In May of 2005, Michael Becker began his Low Brass Boot Camp in Tucson, Arizona. Participants in this seven day seminar included students from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University, as well as free-lance musicians from Tucson and Phoenix.

The class focused on fundamentals, orchestral style, audition preparation, and solo interpretation.

During the week, Becker coached each individual in solo repertoire, orchestral excerpts, and orchestral section performance. In addition, the class participated in ensembles that included trombone choir, quartets, and orchestral sections.

Chicago free-lance bass trombonist, Mark Fry, was assistant instructor for the class and students had the opportunity to sit in a section with Becker and Fry as part of the orchestral section training. With tubaists participating in this class, orchestral repertoire can be played with the full low brass section, and is not limited to works with trombones alone.

The first day of the class included a mock orchestra audition to evaluate the individuals. At the end of the week, there was another mock audition to chart their progress. Each mock audition used a screen to simulate a real audition environment. Judges for these auditions included members of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra brass section.

The final day of the class culminated with a public recital. All participants played a solo of their choice and there were performances by small groups that included trios and quartets. The grand finale of the event featured the entire class in a low brass choir.

An exciting feature of the Boot Camp is that class size is limited to ensure each person is afforded ample instruction and playing time. With class size limited to between two and three low brass sections per week, the number of weeks will be increased as participation grows.