What People Are Saying
“It’s difficult for me to imagine that there is another teacher who could match Jason’s ability to connect with young musicians, his energy and excitement about music, his genuine joy about the progress (small and large) a student makes, and his ability to inspire confidence in us as parents. Between school and private lessons, our son has had four trumpet teachers and Jason is by far best in class of what is a great group of instructors. When we moved from Michigan just over a year ago, our son was skeptical that he would find anyone who could replace his first and beloved trumpet teacher. ”
— Dawn O.
“The stakes were high and stressful for us when our son began the trombone; he has fine motor difficulties and oral motor difficulties so playing any instrument is quite challenging. Jason is patient, kind, humorous, dedicated, knowledgeable, and passionate and that keeps our son confident and motivated to continue to work hard to overcome his challenges. Jason is also great at exposing his students to professional brass bands and musicians so they know what they are striving for...someday. He lets all his students and families know when a great musical act is in town. And - his enthusiasm - makes it impossible to not want to go to these events. Last week our whole family saw our first professional brass concert—The Cory Band—it was amazing! Our son asked for a CD, got to speak with their principal trombonist and, ultimately, is even more energized to progress on his trombone.”
— Susan N.
“Jason is an extraordinary music teacher, mentor, and friend. He has taught my now 16 year old son for more than 6 years in trumpet during which time my son learned to love the trumpet, music in general, gained confidence and self-assurance, and a wonderful skill in music. Jason's knowledge of the instrument and music in general is superbly professional -- well beyond what would be expected by any "regular" music teacher. He himself is an incredible and talented musician. He puts the same passion and teaching skill into every level of piece, and helped coach my son from being a mediocre trumpet player (after 3 years of lessons with a different teacher) to actually sounding great and ENJOYING what he was doing. Giving a child the gift of music is extremely special—we all know that science shows how important music is for brain and other development. Jason's unique skills and abilities allow him to reach all students at all levels, and give them a truly remarkable music experience.”
— Vera K.
“Jason went beyond being a trumpet teacher. He created a love of all things music for my son. This is evident due to the fact that my son has now taught trumpet for free for two years to an underprivileged youngster in Chapel Hill. Furthermore, my son is currently a part of his high school band and a college band both of which continue to perform. Music is a big part of my son's life and no doubt, a big part of this credit can be attributed to Jason who made learning music COOL and FUN to a young kid!”
— Cindy W.
“Mr. Bohde has been my teacher for about two and a half years now and my skills have grown tremendously because of his lessons. Every time that I come out of a lesson, I leave a little happier and a little better at playing the trombone than when I walked in. However, the thing that makes him the best teacher is not that he succeeds at teaching his students, but how he inspires them and hones their skills through unique and practical exercises. I've played music from pop culture, slow and beautiful concert pieces, and rich, catchy swing tunes that have all helped me grow as a musician. I also get the chance to play with other students in small groups in extra rehearsals. All in all, Mr. Bohde goes the extra mile for his students. His extra work shows his passion for music and for teaching.”
— Daniel K.
“Jason started with my oldest daughter when she was in high school and who was a very passionate euphonium player with about two years of experience. He was quickly a favorite of hers. He honed in on her strengths and her weaknesses and was able to make her feel accomplished and challenge her at the same time. She was a faithful student all through her high school career and never once complained about lessons with Jason. I have four children so I know that if they do anything without complaining, something exceptional is happening. Jason also started teaching our youngest daughter the trumpet more than two years ago. She was eight when she started and is an extremely quiet child who is bright but very hesitant to converse with adults. I have sat in on the majority of her weekly lessons for the past two years and Jason is masterful teacher. He is capable of striking the difficult balance between being fun to be around for the kids and inspiring real thinking and hard work. We feel so lucky that we found Jason to teach and inspire our children and he is a bright spot in our week!"
— Mychael-Ann P.
