Keefe Ismael
Piano & Voice Instructor in Boulder, Colorado
“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry. Don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”
About Keefe
Keefe Ismael teaches trumpet, trombone, tuba, and baritone at The Lesson Studio in Boulder, bringing professional performance experience and an individualized approach to brass instruction. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, the Filipino-American trombonist and music educator is based in Denver, Colorado.
Keefe has performed across a wide range of musical styles, with engagements including the Zephyr Brass Collective, Out of Line Brass Band, and Symphony of the Rockies. As an educator, he has led masterclasses, clinics, and in-class instruction at schools throughout the Front Range and the Bay Area.
He earned his Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance from San Jose State University and completed additional graduate studies in trombone and musicology at the University of Denver.
Keefe’s Instructional Approach
Keefe takes a holistic, individualized approach to teaching trumpet, trombone, baritone, and tuba. His priorities are to help students connect with their humanity, discover their musical voice, and develop technical facility on their instrument—in that order.
By getting to know each student’s interests beyond music, Keefe learns which explanations and interactions resonate most. He draws on psychology, physiology, acting, and other fields to make instruction meaningful and responsive to the individual.
A Little more about Keefe
Practice advice and the music that inspires him
Practice Tips
Find inspiration before you practice.
Keefe encourages students to surround themselves with music every day, especially live
performances whenever possible. Listening across genres helps students discover the
sounds that resonate with
Favorite Artists
| R&B | Blessed | Daniel Caesar |
| Funk | Turbo | Cory Wong and Dirty Loops |
| Jazz | Young and Foolish | Bill Evans and Tony Bennett |
| Folk | Angelina | Lizzy McAlpine |
| Classical | Symphony No. 2 | Gustav Mahler |