Testimonials

‘It has been wonderful having Jim working with the low brass students at St. George's School. Whether it is a masterclass, private lesson, or online lesson, Jim has an innate ability to diagnose and solve playing issues quickly. He is an outstanding musician and engaging teacher who is able to relate to students of all ages.’

- Dean Markel, St. George’s School (Music Dept Head)

‘Finding the right music teacher for your child can take several attempts. We know this from experience with our daughter. When we started looking for private trombone lessons for our teenage son, we found Jim's name from a list. We looked at his website and I knew we needed to meet someone who played the alphorn! Jim turned out to be one of the blessings in our life. He is so patient with our son. He will encourage learning any song our son wants to try. Our son is always a happier kid after his lessons. We continued lessons virtually during Covid and it has worked wonderfully. Jim's rates are also very reasonable and affordable. My husband and I have enjoyed Jim's local performances and it was a big treat for all the kids to see him come out of the orchestra entrance to show us his trombone after watching the holiday performance of Home Alone at the VSO.’

- Mabel Gilhuly, parent of student

‘Passion for teaching, passion for music: as a trombone teacher Jim is really committed to bringing out the best in me and making sure I achieve my objectives, while having tons of fun, always trying to figure out what works better for my style of learning. I appreciate very much his knowledge of Latin/Jazz music and his experience with some heavy hitters of the genre. Regarding the online sessions, Jim prepared a resources folder with a multitude of music scores and exercises, accessible at any time. The online option is very attractive for my hectic schedule, more when commuting to/from class is subtracted: learning from the comfort of my home.

It is my great pleasure to recommend Jim Hopson to you as a trombone teacher, in-person or online.

There is nothing like learning about music from such an accomplished performer.’

- Fernando Sánchez, current student (adult)

‘I have been a student of Jim for the past 3 years (and will continue for the foreseeable future!). He is an excellent musician himself, explains very clearly, and is just a nice person I look forward to seeing whether in-person or via zoom (video worked very well) every week. He is supportive and pushing me just enough, and is also understanding. Plus his cats have most creative musician names. I would recommend him without any hesitation.’

- Alex Vachon,  student (high school)

‘Jim has been teaching my son trombone for 2 years.  Jim is a passionate and attentive music teacher.  Jim’s passion for his music is infectious and has inspired my son’s love for the instrument and his lesson with Jim is the highlight of the week.  Jim is professional in his approach to his students, easy to communicate with, and has a wonderful ability to engage his students during the lessons.  He is dedicated to his music and students and makes lessons fun and inspiring. ‘

- Katherine Venour, parent of student

‘Jim Hopson and I have come to know each other very well over the last 8 or 10 years.

Jim has an impressive array of musical skills as an exceptional low brass player, composer, arranger and educator who performs with excellence in any musical environment from Jazz to Symphonic and from Pop to Swiss Alphorn. In my role as an Educational Services Consultant with Long & McQuade Music, I have hired Jim consistently as my first call low brass person for Band Instrument Demonstrations where Elementary school students learn about then get to try all the wind instruments of beginning band. Aside from his impressive musical talents, Jim will continue to be my first call because of his experience as both a private instructor and a school band director. I am continually impressed with his ability to communicate with young musicians. I highly and happily recommend Jim as an instructor of anything musical.’

- Jamie Croil, Long & McQuade Educational Services

‘Jim has been teaching my older son (who is in secondary school) since January and then easily transitioned to virtual lessons in mid-March. Transitioning to Zoom lessons went without a hitch - my older son does not notice a difference between in person or virtual lessons with Jim. In late March, Jim also started teaching my younger son, who had never played trombone before. We've seen amazing progress in both boys' trombone development over the last 4 months through their Zoom lessons. Jim is reliable and always available by email for clarification or advice when the boys hit a bump in a piece. My boys find him friendly, kind, and funny. They appreciate that he always takes time to ask them how their day is going before launching into their lesson. Listening to Jim play trombone has inspired them both to work hard and strive towards being better trombone players. I strongly recommend Jim as a trombone teacher for any level of trombone lessons - from beginner to intermediate to advanced, he's a top-notch teacher!’

- Susan Siklos, parent of two students