Instrument Access and Rental Info

It’s important that your child has a functioning, high-quality instrument for Band class. While DMS provides a limited number of school-owned instruments, not all are in ideal condition due to years of student use. We do our best to maintain them, but we can’t always guarantee availability or quality.

Having a reliable instrument helps students:

• Make faster progress

• Build confidence

• Feel more motivated in class

Our Band program has grown substantially. While this is typically a great problem, the unfortunate side effect is that we just do not have enough instruments here on campus to supply one for each student.

What this means for your student is that if they are playing a Decker instrument, it is likely that two or three other students in other classes will also be playing that instrument. We will clean and disinfect between uses, but cannot guarantee it is done perfectly.

What is the best solution? Consider one of the many rent-to-own options available from local and nationwide music stores.

We strongly recommend renting an instrument, especially for beginners. Rent-to-own programs are:

• Flexible and low-risk

• Often $35–50/month

• Include maintenance and repair plans

If you prefer to buy, we're happy to provide guidance to ensure your purchase is a quality instrument.

Please consider renting or purchasing if your child plays:

• Flute

• Clarinet

• Alto Saxophone

• Trumpet

• Trombone

• Percussion (Bell Kit/Snare)

The following larger instruments are provided by DMS:

• Tuba

• Euphonium (Baritone)

• French Horn

• The music stores listed above are trusted local partners that specialize in student instruments. While we don’t endorse any single company, they are a great place to start.

⚠️ Please avoid buying from non-music stores (e.g., Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Wish). These instruments are often poor quality, break easily, and can't be repaired by local shops.

We are happy to assist!

📧 Email the Band Directors if you:

• Need help choosing an instrument

• Want to check if a used instrument is good quality

• Have questions about pricing or rentals

We want every student to feel confident and successful in Band — and that starts with a great instrument.