts Alliance
Taught individual and group trumpet lessons to elementary, middle, and high school students.
Head of Brass
Jan 2008 - Aug 2008
West Newbury School of Music
Taught trumpet lessons to students age 7 to 15.
M.M. Jazz Trumpet Performance
Sep 2010 - May 2012
New England Conservatory of Music
Trumpet Performance
Jan 2008 - Aug 2008
Berklee College of Music
B.A. Philosophy
Aug 2006 - May 2010
Ithaca College
English
Native Proficiency
Spanish
Limited Proficiency
First Prize in the Ithaca College Jazz Composition Competition
May 2019
Ithaca College
Member of Pi Kappa Lambda, Iota chapter
May 2012
Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society
Pi Kappa Lambda
Jun 2012
An American honor society for undergraduate students, graduate students, and professors of music. There are currently 205 active chapters and approximately 64,500 individual members.

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Instructor details
Subject: Trumpet
Arrangement and Composition
Euphonium
Flugelhorn
French Horn
Music Theory
Trombone
Trumpet
Teaches 7 subjects. Different subjects may have different prices.
Location:
Teacher's Studio
Teacher's Studio
SEE MAP
Suydam Street
Student's Home
Student's Home
Teaches Online
Teaches Online
Work hours
M
T
W
T
F
S
S
Times are shown in your local timezone (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada)
Pricing
30 minutes
$45
45 minutes
$65
60 minutes
$80
New Student Special
First 3 lessons
$30