Posted by Steve W on August 23, 2003 at 01:07:22:
I know many of you already know this, but just hear me out, please.
It seems in many parts of the country, the parents of students wanting to joining band and orchestra have an option (not a good one) of going to Costco, Sams, Wal Mart, etc and get instruments that are, for a lack of a better term, POS. Anyone how has read this BBS for a while remember getting inquiries about those tuba at a great price on e***. It seems this is not just affecting tubas anymore. If I was a ill-informed parent with a kid wanting to join some band class, that $250 trumpet or $900 tuba looks pretty good instead of going to the local music dealer who told me that a used cornet cost $600 and I can make payments (with intrest) of $30 over the next x amount of years, heck I'll just go to Wallyworld. What the parents don't know is that music store WILL NOT repair that First Act or Simba flute, not because they didn't buy them from a respectable music store but because they can't be repaired, period. Cheap material and whatever they use for plating will not hold solder and the welders repair shops use melts the metal. Now that ill informed parent is stuck with a hunk of crap and if the kid still wants to play, the parent, with tail tucked, has to go back to that music store and do it the right way, rent to own. (No I do not work at a music store.)
I know this used to be a problem with instruments from Sears and Japan (Yamaha use to be on many band directors "Do Not Buy" list about 30 years ago). Now it's India and China. I predict that someday we'll be talking about a Jingboa tuba like we now talk about Jupiter. I did hear a rumor that the Music Group (aka Boosey and Hawkes, Besson, etc) is thinking about or is having some student model instruments made in India. Just a rumor. We all know the "Sanders" line of tubas at Custom is made in China (they are getting better everytime I try one, IMHO).
Here is a letter written by Jeff Laird, the President of the Texas Music Educator's Association, to potential band parents regarding "seriously inferior" instruments. Due to the chance of some major department store sueing the pant off TMEA, he couldn't mention any store or brand name. This is a great letter to have and use in your program.