“I have had Jason as my trombone lesson teacher for many years now and he has been one of the best teachers I have ever had, not only in music, but even compared to my teachers in school. He has always kept me interested in the instrument by providing me with challenging pieces and pushing me to improve while never being too iron fisted or merciless. Not only are my lessons great in terms of the learning itself, they are also fun: lessons with Jason are always engaging and entertaining and we have a great time even with all the learning going on.”
— Thomas R.
“Jason is a really good teacher. He is very fun and asks a lot of questions, he always tells me some of the background of the piece of music I am playing or where it came from. I am ten and have had six music teachers and Jason is the best one.”
— Grace P.
“For over five years, our family has had the privilege of benefiting from Jason’s exceptional teaching a guidance. My oldest son began taking trombone lessons with Jason when he was in the sixth grade and how he is a senior in high school. My youngest son started with lesson on the euphonium in the sixth grade as well and he is now a sophomore. We credit Jason with engendering a deep love of music and performance in them. Jason excels at getting to know his students well and in understanding what motivates each individual. Whenever necessary, Jason transcribes music to meet an individual student’s particular needs and to push that student to reach his or her highest potential.”
— Laura K.
“I’m currently 35 years old and I played trumpet in middle school and college. A little under two years ago, I made the decision to dust off the old horn and revive my passion for trumpet playing. It has been one of the best decisions I’ve made recently, and Jason has played an important role in this journey. While in college at Stanford University, I took three years of lessons from a long-time professor of trumpet. Yet I have made more progress in understanding proper technique and have made greater strides in my playing in my one year with
Jason than I did with her.”
— Stedman W.
“I am a retired family physician with a master’s degree in education. In addition to clinical practice, I spent most of my career in education (of patients and peers). I became a first time trumpet student of Jason's at the ripe age of 68! I can say without reservation that if more medical educators taught the way Jason teaches, we would surely have much better physicians practicing in this country.”
— Joe M.
“Jason is well versed in the knowledge of music theory and loves to share his insights with me and his students. He teaches from a background of performance as a musician so he knows how to play the music and the instrument that produces it. His enthusiasm and easy engagement with people makes it a pleasure to see and work with him. His teaching practice is a mix of youth and adults which was an assurance to my doubt. At the start I said, "Well, I will be your oldest student." His quick response: "Oh, no you aren't". This wouldn't be the case if Jason weren't comfortable with young and old students, a wonderful gift he has for being a teacher. I have found him to be a wonderful encourager and one day I told him he was my music therapist, treating me for my discouragement. He often uses the Socratic Method and asks questions to make sure his student understands the music or technique. In other words, he doesn't do the work for me, but helps me find the answer. So, it has been a pleasure to work with Jason and meet a teacher with his dedication and love for the profession of teaching.”
— Claude D.
“Jason is an extremely great teacher, not only is he efficient at getting the point across to his students, but he does it in a fun way. He is an excellent motivator at teaching you how to play musical pieces that one never thought they could play.”
— Henry A.
“I firmly believe students of his not only stick with tutoring because of Jason’s superior teaching and musicianship, I think that students stay in music because of his kindness, patience, and ability to make music the enjoyable aspect of a young person’s schooling and life. Jason employed a Socratic teaching method, he asked questions constantly and pushed his students to grow rather than teaching them complacent basics that they might experience in a high/middle school band class – this paired with scheduled solo performances at recitals (which were better organized and executed than 99% of my high school’s marching band events, with a fraction of the budget and manpower) served to push students to new heights.”
— Ben T.
“Jason has always been more than just a trombone teacher to our son, and frankly to our family. It just so happens that I played euphonium in high school. I finished out my career leading the section. I am so happy that my son and I have this to connect with each other. He isn’t very athletic and I love sports. He is academically gifted and I was not. This musical experience is what we have together and means so much to our relationship. I am so grateful to Jason for providing such a great experience for my son; I never knew how we would ever get to this point without Jason. Remember that person you’ll never forget from when you were young, the one that changed your life? That’s Jason. I’m sure Nik will always remember and appreciate Jason. I know his mom and I will also.”
— Tom A.
