[Melissa]

This child is gonna kill me slowly.

Two things to keep in mind:
1. On the form we had sent in two weeks ago, he checked Band.
2. We own a trumpet. (For giggles, we asked the music store rep there last night how much a Yamaha trumpet would cost if we had to buy it now - $629.)



We left last night with Riley signed up for violin in the orchestra.

 

[Allie]

Orchestra should be fun! I played the cello when I was his age. We always rented and I don't think it was too expensive. I think the only thing you might have to buy is your own bow and rosin, but rent the actual violin.

 

[Clanceycanuck]

wow - that seems so daunting to me. (Of course I'm not musically gifted at all)

 

[BoatDog]

Ah, Melis!

 

[Melissa]

The music store that has an agreement with our school district (which we're "under no obligation to use, of course") has rent to own agreements. For a reconditioned used instrument, the monthly cost is $21.40. Buying it out right is $400-something. The rent-to-own period is 32 months and you'd pay almost $700 (!) but if you decide to buy, say, after the first year your payments go toward the $400 cost.

New takes it up to $26.75/month, $575'ish outright.

We'll shop around. But with this company, if there are any problems, they will come to the school, pick up the instrument, drop off a loaner and then bring it back when fixed. So that's definitely convenient.

It makes my head hurt.

The first year rental payment applying to the original cash price after the first year is a plus because the music requirement is only in place for 6th graders. After that it's optional. You don't want to drop multiple hundreds on an instrument if he's only going to play it a year. But then again - the first year rental price itself is almost $200.

Like I said, head hurts.

 

[IzzyLucyWillie]

LOL hope he enjoys it!!!

We rented a flute once, the thrill lasted about 2 weeks. Thank goodness we didn't buy it.

 

[gailatmsu]

I love hearing violins. Instruments are so expensive!

Jake asked for music lessons for his birthday. He'll be 8 in June so I think that's a good age to start. I was thinking cello or piano, but he wants to learn how to play bass guitar. I guess that's better than drums... lol

 

[MidwestGirl]

Get some good ear plugs j/k

 

[dweck]

Oh, man. Violin is tough.

How are his hands?? Does he have big, muscular fingers? If so, he may have trouble w/it down the line: Violinists do best with small, lithe fingers.

I know. I studied violin for about a year when I inherited my grandfather's. And after struggling like an idiot, my teacher finally said: "We can keep on with this indefinitely and I will happily still take your money, but really. Look at those beefy keyboard hands. They're just not built for the violin. Cello? Maybe. Bass? Better! But violin? No...."

So I never really progressed beyond "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

The other thing he's going to need (or develop) is an EXCELLENT sense of pitch. There's not a single violin player I know that hasn't trained themselves to an impeccable ear.

My hat's off if he can make a go of it. It is a wonderful instrument and playing in a large group is a terrific experience.

 

[kelli]

what makes me laugh.. are the 400 posts after this of you wanting to claw your ears off while he's practicing =)

hee!

 

[Melissa]

He doesn't have big hands.

The guy that evaluated him gave him a 9 out of 10. Said he had all the markers he looks for - I've already forgotten what he said those were. He also had him try the viola, but he said he got a better sound out of the violin.

He actually got himself set on the violin after they went to the symphony last week! He was apparently inspired.

 

[Melissa]

what makes me laugh.. are the 400 posts after this of you wanting to claw your ears off while he's practicing =)

hee!

Jason said "Are you sure we can't add on to the house?"

 

[Melissa]

If he had gone with some sort of woodwind, I could have helped him.

Brass - Jason could have helped him.

Strings?! We are completely worthless.

It's impossible to be really frustrated because he's just so excited about it. I hope he stays that way.

 

[kaisdad]

Be thankful that bag pipes weren't an option, as they were in my household.

 

[kelli]

Be thankful that bag pipes weren't an option, as they were in my household.

omg.. lol!

 

[IzzyLucyWillie]

Be thankful that bag pipes weren't an option, as they were in my household.

How did you look in the kilt?

 

[Golfgirlrobin]

If things don't go well, you can always do what my mother did when my brother started playing the trombone, pay him $20 to quit. Forty years later she's still hearing about it but she claims it was her only option at the time.

 

[dweck]

I get requests for bagpipes often in conjunction w/weddings & funerals at our church. And what people forget is how EAR SHATTERINGLY LOUD THEY ARE!!!

Well, for crimey's sake, they were designed to be heard out on the glen. Not in the confines of an enclosed church building!!

Good luck to Riley. Tell him I want tix for the front row when he's at Carnegie Hall!!!

 

[Jenica]

Good luck!

My parents always told me that if I wanted to learn violin that would be fine, but I would have to practise in the garage.

 

[Mia&Buddy]

The only two instruments that my kids were forbidden to choose were drums and violin, lol.

Ask around and also try craigslist to find a used instrument. Someone's kid, somewhere, is giving it up for good by the end of the school year so you just need to find them. Find out who teaches private lessons and call them to see if any of their students are moving up to a better instrument and see if you can buy their old one. Try pawn shops. I would try to buy an instrument because you can always sell it when he is done with it, probably for what you paid for it.