PERCUSSIONISTS entering 6th GRADE or above  can continue using a bell/drum kit AND/OR purchase a stick bag, sticks, and drum pad.  If your musicians does not practice bells often at home, the latter may be your best choice.  It adds up to less than a year of renting, so it's on par with what other students are spending for 6th grade.  In the long run, it’s also much less expensive than other instruments, because percussionists do not need to purchase anything bigger than a book for 7th and 8th grades!

1. Example for stick bag with sticks and mallets, which includes: 

• Bag

• Drum sticks

• Timpani mallets

• Bell/xylophone mallets

• Yarn mallets

There has been a supply chain issue with pre-packed stick bags. My preference is the VicFirth Intermediate Education Pack, which is not available right now. Although the Vic Firth Elementary Education pack is fine and available, I'm not sure when we would use the included rubber mallets, and there are no timpani mallets. If you already own some sticks and mallets, you can definitely buy a stick bag by itself and add mallets separately as needed!

2. Examples for a drum pad at Steve Weiss Music or on Amazon (if you lost the one in your kit, or just want a new one or an extra!).