Sound. Dedication. Impact
As long as I'm playing trumpet and teaching music, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
My Foundation
Trumpet is where I started, and it’s still where I feel most like myself. Since 2016 I’ve performed and taught across the Southeast and Northeast, including engagements in China. Two degrees later, I’m prouder of my playing than I’ve ever been.
In 2022 I was a long-term substitute and a Brass Teaching Artist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and somewhere in there I realized I loved teaching in a classroom. I went back for my certification. Private lessons taught me to build a musician one relationship at a time. Teaching a full room has made me better at that, and the private work has made me better in the room. All of it comes back to the trumpet.
I don’t talk much about excellence. I’d rather my students watch me practice it and decide they want it too.
The Impact
"Tyler emboldens him, giving him the confidence to step outside his comfort zone while making him feel completely comfortable making mistakes along the way." -Celia, parent of Sam
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"Tyler has been a guiding force in Sam's trumpet journey. He not only instilled the basics early on but has continued to develop Sam's technique at every level. More than that, he has been deeply supportive. When we asked if Sam was ready to audition for DYSO, Tyler said he was more than ready — and sure enough, Sam was accepted and is now co-principal.
One of the highlights of Sam's week is his lesson with Tyler. Tyler emboldens him, giving him the confidence to step outside his comfort zone while making him feel completely comfortable making mistakes along the way.
We strongly recommend Tyler to any student learning the trumpet. Whatever your student's aspirations, Tyler will help you achieve them."
"Mr. Bouttavong accepts him for who he is, and as a parent, that is heartwarming and makes me feel relieved." -Ivana, parent of Troy
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"Troy was very nervous to switch from percussion to trumpet — he had a lot of 'what ifs' because he didn't want to be in Beginning Band all over again. Mr. Bouttavong challenged him to get the basics down so he could cross over to Advanced Band early. That summer, Troy taught himself through YouTube videos and practiced every day just to build his stamina. He was invited to cross over to Advanced Band in October and played in two concerts that school year. He even joined Pep Band and did well there too. Since taking lessons with Mr. Bouttavong, Troy has more focus when he practices at home and we can hear the difference.
When Mr. Bouttavong introduced Troy to the trumpet, there was a passion we had never seen before. He constantly wants to play in front of people. When we challenged him to play the National Anthem and Taps, we were blown away — there wasn't a music sheet in front of him. Troy is able to fully be himself in front of Mr. Bouttavong. He listens, is patient, but can also refocus Troy and get back to business. I often feel like other teachers find Troy bothersome because he talks a lot, but Mr. Bouttavong accepts him for who he is — and as a parent, that is heartwarming and makes me feel relieved.
Troy says: 'Whatever day we get to go (to lessons) is my favorite day of the week.'"
Delaware Brass Institute is my private teaching practice, and it’s where the quiet, consistent work happens. Right now it’s a small studio of brass students across the region who take their growth seriously. They show up for the daily process and want to be challenged, and I teach to bring out their best.
Over the next few years I’m building this into a full music school. The culture we’re setting now is what carries it there.
If you’re ready to put in the work, start here.
The Parallel Tracks
High expectations, and a safe place to meet them.
Through the trumpet, I teach students to be accountable for themselves. That follows them into every room they enter, well past the practice room door.
I meet you where you are, but I will not leave you there.
Every lesson starts from where you are today. Progress is deliberate, and the bar keeps moving.
Mastery of the instrument begins with mastery of self.
Technical skill matters. So does mindset, and I teach both. My students learn to trust their preparation and own their growth, pressure included.
A room where it’s safe to get it wrong.
My students make mistakes and ask questions all the time, because they know I’m on their side while they do it.
In a Lesson
The stage is where I am most fully myself. When the music starts, everything you’ve worked for either shows up or it doesn’t. I respect that. My family supported every step. My late father never let me forget what the work was for. He would ask me to play the national anthem at family events, not as a performance but as a point of pride. He told me to work hard, and that standard goes with me everywhere.
The trumpet has taken me across the country and to China. Those stages are mine for life, and they came from committing fully to the craft.
I know the self-doubt that comes with this. There have been moments when my love for the music got mixed up with fear. I don’t push those feelings away. I listen to what they’re telling me, then let them go. The mind behind the music has to be calm and focused. Tension shows up in the sound, and you can’t hide it on a trumpet.
When I found my voice on the trumpet, I found my voice as a person. Performance is the most honest way I know to give something to the world. When I walk on stage, I walk out with my teachers and with everyone who believed in me before I did.