• Renting or Purchasing an Instrument

    RENTING

    The Band program at Sonoran Foothills School is partnered with national music retailer Music & Arts to bring you high quality instruments at an affordable price. Why rent from Music & Arts? Instruments from Music & Arts are new, high quality, insured against damage/theft/maintenance needs at a low cost of $6/month, and every dollar you pay towards the rental contributes to purchasing your own instrument down the line!

    You are not required to rent from Music & Arts, and may rent from other vendors at your discretion. Allegro Music and Rhapsody Music are other vendors in the valley.

    After completing your Interest Form (see page called "How To Enroll in Band"), I will contact you with info on how to set up your rental with Music & Arts.  

    PURCHASING 

    You may choose to purchase an instrument for your child, but this comes with some risks. 

    If you wish to purchase an instrument:

    DO NOT PURCHASE A COLORFUL INSTRUMENT! (red, pink, blue, green, etc.) These might look cool but they are built from cheap materials and WILL not last without frequent, costly repairs

    DO NOT PURCHASE A PLASTIC INSTRUMENT! There are various brands of plastic trumpets, trombones, and other instruments that are plastic. These are fun and can be useful to practice on, but will absolutely not be allowed in band due to their poor quality, intonation/tuning/tone production problems, and easily damaged structure. 

    DO NOT PURCHASE THE FOLLOWING BRANDS ON AMAZON OR ELSEWHERE! These are found on Amazon with temptingly low prices but please do not buy them! Anything under $200 is going to give you trouble down the road. You will end up paying for costly and frequent repairs due to the low quality of the instrument. 

    • Eastar 🚫 Nuvo 🚫 Asiweier 🚫 EASTROCK 🚫 Glory 🚫 Cecilio 🚫 First Act 🚫

    Overall, there’s nothing more frustrating for a beginning musician than a faulty or low quality instrument! As the old adage goes, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Cheap, low quality instruments will lead to inconvenience and frustration down the line… I cannot stress this enough!

    SUGGESTIONS FOR BUYING USED INSTRUMENTS:

    If you purchased a used instrument, you may run the risk of needing a few repairs. That said, sometimes it is worth it to buy a really good instrument at the slightly lower used price and make minor repairs, than invest in a brand new instrument. Use discretion and if you are unsure about a certain instrument, email me with info about the instrument and I will be happy to help you!

    Here are some high quality brands you may consider purchasing:

    • Yamaha ✅ Jupiter ✅ Jupiter Capital Edition ✅ Gemeinhardt ✅ Pearl ✅ Bundy ✅ Eastman ✅ Blessing ✅ Bach Stradivarius (trumpets and trombones only) ✅ Vic Firth (percussion only) ✅ 

    You can find used instruments:

    • in music stores in the Phoenix Metro area (Music & Arts, Guitar Center, Allegro Music, Sam Ash, Boogie Music)
    • App: Reverb! This is a GREAT app specifically for buying and selling musical instruments and gear. I have both bought and sold flutes on this app. I highly suggest this app! Sellers include music vendors and individual musicians nationwide!
    • OfferUp/LetGo, Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist

    CONTACT ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS! 🎵