Instrument Purchase & Rental Information

Acquiring an Instrument

After you have signed up for band and/or orchestra, you will receive information from the teacher about which instrument you will get to play. After that, most families rent an instrument from a rental company.

If you cannot afford to rent, please arrange to borrow a school instrument by contacting Mrs. Clark, Mrs. Bendon, or Mrs. Terrell. School instruments are distributed on a first come first serve basis and reserved for those with a genuine need.

If you already have an instrument that you plan to use, please let your teacher know as soon as possible. We want the chance to look over the instrument to be sure it is in good working condition.

Beware of Purchasing

We strongly discourage purchasing instruments online from Craigslist, Amazon, Ebay, Wish, Temu, etc. without consulting the teacher first. They are often very poor quality and have many problems in the set up that cause students to experience more frustration than success when playing. Most repair shops will not work on these instruments for many reasons. Amazon, for instance, might say they will replace the instrument if it breaks, but we’ve seen students go through 5 or 6 Amazon instruments before they get too frustrated and decide to take a different route. If you want to purchase an instrument, feel free to reach out to one of the instrumental teachers for guidance before making your purchase. We’re happy to help!

Benefits of Renting

-Renting ensures you have a good quality instrument to play.
-Repair and maintenance programs make repairs cheaper and easier.
-Companies will pick up and deliver instruments that need to go to the shop for repair or replacement.
-Orchestra students will likely not be full size for a year or two, so renting makes it easy to swap for the next size up as they grow.
-You can build up credit with rental payments that can be used toward the purchase of an instrument later on.
-Many students will start on a beginner quality student instrument and then have the choice to upgrade later

Orchestra Rental Companies

We recommend either Becker Fine Stringed Instruments (https://www.beckerfineinstruments.com/, 515-274-9420), or Rieman Music (https://www.riemanmusic.com/, 515-278-4685). We highly recommend these companies because they visit regularly to pick up instruments that need repair. Both companies offer repair and maintenance (R&M) plans to your rental agreement, which we encourage adding to your rental! String instruments are delicate and that small monthly fee will cover most things from simple string replacements to damage repairs, and they often are able to supply a loaner instrument so your student won’t be without while their equipment is fixed.

Orchestra Accessories

Below is a list of accessories you will need for each instrument. Your rental will come with a name tag for your case, a shoulder sponge (violin/viola), a rock stop (cello), and a lesson book. We recommend purchasing a wire music stand for home practice and getting a soft, dry cloth to keep in your case so you can wipe down your instrument regularly.

Included with your rental:
-Name tag for case
-Shoulder sponge (violin/viola)
-Rock stop (cello/bass)
-Lesson book (Strictly Strings book 1)