June 7 -12
Trombone Workshop With Dr. Phil Ostrander
Trombone Workshop is a fun, transformational experience aimed at increasing musicianship in any trombonist-from beginner to advanced player.
Residential Tuition…………..$895
Commuter Tuition…………..$695
- For Students grades 6-12
- Adult registration as Commuter and only with instructor consent
About
Here is an opportunity for middle and high school students to play and study trombone with professional trombonists Dr. Phil Ostrander and a staff of amazing trombonists from the Upper Midwest. Trombone students play in large and small trombone ensembles, study privately and perform together in a final concert. Students that play Bass Trombone will be provided instruction as well. We also practice and perform a wide variety of musical styles including chamber music and jazz improvisation.
Afternoon sessions are spent exploring Shell Lake with fellow campers, visit the beach and swimming in Shell Lake, shops, and hiking on our beautiful hiking trails behind the lodges.
Placement Screening:
Participants should be prepared to play a selection of their choosing. For students that do not have a solo piece prepared, they should be able to play a concert Bb, Eb and Ab scales.
Sample Schedule
Wake-up
7:15 a.m.
Breakfast
8:00 a.m.
Group Warm Up
9:00 a.m.
Large Group Rehearsal
9:45 a.m.
Octet Rehearsals
10:30 a.m.
Groups of 8 Trombonists with like abilities and skills
Roundtable Discussions
11:00 p.m.
Equipment, Quartets, Question and Answer Sessions
Lunch
12:00 p.m.
Jazz Improvisation
1:00 p.m.
grouped by like abilities and skills no experience needed
Trombone Quartet Rehearsals
2:00 p.m.
Free Time / Private Lesson
3:00 p.m.
Each participant receives a private lesson during the course of the week
Dinner
5:00 p.m.
Evening Concerts/Camp Activities
7:00 p.m.
Free Time
Lights-out
10:30 p.m.
Meet the Instructors
About the Program Director
Phil Ostrander is Professor of Trombone and Bands at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he conducts the Symphony Band, teaches private trombone, and trombone ensemble. Dr. Ostrander completed his doctoral studies at the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Ostrander received master’s degrees in both trombone and wind conducting from the New England Conservatory, as well as a bachelor’s and Performer’s Certificate from Eastman. Dr. Ostrander champions diversity in repertoire with the UWEC Symphony Band. The band performs music composed by under-represented composers in every concert, and since 2017, the ensemble’s first concert of the year celebrates music written by female composers. The ensemble tours to a middle or high school with a diverse student population every year to perform and collaborate.
He has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Kansas City Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the popular chamber groups Rhythm and Brass and the Burning River Brass Ensemble. Currently, he is a member of the IRIS Chamber Orchestra in Memphis, Tennessee under Michael Stern and also Principal Trombone of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra.He performs in Broadway shows regularly at the Orpheum and State theatres in Minneapolis. An accomplished jazz trombonist, Dr. Ostrander has collaborated with jazz artists Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely, Jimmy Heath, Claudio Roditi and Rich Beirach. He teaches jazz and created the Trombone Workshop at the Shell Lake Arts Camp in northern Wisconsin. He has recorded on Sony Classical with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Naxos with the IRIS Orchestra. Dr. Ostrander is a clinician for the Conn-Selmer Musical Instrument Company.
Faculty Member: Carson King-Fournier
Canadian American trombonist Dr. Carson King-Fournier currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Trombone at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and will begin teaching there in the Fall of 2024. Carson has previously served on faculty at Louisiana State University, College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University, and Carleton College. Carson holds degrees from the Juilliard School, Northwestern University, and the University of Minnesota. His principal teachers include Joseph Alessi, Michael Mulcahy, Randall Hawes, Timothy Higgins, R. Douglas Wright, Kari Sundstrom, and Dr. John Tranter.
