<p>One thing we did do to limit being overrun with violas as son progressed up the musical ladder was to donate the oldest (student) instrument to our local youth symphony. These were either added to their stock of “extras” or they used them as loaner instruments in their educational out reach program that introduced low-income kids to stringed instruments.</p>
<p>We did always keep his last instrument as an emergency back-up in the event the primary instrument was at the luthier’s.</p>
<p>His first viola survived both him and his younger sister, and had a top hairline crack, and the low cost made it an inappropriate candidate for donation or repair.</p>
<p>I stuck it on the shelf of my closet and forgot about it.</p>
<p>When he decided on a performance route for undergrad, I turned it into an operable table lamp for him. It was the only Christmas present he ever got that truly surprised him.</p>
<p>FiddleMom, I sing and play bodhran in a couple of Irish bands. In a pinch, I can do a little tin whistle and even a bit of harp. Let the session begin.</p>
<p>BassDad, yes, let the session begin! D mostly plays fiddle at session but she can also play tin whistle and flute. Very cool that you play in a couple of bands! How often do you perform with them?</p>
<p>Sorry I’m the kazoo vitruoso in the family. I’m still trying to get my DD to write a concerto for clarinet and kazoo so I can play with her…</p>
<p>DS plays fiddle, guitar and bodhran. DD plays tin whistle and bodhran and can play a wooden flute or recorder, although those are two of the few instruments we don’t have at home. </p>
<p>We lived in Ireland for a few years and they really make the arts a vibrant and important part of elementary school. Funny story true story. At the school’s Christmas Assembly S was on the bodran with D on the tin whistle and the Headmaster joked to me, “Civilisation must be ending. I’ve got the Americans doing the music!”</p>
<p>anyone else have a digeradoo in their house?
S bought it on EBay.Its actually quite beautifuly carved.
He also aspires to be a bagpiper and has acquired the “practice chanter”.Financing and learning the bagpipes will be up to him .His sax’s have been sold.
There are assorted stands, folding stands in the closets. Don’t forget all the discarded performance wear ,black and white, which is years old but D still doesnt want to get rid of,though she hasnt lived here for two years(“just incase”)
All but one of D’s flutes /piccolos have moved to St Louis with her.The one still here was the “marching band” one.There’s an electric bass and keyboard in the closets.With an amp, and the keyboard stand.
I’m attempting to get her to move the filing cabinet of sheet music/scores to St Louis next.
Now that shes in a PhD program, shes collecting “Intro to Music” type texts and component CD’s,many of which have been deposited here in NY instead of her home domain.
Thanks for the talk about instrument insurance.I realized shes still on a rider on our policy but no longer a resident in our state. Better get that changed!</p>
<p>Not a real one, but we have a couple of digeridoos assembled from $10 or so worth of Home Depot plumbing parts. The sound is not bad for a length of 3" PVC pipe.</p>
<p>I forgot about our “Cacophone.” S1’s high school physics class required each student to create a musical instrument and play “Mary had a little lamb” on it. S’s is a version of a washtub: wooden sound box with f holes, with long hinged pole, and guitar string attached. Moving the pole slightly lengthens and shortens the string. It is actually quite playable.</p>
<p>H’s dream is to make musical instruments. He has made two very nice psaltery’s (bowed) and is working on a mandolin. An instrument in progress takes up a lot more room than a finished one! But at least it’s in the basement.</p>
<p>cathymee- My son is stll mad at his sister for not bringing back an authentic digeradoo when she travelled to Australia. He wanted an original, not a mass produced, mass market tourist souvenir. </p>
<p>He did all the research for her, told her where to look and in what towns.</p>
<p>She did look, but decided against the hassle of bringing one back as luggage.</p>
<p>In hindshight, she should have had it packed and shipped seperately.</p>
<p>We don’t give away books or instruments. Yes, my house is cluttered. We have two pianos (one is going to my sister…I hope), all of my son’s trumpets (a lot…he used to be into conversions…we also have trumpet pieces lying around amidst forty thousand mouth pieces and thirty gallons of valve oil), four violins, one electric violin, five bows, one viola, one drum pad set, a snare drum, drum sticks, an electric keyboard and a partridge in a pear tree. We have no living room…it is a working music room. Guests sit on the floor (I don’t have any decent furniture…just decent instruments…)</p>
<p>This is interesting to think about. Let’s see: 3 kids, one musician. One piano, two keyboards, 3 saxophones, 1 clarinet, 2 flutes–an undetermined amount of saxophone mouthpiece that they probably add up to the cost of another saxophone, two guitars and a trombone. Then there’s a bunch of electronic stuff–drum machines and mixers and stuff I don’t know anything about. It’s a pretty crazy list.</p>
<p>Ya’ll mke me feel much better…no basses, no drum sets, no pianos- I’m really much more fortunate (regarding space) than I had realized. thanks everyone!</p>
<p>With only 3 kids playing we have:</p>
<p>a flute
a clarinet
an alto, tenor & bar sax (bari is not ours, but my D has yet to return it to someone)
a guitar
2 French Horns (Conns) + a 3rd this summer
2 bassoons (Fox & Heckel)
1/10, 1/8, 1/4 & 1/2 size cellos (my youngest just made it up to 1/2 cello)
a full size cello
5 music stands!
