ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Ben Speer's Stamps-Baxter School of Music is a week-long Southern Gospel music school carrying on a 90-year tradition. We are dedicated to the furtherance of the Southern Gospel music genre, and passionate about providing singers and musicians with the highest-quality training possible.
Many folks have God-given talent. But turning talent into success requires training, and we have decades of experience providing that training to artists such as Morgan Easter of Jeff and Sheri Easter, Jason Clarke of The Nelons, Gene MacDonald of The Florida Boys and the Gaither Homecoming Tour.
Will our school catapult you to the top ranks of Gospel music singers and musicians? Well, we can't promise you that. But can we teach you to be a better singer? A better pianist? A better communicator? We guarantee it.
Are you ready to take your career, your ministry, your talent to the next level?
No matter where you’re starting from, we can help you get where you want to go.
OUR MISSION
This school is dedicated to the furtherance of Southern Gospel Music, and to raising the standard of musical excellence in our art form. We believe the way to do this is to offer a well-rounded course of study. We want our students to be able to read it, write it, sing it and perform it. With a comprehensive understanding of music theory, both live and recorded performances will improve.
CURRICULUM
PERFORMANCE
Daily performance training offers the chance to be critiqued by experts such as Joyce Martin Sanders of The Martins, while the nightly open mic sessions are a critique-free way to just practice getting up and singing in front of a crowd.
GROUP SINGING
During daily group singing you'll join with all your fellow students to practice the style of true Southern Gospel music that you've seen and heard on the Gaither videos. We are also proud to teach traditional shaped note convention-style music, doing our part to keep this traditional art alive in the 21st century.
THEORY CLASSES
The heart of our school has always been the daily group singing, ear-training, sight-reading, and theory classes where students are divided into as many as nine different levels according to ability and interest.
ELECTIVE WORKSHOPS
You can choose to take free workshops that will give you the opportunity to receive instruction on specialized topics. This year we're offering the following electives:
Jack Clark’s Instrumentalists’ Workshop
Learn the famed “Nashville Number System” and get tips on how to better accompany a soloist or group.
Conducting Workshop
Instruction and hands-on training to assist students in effectively leading choirs, groups and ensembles.
Songwriting Workshop
Featuring some of Christian Music’s most successful songwriters, this is where students learn how to hone their craft.
TYPICAL DAILY SCHEDULE
8:30AM
Devotions/Announcements
9:00AM
Theory Class
10:00AM
Group Singing
11:30AM
Lunch Break/Free Time
1:00PM
Theory Class
2:30PM
Elective
4:00PM
6:00PM
7:00PM
8:00PM
9:00PM
11:00PM
Performance Training
Group Singing
Open Mic or Free Time
Lights Out
2020 SESSION
July 5-17, 2020
Wright Music Building
Middle TN State University
PRIVATE LESSONS
Students can choose to take individual and/or group lessons in voice, piano, songwriting, guitar, bass, drums, steel guitar, harmonica, and dobro.
TUITION
Tuition is $380 if you register before May 31, and includes all course materials and supplies. Scholarships are available - click below to find out more.
MEALS
The campus offers multiple options for meals, including the dining hall and several different restaurants.
LODGING
Housing is available on-campus in the Monahan Dorm, or you can find your own lodging off-campus.