Useful Links

Orchestra Materials:

All students must have rosin, a pencil and a cleaning cloth for their instruments in class daily. Violins and violas must also have a shoulder rest as well.

Below you can find brands that I highly recommend and different web sites and stores that you can visit to purchase them.

Rosin: Good rosin makes a world of difference in the tone a student is able to produce.

Violin/Viola - Millant Deroux light

Cello - Millant Deroux dark

Bass - Pops

Shoulder Rests: Always invest is something that will last you a long time!

Kun Collapsable - Theses last longer than most should rests, and the feet fold down so it is easier to store in your case!

Strings: An easy way to get a better sound out of your instrument without having to buy a new instrument is by upgrading the strings you are using. Here are some that I highly recommend.

Violin/Viola - Dominate

Cello/Bass - Helicore

Web Sites: If you have the time to, always shop around for your materials. Sometimes, online stores have better pricing when it comes to things like strings.

• www.sharmusic.com
• www.swstrings.com
• www.amazon.com

Instrument Rentals & Upgrades:

At some point in a student's music career, it will be time to upgrade their instrument. This will ultimately improve the quality of their playing and overall experience while they are participating in Orchestra. Below are a couple of local violin shops were you can find higher quality instruments to rent or purchase.

Hammond Ashley Violins - Issaquah

RL Ray Violins - Olympia

Please avoid purchasing instruments from online stores, or places other than actual music stores and violin shops. The above stores actually build their instruments and can make repairs on them as well.