| Every school year, parents will be faced with | | | | As children advance in the school band programs, |
| buying musical instruments for every child that | | | | parents will consider buying musical instruments |
| participates in the school band programs. Some | | | | with more features or accessories. A child that is |
| parents luck out because the school band | | | | taking piano will need one at home to practice on, |
| program provides the instrument and the child is | | | | but during the first year of classes, the parent |
| only responsible for providing the music sheets | | | | might not consider buying musical instruments of |
| and accessories that are used personally by them | | | | this size. Parents can always use the pianos in a |
| during each class. Most woodwind musical | | | | church auditorium at some point during the week |
| instruments will require wooden reeds to be | | | | for the child to practice on or they can use a |
| replaced throughout the year. These mouthpiece | | | | piano of a friend who has been taking lessons for |
| accessories are gauged by the size of the | | | | years. Buying musical instruments for personal use |
| instrument and are considerably cheaper than | | | | will require strict budgeting. |
| buying the instrument. | | | | Some family members will routinely scan the |
| Some parents find it easier to rent band | | | | personal ads in the local newspaper to buy musical |
| instruments from a local music store in lieu of | | | | instruments at reduced prices. This avenue of |
| buying musical instruments outright. Most parents | | | | buying musical instruments can be a bargain |
| choose the rental methods for the first year that | | | | hunters paradise but care should be taken to test |
| a child is enrolled in a school band program. After | | | | out the musical instrument fully. Discounted prices |
| the child has proven that they are interested in | | | | on musical instruments are possible but they are |
| learning the instrument, then the parents will be | | | | usually offered because some mechanisms do not |
| more inclined to buying musical instruments at the | | | | work properly. The buyer will often not be privy |
| end of the school year so that the child can | | | | to how the instrument was treated or cared for |
| practice playing the instrument over the summer | | | | on a day to day basis while the previous owner |
| break. | | | | was enrolled in a school music program. |
| The monthly rental cost for any musical | | | | There are music stores that have established |
| instrument a parent chooses will cover any | | | | retail outlets on the internet. Buying musical |
| repairs that are needed throughout the school | | | | instruments from these dealers is safer because |
| year. Parents are always given the option to buy | | | | if the instrument is not worthy of the price paid, |
| the instrument at the end of the rental period, | | | | people always have the option of returning them |
| which is ideal for families that will enroll a child in | | | | for a full refund, less shipping costs. The musical |
| the school band program the following year. | | | | instruments are usually in excellent condition but |
| Renting instruments for the school year is | | | | are excess items in the inventories that must be |
| common but additional costs for insurance on the | | | | sold to make room for newer models of the |
| instrument might increase rental costs significantly | | | | instrument being offered for sale through |
| and it is up to the parents to decide if that cost | | | | land-based retail outlets. |
| will be worthwhile. | | | | |