T5 Back to Basics Bootcamp Recordings

with Ben and elmer

From Labor Day Weekend 2024

training trumpeters to teach themselves

Miss it? Get The Back to Basics Recordings

From Labor Day 2024

For Highly Motivated Trumpet Players Who Want To Take Their Playing To The Next Level

What enables trumpet players like me and Elmer Churampi to realize our dreams and be playing in some of the best orchestras in the world?

Talent? Maybe some… but that doesn’t get you past your teenage years.

Luck? Definitely, but you have to play well AND have some luck to have any real success!

It boils down to HARD WORK…We have worked hardest to gain command of the instrument:

It all boils down to the fundamentals!

There is no doubt that the basics have fueled our careers:

  • A beautiful sound
  • Stable pitch
  • Solid rhythm
  • Good intonation
  • Elegant phrasing

It is having worked to achieve this high level of technique that allows us to play with the power, grace, nuance, and ease required of our work.

This Labor Day weekend, dive into how we approach the basics. In multiple sessions, we’ll play and describe our approach to:

  • Warming up
  • Breathing
  • Physical efficiency
  • Technique
  • Flexibility
  • Range
  • Building a Routine (and how that means different things to all players)

Break through a plateau before your school year/season begins. 

    Here’s the schedule (all live sessions on Zoom):

    !!!ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN TIME!!!

    YES! All sessions will be recorded so you can watch later!

    Friday, August 30:

    • 5:00 PM Breathing Basics with Ben

    Saturday, August 31:

    • 10:30 AM Warming up with Ben
    • 1:00 PM How to build and develop a practice routine: Ben talks through his mid-life discovery of this CRUCIAL topic and how he figured out how to structure his daily practice.

    Sunday September 1:

    • 10:30 AM Warming up with Elmer
    • 12:00 PM Flying around on the trumpet: Elmer Talks, Speed, Technique, Range and Flexibility.
    • 2:00 PM Closing Ceremonies

    That’s 8 hours with me and Elmer. The total investment to watch all sessions is $35. Be one of the first 50 Basic Training Members and get a chance to play in the live sessions (only those who WANT to play of course!!). Members may ask questions in the chat or ahead of time via email.

    $35! Sooooo0…. THAT is less than two cheese pizzas at my local pizza joint. It is also less than 5 lattes!!

    OR… $4.37 per hour of trumpet goodness!

    If you’d like additional training with either Elmer or Ben, sign up for a Practice Window Training Session™ when you click one of the buttons above.

    *** Once you have paid through the buttons above, an email with Zoom meeting information will be sent to the email address associated with you PayPal account. This can sometimes take UP to 24 hours. Please check your inbox AND spam.

      “Studying with Ben was one of the best things that happened to me for my trumpet playing… Hearing Ben, not only in lessons, but on stage with the BSO every week, was enormously beneficial for my later success. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my time studying with him.”

      Travis Peterson

      Principal Trumpet

      The Utah Symphony

      Testimonials

      Ben’s teaching made me see the importance of playing longer lines and being more organized. Hearing him in person and in the orchestra was always inspiring. My playing wouldn’t be where it is today if I hadn’t studied with him.

      Elmer Churampi

      Dallas Symphony and NEC BM '18

      “Ben has been an incredible mentor and teacher for me, and I can’t thank him enough for all the invaluable lessons he has given me in music and beyond…. The perspective he provided was just the right push at just the right time to allow me to be happy and successful here and now.

      Chris Boulais

      MM New England Conservatory

      Ben’s approach of singing to save chop time and focus on the music was really beneficial to me. His focus on being mentally and physically balanced was one of the keys to my success in winning auditions. Years after I studied with Ben, he was a pillar of support when I needed his it most – his advice helped me bounce back from a challenging time in my career and move forward.

      Mike Myers

      Trumpet, The Seattle Symphony