As the school year comes to an end, we want to make sure you know what to do with your student’s instrument and share some things that Paige’s Music has to offer! Below you will find two checklists. One is if your student is continuing in band next year, and the other is if your student is not going to continue next year. Please remember that your rental agreement with us is rent-to-own. So, if your student is going to be in band next year, you do not want to return the instrument, as you will lose all the payments you have made towards the ownership of the instrument and will have to either restart the agreement in the fall or pay for the summer months to reinstate the contract.

Continuing in Band

1. Have your instrument cleaned! We can’t stress enough the importance of having your instrument serviced annually by a trained technician to ensure that it is in great shape for the upcoming school year! Best of all, if you are renting with us, then repairs are included! Summer is the perfect time to do this! If you have any questions about repair, please contact our repair department at 1-800-337-0471.

2. Practice! Over the course of the year, students grow immensely on their instruments. If they leave their instrument in a case all summer and don’t play, they will struggle the first few weeks of school. Playing an instrument involves muscles and muscle memory. If we don’t use those muscles, they will not grow or have the same strength. In most cases, the muscles weaken, and your student could risk injury by playing long periods of time in class. If you can, at least play 10-30 minutes per day or a few times a week to make sure you are ready to go in the fall. Your band directors will be so grateful and so will your muscles!

3. Grow Musically! There are many summer opportunities for students to advance on their instrument! In fact, summer is a great time to start private lessons! We have a list of private teachers in the area that you can check out on our website. Some private teachers and universities offer summer camps for students to learn and advance on their instruments. If your student is really into band, then we recommend looking at summer music camps like Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp or Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.

4. Stock up on Supplies! Beat the back-to-school rush and make sure your student is set on instrument accessories like reeds, valve oil, and other things! We still deliver to the schools throughout the summer on a case by case basis, so you can give us a call to order or come in to check out our new store!

5. Consider Upgrading! If your student is planning to stick with their instrument long term, now is the perfect time to consider upgrading. Some manufacturers are offering rebates through June that you can take advantage of! Up to 18 payments of your rental will transfer over towards an upgrade! We always have a great stock of intermediate and professional instruments to offer your student!

Not Continuing in Band

1. Return Your Instrument If your student is not going to continue in band, please either contact us to pick up your instrument from the school or bring it into our store to close out the account. If you just leave the instrument with the band director, our representative may not know to pick it up unless you have notified us through e-mail or given us a call. Your rental agreement will stop once the instrument has been returned to our store either in person or through pickup at your school.

As always, if you have any questions, please give us a call or send us an e-mail!