My son has taken trumpet lessons from Jason for the past two years and has every intention of continuing until he leaves for college five years from now. Jason is a wonderful teacher. He is unfailingly positive, enthusiastic and supportive. From the very first lesson I have been impressed with Jason’s ability to connect with young people and the ease with which he creates an environment that fosters learning and love of trumpet in my son. His knowledge of trumpet is impressive and his ability to convey that knowledge to students is laudable. He doesn’t simply teach the ‘what’, he explains the ‘why’ and his love of the instrument is unmistakable. Jason is not a teacher who simply does the minimum; rather, he spends time outside of class to find music that is tailored to his students’ levels and inclinations, organize biannual recitals including rehearsals with a piano accompanist, and much more. I truly cannot imagine a better teacher.”
— Michelle I.
“Jason is an exceptional music teacher. He is patient and positive with his students. He looks for opportunities to make personal connections—he can relate to kids on a whole host of topics, from little league baseball, to obscure Star Wars characters, to the annoying antics of little brothers. He looks for students’ strengths and helps them stretch themselves. My son grew musically in so many ways during his lessons with Jason. He was eager to practice trumpet, try new types of music, and even perform in front of an audience. Jason gave him confidence, helped him develop his brass skills, and helped him get over his insecurities about music making. We thank Jason for laying this groundwork in our son and helping him grow in so many ways. He is a great role model for students and teachers alike!”
— Ashley W.
“We first learned about Jason through our nephew who developed incredible technique, musicality, and skill by working with Jason. It has been amazing for us to witness the growth our son has shown in the last several years with the common thread being Jason, who has helped guide him through middle and high school. Our son’s love of trumpet and Jazz has really taken hold over the last couple of years. Jason has worked with him to both train his ear by having him work on soloing as well as his technique to enable him to play high notes with confidence. Jason’s dedication to his students is demonstrated daily by his contagious enthusiasm, his talent for playing and teaching, his ability to listen to what his students want to get out of their instrument and how he works with them to meet and surpass their goals.”
— Lena & Scott W.
“Jason knew exactly how to engage with my middle school adolescent, who was not always easy to communicate with (which unfortunately was often). Through these times, Jason maintained a positive approach and found ways to “reach” my son. I was very
impressed and appreciative. The recital program he put together demonstrated his commitment and dedication to his work and to the students he teaches. My son decided to switch to saxophone last summer and unfortunately could not continue lessons with Mr. Bohde. I was sad about that because while you can find teachers that know the material and have mastered the instruments, you cannot always find a teacher with the personality Jason Bohde has: he is vivacious, energetic, funny, animated and gregarious while also being considerate, kind, respectful, understanding, patient and motivating. He made that kind of impression on me and I will always be grateful.”
— Roslyn P.
“Although my son is no longer playing trumpet now that he's in college, he continues to benefit from skills Jason taught him, from music-specific ones likes sight reading, carrying a tune, and composing his own melodies, to transferable ones like being a gracious performer and understanding the benefits of practice. Most importantly, Jason has helped him develop what will hopefully be a life-long appreciation for listening to and making music. Middle school and high school kids face many demands on their time; Jason's enthusiasm, and his ability to make lessons enjoyable, productive, and motivating, kept my son coming back.”
— Liz P.
“Jason was my trumpet teacher for seven years and taught me nearly everything I know about music. Something I really appreciated about him as an instructor was his commitment to my fundamentals. We spent the first two months of our time together correcting my embouchure and breathing and I vividly remember how excited and happy he was when I finally got my technique right. His enthusiasm for my progress as a trumpeter motivated me to practice everything he assigned me every week and his depth of knowledge about all the trumpet music I wanted to study with him made it easy for me to enjoy my music education. When I wanted to learn how to play New Orleans jazz, we spent a year on improvisation. When I needed horn charts for bands I was in, he taught me how to critically listen to and transcribe music. But his best quality as a teacher was how he mentored me not only as a musician, but as a person. Having such a good role model throughout my adolescence was indispensable and I wouldn’t be the person I am today if not for Jason.”
— Addison W.
