WARNING!

YOU DO NOT ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

In the past few years, musical instruments have been sold by the non-traditional merchant. In other words, department stores, internet sales, and discount stores are selling musical instruments at a very cheap price. These establishments are treating musical instruments as a commodity. What is a commodity? A commodity is a product that should be sold through the cheapest distribution channel.

The question one must ask, are instruments a commodity?

We believe that answer is NO, instruments are clearly not a commodity. Here are some basic reasons as why instruments should never be considered a commodity:

  1. At the very least, an instrument must play in tune with itself. Every note has a particular pitch or sound vibration. The instruments sold at non-musical stores are of very poor quality and do not play in tune with themselves. It takes specialized product knowledge to select, present, and sell an instrument that will play easily for a young beginner, and a trained musical ear to hear and detect good tone quality and whether the instrument plays in tune or not.
  1. The instrument must contribute to the success of the individual student and of the full band or orchestra. The so called, “throw away” instruments, good for only one year, can do none of the above. Your child will be discouraged because of bad tone quality and poor intonation. Your child will not sound as good as the other students, and they will quit.
  1. Instruments require service. No manufacturer, at any quality level, has made an instrument that does not need maintenance and eventual repair during its useful life. It takes specialized, technical training to properly maintain and repair instruments. In this regard, instruments differ from computers, printers, and other low priced, disposable items. A good instrument is not a disposable item. It is a quality instrument that must be maintained. The merchants of these ‘throw away” instruments do not repair or maintain quality of their product. Music stores cannot repair these instruments, because they are not built in such a way to play in tune, have a good musical sound, or have any endurance as a musical instrument.

At the NorthPennSchool District, we are here to help you select a good instrument for your child. Rentals are available at competitive prices, and the music stores supporting our programs DO NOT rent or sell such poor quality instruments. We will recommend stores that provide good quality musical instruments that your child may play for the rest of his or her life. These are not professional quality instruments, but instruments that play easily for beginners and have good tone quality and good intonation.

If you cannot afford the rental plan provided by an approved music store, then please contact your music teacher. We can advise you on good brands for possible selection of used instruments. Also, we can give you advice on how to detect instruments in poor condition and in need of repair. It is better to wait a year before playing an instrument rather than have your child play an instrument that will only discourage him or her and eventually quit the program. Do not waste your money. You work too hard for it, and you child does not deserve the humiliation.

(by Randy Navarre, DMA President, Northeastern Music Programs, Inc.)