Along with teaching at the college level, Carson maintains an active private studio teaching trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, and tuba. Students of his have gone on to study music at various institutions including Juilliard Pre-College, Northwestern University, Indiana University, Louisiana State University, Southern Methodist University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire among others.
Carson has performed with a variety of ensembles including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Minnesota Opera, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. He regularly performs in a multitude of styles on alto, contrabass, tenor, and bass trombones, euphonium, bass trumpet, and sackbut. Carson can be heard on both tenor and bass trombone on four of Minnesota Orchestra’s recent recordings, including Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, 7, 8, and 10.
Carson is a Bach Trombone Artist and performs on Bach 36, 42, & 50 trombones.
Faculty Member: Josh Becker
Josh Becker teaches beginning band and serves as Elementary Band Coordinator for the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, MN Public Schools. He is the Instructor of Low Brass at Carleton College and the director of the Prince of Peace Brass Choir. Dr. Becker is also on the faculty of the Shell Lake Trombone Workshop and is a freelance musician in the Twin Cities.
As a bass trombonist, Dr. Becker has performed with the Houston Ballet, Houston Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Symphoria Orchestra of Syracuse, Eastman Jazz Ensemble and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. He has been a member of the JazzMN Orchestra and toured with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra.
Dr. Becker earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Trombone Performance and Literature as well as the Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music. He received his master’s from Rice University and a bachelor’s in music education from UW-Eau Claire.
Faculty Member: Cameron Becker
Cameron Becker is a freelance tenor and bass trombone player and private teacher from Minneapolis, MN. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in trombone performance from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and studied additionally at the Mannes School of Music in New York City. His teachers include Dr. Phil Ostrander, Dr. John Tranter, John Rojak of the American Brass Quintet, virtuoso bass trombonist Dave Taylor, and Nick Schwartz of the New York City Ballet. Highlights of his studies include attending the Aspen Music Festival and the Northwestern University Trombone Workshop, a fellowship with the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, and performing several feature solos with UWEC Jazz Ensemble 1.
Additional Information
Questions? Feel free to contact us for any additional information.
Accommodations
Lodges are available for the duration of the camp session. They are supervised by a professional counseling staff on duty 24 hours each day and meals are prepared under the supervision of a state-approved dietitian.
Commuter Expectations
Commuter students are expected to remain at camp until the day’s activities are completed (Typically 9:am-8pm).
Registrations
Online registrations are accepted until the camp is full. Students may be placed on a waiting list if desired. A camp registration form is sent after payment is received. All cancellations must be made in writing and received 3 weeks in advance of the start of camp for a full refund. A $100.00 fee will be deducted from your refund. Refunds less than three weeks before camp will be evaluated on a case by case basis.
Residential Tuition
Our student tuition is $895 per student and includes instructional fees, room and board and a camp t shirt which will be worn at the final performance. Please refer to the registration materials found on our registration site at Ultracamp for complete details. A $100 down payment is due at the time of registration. The remaining balance can be paid at the time of registration or in equal monthly installments. All Tuition must be paid before arrival at camp.
Commuter Tuition
This option is for campers that want to attend our camps but not stay in our dorms, The $695 tuition covers instructional fees, a camp T-Shirt which will be worn at the final performance, meals, and evening activities. Commuters arrive for their first class by 9AM, and can be picked up any time after evening activities conclude (usually around 8pm).
Check-in / Check-out
Check in begins at 2pm on Sunday of the week your camp begins. All medical, dietary, and consent forms must be completed in UltraCamp before arriving at camp. Additional information will be emailed to you approximately 4 weeks before camp begins.
Scholarships
Each year, the Arts Center raises funds for the scholarship program. If you are interested in applying for an Arts Center scholarship, please visit our website
Additional Information
To request disability accommodations, or other special requests, please contact the Arts Center at least two weeks in advance of camp. More information about camp and all of the opportunities available at the Shell Lake Arts Center can be found on our website.
Participants are admitted without regard to race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. The Shell Lake Arts Center is an inclusive organization, and we accept all artists and musicians.