“The first thing I will say is that Jason is truly invested in the growth and success of my son. He cares to a degree that goes beyond what one would expect. The second thing is that Jason has the gift of motivating. His enthusiasm is infectious. His understanding of the pace of learning, his feel for just the right amount of challenge to apply, has pushed Nick higher and higher. For the first time in his life my son is experiencing the joy of mastering something difficult, with all the lifelong benefits that brings. Jason is making a big impact on my son’s current happiness and future success. Beyond just being a trombone instructor, I would almost go so far as to say he is a life coach. I wouldn’t trade Jason for the world.
— Ron K.
“Jason was the first teacher to show me that the student does not read music but creates it out of her engagement with the page. He allowed me to believe in the invisible but real relationship between the composer and the musician. The support Jason has for his students exceeds that of any teacher that I have learned from. Jason personally supported my trumpet playing by attending my middle school band concerts. He saw my confidence change throughout our lessons and was proud of what we had accomplished together.”
— Haley H.
“Our son had received a trumpet from his great grandfather and wanted to play it in the middle school band. He was referred to Jason who we discovered has the unique ability to foster a student’s interest and brings out what a student appreciates most about music. Rather than using rigid dogma, he uses the student’s musical interest to follow their own passion while simultaneously teaching them solid music theory and techniques. Jason looks for opportunities to gently push his students to exceed their own expectations. It is apparent that all of his students receive the same attention and cultivation that our son has enjoyed which is evident at each recital. Jason describes each student’s musical interest and gives a historical perspective of the music the student has chosen. His students gain a holistic appreciation for their music and his interaction with them makes them want to continue to learn and grow musically. Music has become a central aspect to our son’s life, and we are thankful for Jason’s positive attitude, attention and care with all he has done for our son. ”
— Kevin & Michelle K.
“Several years ago, my husband attended a concert in which the trumpets were played so magnificently that he decided to take up the trumpet. At first he asked my advice, because I had played the trumpet in high school and once for about two years in my early fifties in a community orchestra. However, I recognized that I could not explain to him how to play the trumpet and urged him to take lessons. He did and began studying with Jason. I observed my husband’s lessons with Jason, at the beginning, in order to take notes for him because he had had a stroke. After a while I was so impressed with Jason’s teaching that I decided that I would like to take lessons with Jason, too, and try again to play. As concerns the music we play, Jason searches for music of the sort that his students want to be able to play. Often, he writes an arrangement for his students to fulfill this end.”
— Judith P.
“I have been taking lessons from Jason for more than four years now, and he has helped me grow in both my playing and my confidence. Before I started taking lessons from him, my nerves while playing were terrible— I would play significantly worse in front of a crowd, hated playing alone, and even stopped practicing for a while because I didn’t want to hear how I sounded. Now, those fears are gone, thanks to his caring and patient teaching. It’s thanks to Jason Bohde that I am still playing trumpet today. Without him, I would have never worked up the nerve to play in front of crowds, and never improved past a concert band level. He has skill as a teacher not only in teaching trumpet technically and concisely, but in creating personal connections with his students that I haven’t experienced with any other music teacher.”
— Fiona V.
“Jason took my as a student five years ago; I was 62 at the time, had never played an instrument and decided to take up the trumpet. I could not read music and had little idea of how to play. With Jason’s insight, help and patient teaching I performed in a recital in just over a year and managed not to embarrass either one of us. His way of teaching is encouraging, positive, insightful and humorous.”
— Rodney H.
“Jason’s thoughtful, good-humored, self-deprecating teaching style has positively and profoundly impacted our daughter’s life in ways that reach far beyond her musical accomplishments. We found Jason’s profile online and read about what a dedicated teacher he was. Nothing we read on line could have prepared us for how amazing Jason was in person. I still remember how he greeted my daughter with a joke and immediately ‘drew her out.’ And after each lesson as he gave very specific and thoughtful comments, you could see the positive change in our child. Over time, it was just incredible, watching how Jason brought out the very best in our daughter in every way. Jason has an uncanny way of leading his students to improve. Jason connects with his students in a uniquely effective ways. We couldn’t be more grateful.”