and reed making tools galore
…</p>
<p>and now my husband is thinking of taking up his 1st instrument ever- a bass</p>
<p>I’ve been thinking about cleaning house. How do you rationalize 5 cellos, even if some of them are sooo tiny? They all remind me of great moments-that’s how I do it. What about ya’ll?</p>
<p>team_mom- One way we’ve been able to rationalize lightening the instrument storage load is by donating the student quality instruments to local youth symphonies or schools.</p>
<p>Many of the kids there don’t have adequate instruments to begin with, and the organizations are happy to have a useable instrument (or bow, or case) to recirculate.</p>
<p>It keeps the music going so to speak.</p>
<p>If H is handy, consider what I did… I made a lamp out of son’s first viola. You can convert almost any instrument.</p>
<p>…they have to get rid of one of the old ones!</p>
<p>With all the “stuff” we have, there are only doubles on primary instruments and the purchase or acquisition of any additional over “two” required the retirement / sale / give away of one. The only exception is that DD has 3 Bb clarients, her primary instrument. Two are wooden professional ones and the third is a plastic one for any outdoors engagements that may present climatic conditions detrimental to her more expensive ones. </p>
<p>When we got her her newest wood clarinet, she did have to part with her first ever, a wooden student model. It was definately traumatic for her. I was accused of making her sell her first-born…</p>
<p>My kids have a max of 2 of any instrument, the second being in case of a temporary problem with the primary instrument.</p>
<p>It’s me that has a problem getting rid of those tiny cellos. He was so little when he played them…OK, Imperial leader, I’ll get tougher with myself!</p>
<p>Great thread musicmom! Since my son also plays tuba, I am dying to know how much a decent F tuba costs. I will be paying on the C horn for quite awhile yet. </p>
<p>Our house holds:
1 piano, 1 acoustic guitar, 2 electric guitars, 1 bass guitar, some percussion practice pads and sticks, 1 harmonica,2 violins, recorders aplenty, and the big C tuba. Mouthpiece count is getting up there too. Son would like to acquire a bass t-bone as well. A modest list compared to some of you guys, enough to keep DS and sibs busy though.</p>
<p>momnipotent-
Ahhhh, the F tuba. This acquisition was like most things at our house, a very crooked path. Last summer, son convinced us that he was seriously pursuing this tuba thing and would need an F to go with his C ‘sometime soon’. We (fortunately?) have one of the best sources for brass instruments, new and used, a few counties away from us in central NJ. Son has been visiting this place since 6th grade and now sometimes just goes to play the inventory and/or buy another mouthpiece.
So, he decides on a lovely new Miraphone (181?), scrapes together his pennies, which we supplement, and brings it home. $5700.</p>
<p>Plays it all through this past junior year at college and returns home this past May.
“Thinking about selling my F horn” casually, he says. I’m less than thrilled, knowing he will not realize the purchase price on resale.
No big deal, he says. He lists the Miraphone on a tuba website, locates a grad student in Michigan who drives to NJ and buys the horn for a decent price.
Son, within weeks, locates the current F tuba (used Meinl Wesson) and has sufficient $$$ to pay cash with a bit left over.<br>
PRETTY sure this F will stay around awhile…he’s been playing it constantly and happily.</p>
<p>Do you have any used sources by you? Except that first F horn, we have done well with used instruments. Craigslist, Ebay are options too.
I’m just happy that F tubas are SMALLER than C tubas.</p>
<p>We got the C tuba by word of mouth from a doctoral student at U of Mich. DDs boyfriend happens to run cross country up there so he carted it home over last Christmas break and DS fell in love. DSs private teacher knew the previous owner and the horn was in mint condition (only 4 years old). There are virtually no resources locally for used horns of this size. </p>
<p>DS did take a private lesson from the tuba prof at Juilliard while we were visiting in Baltimore. This prof owns the Baltimore Brass Co. which had a great selection of horns…that we are not yet capable of purchasing. I am still recovering from the sticker shock on the C horn.</p>
<p>Just a thought for those with extraneous instruments (and before you all start beating me up, cause I know firsthand that removing ANY instrument, played or not, from a household with even a semi-serious musician is harder than walking on water) consider donating.</p>
<p>Local youth symphonies and public schools are often in serious need of additional instruments.</p>
<p>Many YO’s have outreach programs and reduced or free tuition for talented lower income kids. Most of these kids are playing on poor quality instruments, with limited resources to permit upgrade.</p>
<p>Many public schools, even those with strong music programs, have few if any back-up instruments. In tight budget times, the music and arts programs are quite often the first to suffer. </p>