Instrument Rental 

Families generally rent band instruments from a music store throughout the school year.  White House of Music serves the School District of Waukesha; we have a representative visit our schools weekly to pick up and drop off instruments, repairs, order supplies, etc. 

Have an instrument at home already? 

Great! Before school starts, take it to a music store to have it gone over so that it is in good playing condition for the student.  

School-Owned Instruments

There is a limited inventory of instruments at BMS that are available for students. Parents should contact Mrs. Cudzewicz for more information.  Students needing to use a school-owned instrument will be required to sign a School-Instrument Loan Agreement Form before the instrument can be taken home.

Students wanting to play percussion are required to rent a percussion kit. We do not have school-owned kits to loan out.

Purchasing an Instrument

Taking the time to be sure you are purchasing a quality instrument will save you lots of money in the long run, and provide your child with a much better overall experience. A good quality used instrument is a much better investment than a poor quality new "instrument".

Playing on an instrument that isn't functioning correctly can be very frustrating for students. We highly suggest using caution when purchasing an instrument on the internet. There are some instruments that have entered the market in recent years that are very poorly made and end up costing families much more money in the long run. Some of these instruments are not capable of playing in tune. Others have pieces that break off easily, and since they were not made by standardized instrument production methods, they can not be repaired and become unplayable after only a couple of months of use. 

If you find an instrument on the internet, and you aren't sure whether or not it is a quality instrument or a cheap and inferior knock-off, here are a few ideas to find out if it is a good deal or a waste of money.

• 1. Call a local music store and ask them about their experiences with that particular brand of instrument. Does it need to be repaired frequently? Is it repairable?

  2. Visit the brands section of the Woodwind and Brasswind site. They sell nearly every legitimate brand of musical instruments that are currently manufactured. If it's not listed on this list, it probably isn't an instrument that will be able to be repaired if broken, and it will probably will be more difficult for your son or daughter to play.

  3. Consider the color of the instrument. If it is a color more frequently seen in a rainbow than on a band instrument, it is an instrument that will be difficult to play and will likely break soon after purchase. 

  4. Not sure where to start? Here is a list of instruments and some of the more well-known and reputable brands. 

Reputable Brands: 

Flute: Gemeinhardt, Armstrong, Yamaha, Selmer, Bundy

Oboe: Selmer, Fox, Yamaha, Buffet

Clarinet: Selmer, Leblanc, Buffett, Bundy, Yamaha, Vito

Saxophones: Yamaha, Selmer, Bundy, Yanagisawa

Trumpets / Cornets: Bach, Conn, Yamaha, King, Jupiter, Getzen, Besson, Schilke, Bundy

Horn: Yamaha, Holton, King, Jupiter, Conn

Trombone: Bach, King, Yamaha, Jupiter, Bundy, Conn, Getzen

Baritone: Bach, Conn, Yamaha, King, Jupiter, Getzen, Besson, Schilke, Bundy