Trumpet questions, yet again

NYMomof2
Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:11:51 +0000

My 9-year-old son started daily trumpet lessons this summer in a 3-week program at a very good music school. The first trumpet we rented was a disaster; the valves kept breaking and I finally rented another trumpet from a a different store. This one, a Jupiter, was much better and my son’s playing immediately improved. Now he is taking group lessons at school once a week. The Jupiter rental was for a 5-month period which is about to end. I rented another trumpet for the school year from a very well regarded music store (we are now on the 3rd store) that has a contract with the school. Their rental costs are much less than the store that rented us the Jupiter, they deliver to the school, their trumpet is in a very lightweight case (the Jupiter’s case is so heavy that my son can barely carry it). I’d rather deal with them.

My son has been complaining about the new trumpet. At first I didn’t take him seriously. He hates change of any kind. But his complaints have persisted, and he says that the new trumpet hurts his mouth. The mouthpieces look the same to me, but he says that it hurts to blow into it. The new trumpet is a Hunter. Any advice? Should I ask the 3rd music store for a different trumpet? I’m wondering whether we got one of their worst ones, because I arranged the rental very late. I don’t mind paying more to keep the Jupiter, but I’d prefer to work with the new store if possible.

Thanks!