Elite Music Camps Ltd Reviews 

A beautiful villa nestling in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, local cuisine freshly presented each day, the June blue skies and heat of southern Spain and hospitality just as warm - oh, and expert tuition from two of the sax and trumpet greats - what is not to like?
An exceptionally enjoyable and profitable week with great company. Snake and Johnny could not have been more accommodating hosts and tutors, creating a stimulating yet relaxing musical environment. Formal teaching and discussion sessions were complemented by plenty of informal chat and sharing of anecdote. And the company of supportive fellow-students enriched the whole experience enormously.
My wife was the student here and, as a relative beginner, she was fully supported and encouraged and will have benefited greatly on her saxophone journey.
I was one of two non-playing partners and very much enjoyed the week.
I should add that we wisely chose not to join the long hike for mobility reasons. It was fully enjoyed by others and Johnny kindly gave us a lift into Granada as an alternative for the afternoon.
Altogether a great opportunity you won’t want to miss!

What can you expect from a bass camp...especially when one of your bass heros is involved...?

Not only is Paul an incredible bass player, he is also an outstanding teacher. Being able to improve my weaknesses and strengths. Besides being the teacher, he is also a really nice guy to hang out with!

Johnny is great host. He makes sure everything is all fine and gives you a feeling that you are welcome.

During diner, Paul and Johnny also join. This leads to the greatest stories and the funniest jokes.

Together with a group of lovely bass players, for me this experience was beyond expectations.

I just finished my second Bass camp with Paul Turner, who is an incredible bass player and also an awesome bass teacher. Before the camp started, I was asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding my bass playing goals and (during the one-on-one lessons which are part of the program) Paul was able to adapt exactly to my expectations and motivated me to learn even more. The bass camp is located near the beautiful Sierra Nevada and is organized by the famous trumpet player Johnny Thirkell who is a fantastic host and is caring for the group in any detail. In addition to this, we visited Grenada, had a walk through the beautiful environment, delicious meals and shared unbelievable stories in the evening.
It needs more than words to describe the atmosphere of this wonderful event and I am still flashed.

I was here at the bass camp for the second time, and it was another incredibly inspiring wonderful week.

The mixture of groups and individual lessons, and practicing by my own, relaxing and spending time with new friends is brilliant.

Paul is a fantastic teacher, helped me a lot to implement my own ideas. He helped me also to improve my game and showed me with his friendly way what I can do better.

Johnny ist the best host ever and organized all what we wanted included the hike, the tour to Granada and so on.

Thank you very much for being able to be there again!

Johnny, Paul and the team couldn’t have provided a better experience. Bass sessions as a group, with individual follow ups. Amazing location. Fantastic catering. Time to chill and/or practice. Opportunity explore the local area with a hike and to see Granada for dinner. Lovely bunch of bass loving people - and four female bassist under one roof!

I have to admit I was apprehensive about how good the week would be. It exceeded all my expectations.

Paul is an incredible teacher and humble genius. All content was adapted to suit each players level. I hadn’t played for 6 years, and Paul matched my level perfectly. He provided consistent positive reinforcement and tips on improving techniques. It was truly enlightening to watch others approach in a group setting too.

Johnny was an immaculate host, who provided insights into the realities of the music industry and had loads of thrilling stories from his incredible career to inspire the group! Again, for someone with so many incredible accolades, Johnny couldn’t have been more humble, thoughtful and welcoming.

I’ve come away feeling super privileged, excited and confident. Can’t think of a better outcome and I will be looking to join again next year.

Thank you so much!

Amazing hospitality, incredible food and drink, lovely people, useful and engaging lessons.

An amazing way to spend a week with lots of laughs.

I can’t honestly think of a better way to boost your musical skills than by being guided by, and following, masters. Both Snake and Johnny have walked the talk in the pop/jazz world we all know and love at the highest level.
This combined with their warmth and down to earth friendliness made the week a pure joy.
It’ll be challenging - advancement can be - but it will be fun, in a safe environment.
Accommodation and food was spot on - huge thanks to Johnny and Angie for sharing their beautiful home in Monachil.

Inspirational. Fun. Great people.

This was my 2nd visit to Bass Camp with Paul Turner and again I'm truly grateful for the professional bass instruction and level of hospitality offered by Elite Music Camps. The group sessions are fun and insightful, structured for all levels where everyone learns so much in a relaxed environment. I really did get so much out of these sessions and enjoyed grooving with my fellow bass students. The one-to-one sessions with Paul was a chance to address specific needs and I came away feeling a much more confident player. Paul is an outstanding educator! The hospitality really is superb. The meals are fantastic and Johnny ensured that a great time was had by all. It was a privilege to spend time in such good company. All in all an incredible experience, can't recommend it highly enough!

A wonderful week- highly educational for all levels in a relaxed, friendly and gourmet setting! I’ve come away inspired. And also such a good insight into many aspects of the music business from those who know. Many thanks Johnny and Rob

I just had my fourth Camp with my friends Johnny and Rob and some returning guys from last year. This is such a magical experience, I'll keep attending them as long as they're offered. It inspires me musically and allows me to improve in a supportive and fun environment. Killer location, great food, small fun groups and a fun window into the music business. Would recommend to anyone of any ability.

Another amazing week at Guitar Camp. A perfect blend of learning, relaxation, great food and fantastic company. The tuition is tailored to suit all levels of experience and ability and everybody gets to contribute to the group sessions.
Most importantly, the company and hospitality was first class. Many thanks Johnny.

