All About Instruments

Don't Buy, Rent!

Mr. Hebert strongly recommends that you rent an instrument when starting band. Renting ensures the quality of several key parts of the beginner playing experience:

• Instruments are good quality and come freshly cleaned and in perfect condition,

• If anything breaks, repair plans cover the cost,

• If a student wants to change instruments, it's easy to simply swap them out,

• You earn credit for renting that can be used to purchase an instrument later!

You can rent instruments from any of the music stores in our area. Pricing and terms vary slightly, but generally all of our local stores are similar. Music & Arts and Sweetwater are two of our largest partners and they have online sites where you can setup rentals and delivery anytime. For beginners renting over the summer, instruments are delivered to The Academy the week before the Beginner Kick-Start Camp and distributed to students either at the camp or at our first class meeting once school starts.

When renting, starter packs are good to have, but the main thing you'll need from it is a music stand for home practice. Clarinet and saxophone players are required to have reeds, so definitely buy those! Do not purchase a book online - The Academy provides a free book to all beginners!

Music & Arts Rentals

Sweetwater Rentals

If you do end up choosing to purchase a beginner instrument, buy it from a music store, not from Amazon or any other non-music store. The instruments you get from non-music stores are often so bad they will break within months or even weeks and the materials are of such cheap quality that no repair shop will even attempt to fix them. If you have questions about purchasing instruments, speak to Mr. Hebert and he can help!

AFTER PLAYING FOR A WHILE, CONSIDER Upgrading!

Once students get to around 8th grade, it's time to think about upgrading from a beginner instrument to an intermediate one! There is a point for each student where the material quality and construction of a beginner level instrument will stop them from being able to advance further and continue to improve as a player. This can be incredibly frustrating and often leads to students wanting to quit playing! Upgrading to an intermediate instrument ensures they can continue to progress, see the results of their practice, and enjoy playing for years.

• Intermediate instruments are of a higher quality and won't hold the student's progress back,

• Upgraded instruments usually include advancing components like B foots and open holes on flutes, higher quality construction on clarinets, saxes, and trumpets, and F triggers on trombones,

• Rental credits from beginner instruments can usually be used to purchase upgraded instruments!

You can get upgraded instruments from any music store in the area. Never buy these instruments off of Amazon or other non-music store dealers. If you're considering an upgrade, speak to Mr. Hebert about potential options and deals that we may be able to find for you!

Our school representations from Music & Arts or Sweetwater can also help with a "step-up" instrument rental plan. This is similar to beginner instruments, but feature the more upgraded quality and is still part of their rent-to-own program! Sweetwater has lots of info on their step-up rentals website!

Regular maintenance is REQUIRED so your instrument always works!

Keeping good care of your instrument will help ensure it lasts! Each instrument has specific needs. Below are some great quick reference sheets and videos, courtesy of our friends at Rocky Mountain Music Repair in Broomfield! Each reference sheet includes information on daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly maintenance needs for each instrument. There is also a list of the supplies required for each instrument. All musicians are expected to have these supplies.

Percussionists luck out in that maintaining your instrument is as simple as dusting off the fingerprints and being cautious anytime you move the equipment!