Instrument Rentals

Getting Started

All band students are required to have an instrument and the assigned method book for the year.

Instrument Rentals:

Most families choose to rent an instrument from a local music company. This is the option that I most highly recommend. Music companies offer reliable instrument brands, damage insurance (great for young students), and flexibility with instrument switching. In addition, most music companies offer a "rent-to-own" program, meaning that families pay a monthly rental fee of about $25-35 per month that is applied toward the eventual purchase of the instrument. If a student decides not to stick with an instrument, a family can return the rental to the company at any time with no further financial obligations.

If your family plans on renting an instrument, then you are welcome to rent from any company of your choice. This year, the Hingham band program will be collaborating specifically with the company David French Music. The pro to renting an instrument from this company is that they will service any minor instrument repairs on-site at our schools and pick up/return any instruments in need of repair directly to and from the schools. They also deliver any ordered supplies, such as cork grease, reeds, slide oil, etc., weekly directly to the schools.

You can order an instrument and book from David French Music online at http://www.davidfrenchmusic.com. Please call their customer service number at (800) 366-5993 for any questions about rentals. The rental flyer for David French Music is also included at the bottom of this webpage.

Used Instruments:

Many families purchase used instruments or have access to an instrument through a family member or relative. If your child is playing on a used instrument, I recommend having their teacher look at it and/or getting it checked out at a local music shop before having your child use it regularly in class. It can be challenging to tell if an instrument is in working condition just by looking at it, and a broken instrument can cause much student frustration.

Purchasing:

I strongly discourage the purchase of instruments online unless you understand how to determine instrument quality. Many instruments sold on sites such as Ebay are poorly made or in such poor quality that repairing them will cost more than the instrument's value. In addition, I strongly discourage buying instruments from a store such as Walmart or Target. These instruments are often manufactured with cheap metals and will thus make a poor quality sound (like a toy). They will likely not be durable enough to withstand daily use. A music store is a more reliable location to purchase a new or used instrument.

Recommended Brands:

Flute: Yamaha, Gemeinhardt, Pearl, Armstrong, Altus, Jupiter

Clarinet: Yamaha, Vito, Selmer, Bundy, Buffet

Trumpet: Bach, Yamaha, Selmer, Bundy, Holton, Conn

Trombone: Bach, Yamaha, Holton, King, Conn

If you are unsure about the quality of an instrument you are considering, please send me an email, and I will do my best to help you determine the best match for your child's needs.