This was my second year and will be booking up for my third as quickly as I booked this one. I’m very much a beginner and get loads out of the week. Really relaxed, informative without being intimidating and Johnny and Rob are excellent hosts. Fantastic location, incredible food and an all round awesome week. Would give 6 stars if I could

A stellar week with beautiful surroundings, great food and people, and top notch tuition.
Johnny and Snake are insanely talented musicians , excellent and inspiring tutors and genuinely great guys.
The villa was lovely, especially the pool; the trips to Granada to see the Alhambra and into the national park were unmissable.
All in all a very memorable holiday.

What can I say, this was one of the most eye opening experiences in terms of my musical journey. I have come home to scotland with so many new skills and memories taught by the zen master himself Snake Davis! He really took on board everything I had asked of him to teach me over the week and I feel I have come away with so much knowledge! Who knew I would be able to read dots! It brought me back to being 15 again! I really admired the discipline both Johnny and snake have towards their practise regimes and have taken away a lot from what Johnny had advised us on his group chats In regards to the practise and learning side of things. Hope to be back again sometime In the future! Maybe for the vocal camp as well!! :D great vibes the whole week and a lot of fun xx

My second time at Elite Music Camp as a non playing partner.
I have felt as welcome as the students. I have been encouraged to join in with breathing exercises, pilates and mindfulness activities.
Johnny encourages you to treat his house as a home from home
The food is brilliant (lovely Laura and Claudia) .
Outings are great. Really well thought out.
Most of all you feel that you have had a week among friends......and I feel Snake and Johnny are friends forever as I will remember the time spent with them always.

Zen brush and fine tune your musical journey with Horn Camp’s transformative magic. Breath work, stretching, vocalising monk chants, from the first note of the day, developing a deeper connection with your instrument, your body and mind, a holistic approach, more than lessons, almost a spiritual experience. Snake and Johnny have been at the top of their game for decades with a wealth of experience and mind blowing stories from the road. Snake is ubiquitous, in dance music and pop music from M People to Jubel we’ve all heard him enchant us with his unique sound. Snake invited us into his world. To spend some time with Snake as a Saxophone player myself is a privilege that I’m very grateful for, it’s been an enriching experience that’s profoundly affected how I approach my instrument.

Learning and the informal classes aside there is much laughter, great food, leisurely hanging out around the pool, trips into the Sierra Nevada hills and a night in Granada dipping into the local scene, eating in a fine restaurant with stunning views and exploring some of the history with Johnny and Snake as your guide.

I think I might be back, as you might guess I highly recommend it, if I never go back I’ll be comparing every holiday I have for the rest of my days to this one. 😊

First and foremost can't compliment Johnny Thirkell enough as a host. Five star house, views, and phenomenal company. I wish I could include some photos absolutely stunning week; and the food by Laura as our chef was stupendous (even adjusting the menu to save my partner and I from our ceoliac allergy)
As for the tuition - there was opportunity to have individual tuition with Tom (who is an absolute gem) and ensemble work which led to a sharing performance at the end of the week- which was useful to have a goal to head towards.
As for learning we focused on great tips for memory and vocal safety and best warm ups. Focus on classic musical pieces with songs from Sondheim, Cole Porter and Jerome Kern. You get individual tuition time and for those auditioning some really useful tips on best approaches to the audition room.

As for experience of Spain you get to travel along the 'Los Cahorras' Gorge which is well worth the trip if you're down for a bit of scrambling at one point
(7-8km walk - well worth going!)

And a stunning view of Elhambra but I won't spoil what Johnny has in store otherwise. Well recommended and worth the money!

Thank you Johnny, Tom and Laura and everyone who was at the camp. Will be applying to go again next year 😁

A lovely week, full of music,great food, wine and getting to know people with the same interest. Combination of ensemble work and personal coaching based upon your individual needs/ level.
In between music it was time for relaxation at the pool where you could chat, rest or absorb what you learnt.
If you was interested there is an opportunity to do a 7 km walk in the mountains/ trail which passes by the house. Nice little challenge.
One evening out at a restaurant in Granada was great too.
Can’t compliment the host Johnny enough who made the whole week to a wonderful memorable experience.

Elite Music Camps seem to have a really special formula which ensures a non-competitive yet supportive environment irrespective of individual levels or experience. The hospitality, advice and friendship throughout the week was incredible. I can’t speak highly enough of Johnny and Snake and, after having told others about it, I now seem to be surrounded by some very jealous musical friends - in the nicest way of course!
The organisation and arrangements were perfect. It was great to spend the week with like minded people - I learnt so much. The relaxed atmosphere and endless stories over dinner were also a real highlight. Thank you both for everything and hope to see you again.

A fabulous week with Snake and Johnny in Spain. They were both so welcoming as was Angie, it made the house a great place to stay with a pool to relax by and great food freshly cooked, together with drinks included. The daily sessions were varied and interesting with all abilities and one-to-one lessons added in throughout the week. Snake was amazing giving us all great advice and was so patient and helpful. Truly incredible to have his experience in a small group for a whole week. The guys didn’t disappear at the end of the day, they spent their time having dinner with us every night, one night at a beautiful restaurant in Granada and gave us a little concert and short evening talks too. And not forgetting the morning walks/runs I chose to join Snake on and the group walk in the mountains…..just wow wow wow! Loved my dip in the river/waterfall! An experience I’ll never forget. Back home now working on all the post course material provided…..there’s loads! One more thing I should mention is that being a female solo traveller can sometimes be a bit daunting but I felt at ease straight away and was lucky to be placed in a quiet room sharing bathroom with another lovely lady. Thank you so much for everything 🎷🎺🥂
Sue Floyd