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 performance is my foundation. Two degrees later, the stage remains the place where I am most fully myself. Since 2016, I have taught privately and performed professionally across the Southeast and Northeast regions, including international engagements in China.
In 2022, I stepped onto a podium in a school classroom and a new piece of the work clicked into place. Directing band and orchestra ensembles revealed a different kind of impact. I love the connection of a live audience, but I equally love the daily, unglamorous work of building young musicians. Nothing has to be traded off. I am still performing, still teaching and still refining my own craft every single day.
Excellence in this studio is not a finish line we are desperately chasing. It is a standard I model and practice deliberately.
My students work in an environment defined by high expectations, healthy fundamentals and absolute safety. They leave my room knowing how to trust their own preparation. They learn how to stay accountable and they take genuine pride in exactly what they are building.
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. It is where the quiet, consistent work actually happens.
Right now, it operates as an intentional studio serving a select group of dedicated brass students across the region. I work with musicians who are serious about their own growth, committed to the daily process and ready to be challenged in an environment built specifically to bring out their best.
But this is only the beginning. I am building this practice to scale over the next few years into a comprehensive music school. The culture of excellence we are establishing today is the exact foundation that will carry us there.
If you are a student ready to put in the work, this is where you start.
The Parallel Tracks
High expectations and a safe place to meet them.
The trumpet is the vehicle. What I am really teaching is discipline, self-awareness and the kind of accountability that follows a student into every room they enter. It does not stop at the practice room door.
I meet you where you are, but I will not leave you there.
Every lesson is designed around your current reality, not where I wish you were. Progress is intentional. The standard is always moving forward.
Mastery of the instrument begins with mastery of self.
Technical skill matters deeply. So does mindset. I teach both. Students in my studio learn to trust their preparation, manage performance pressure and take real ownership of their growth.
The environment is demanding and completely safe.
High expectations do not require an uncomfortable room. My students make mistakes, ask questions and push their limits because they know they are fully supported while doing it.
In a Lesson
The stage is where I am most fully myself. When the music starts, everything you have worked for either shows up or it doesn't. I respect that exact challenge. 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 I carry that standard with me everywhere.
The trumpet has taken me across the country and around the world. These stages and concert halls are experiences I will carry for the rest of my life. All of it came from committing fully to the craft.
I know the weight this identity carries. I recognize the self-doubt, the pressure and the moments where love for the music gets tangled with fear. I sit with those feelings, understand what they teach me and release them without letting them take root. The mind behind the music must be calm and focused. This instrument punishes tension and rewards presence. That is not just a performance philosophy. It is how I process the world.
When I finally found my voice on the trumpet, I found my voice as a person. Performance is how I contribute myself to the world in the most honest way I know. Every time I walk on stage, I carry every teacher, every late night in the practice room and every person who believed in me before I fully believed in myself.