August 09, 2024
How Music & Arts Rentals Work for You
To meet the needs of young student musicians and their families, our rentals program offers outstanding flexibility. Here’s how we can help your child through their early music education.
When we talk about your child joining their school band or orchestra as the start of a musical journey, we mean it! They’re embarking on a profound, hopefully lifelong experience in the arts that will include plenty of triumphs along with challenges and detours.
After your child has settled on a rental instrument through Music & Arts, they’ll likely have questions about it down the road. Fortunately, our rental program was built to accommodate pretty much any situation your child will encounter—from indecision and instrument maintenance to feeling that they’ve progressed beyond their current instrument.
In this article, we’ll discuss how our rentals program can address the common concerns your child might have with their instrument as they make their way in band and orchestra. For more on the advantages of renting an instrument through Music & Arts, check out our comprehensive guide Renting vs. Purchasing: Pros and Cons.
“I don’t like my instrument as much as I thought I would. I want to try a different one.”
Instrument exchanges are free! If, for example, your child started on trumpet but wants to join their friends in the saxophone section, you can make an exchange at any point during your rental contract, without penalty.
Further, our policy that allows your rental payments to count toward an instrument purchase will remain in effect. The payments you made renting your child’s trumpet, for instance, will still count toward ownership of a saxophone.
If your child chooses a new rental instrument in a different price tier than their previous one, your rental rate will adjust in time for the next billing cycle.
“I’m getting too good [or big] for this instrument. I think it’s slowing down my progress.”
Music & Arts has several generous options for students who want to upgrade their instrument. To start, sometimes additional models of your child’s instrument, including models made by other brands, are available as part of our rental program. To see if that’s an option, just stop by one of our 500-plus Music & Arts stores and affiliate locations, or inquire with your band and orchestra director. You can also call our Contact Center at 888.731.5396, or ask your school’s Educational Representative what upgrades are available.
Our upgrades program is designed to guide your child seamlessly through the various stages of their music education.
If your child is interested in exploring intermediate- and professional-quality instruments, check out special Music & Arts events like Upgrade Your Sound. Held throughout the year at Music & Arts stores and other locations, these showcases allow your child to try out a wide range of top-quality, educator-approved instruments, with experts at the ready to field any questions you have.
And remember: Your rental payments will count toward the purchase of a new, upgraded instrument that is part of our rentals program—not to mention Music & Arts offers like 0% interest for 24 months and our 30-day price-match guarantee.
Ultimately, our upgrades program is designed to guide your child seamlessly through the various stages of their music education. So if your child began on an instrument made specifically to accommodate very young musicians—for example, a flute with a curved headjoint, or a child-sized string instrument—they’ll be able to upsize as they grow and improve.
“I don’t think my instrument is working properly. Something sounds or feels off.”
If your child’s instrument seems to be malfunctioning, consult their band and orchestra director or bring it into your local Music & Arts. We highly recommend you take advantage of our Liability Damage Waiver, an affordable monthly add-on that covers repairs and regular maintenance performed by our expert technicians. Part of learning to play an instrument is learning how to carry and maintain it properly, and with young student musicians, mistakes will happen. When they do, you’ll want solid coverage that’s already part of your low monthly payment. Without it, individual repairs can cost hundreds of dollars.
Our rental program was built to accommodate pretty much any situation your child will encounter.
Just note that the cost of most general accessories, like strings for orchestral instruments or valve oil for trumpets, isn’t included in a maintenance plan. Your local Music & Arts can certainly help with string changes and other basic maintenance tasks, but you’ll need to purchase the accessories.
“I’m having more fun in art class, theater or sports. I don’t want to play my instrument anymore.”
We hope that every child’s musical experience will continue on for decades, but we get it—interests change, and sometimes band or orchestra just isn’t their thing. Thankfully for parents, our rental contracts are month to month, with no long-term commitment, and instrument return can be handled in a variety of no-hassle ways. If you rented through one of our stores or affiliate locations, stop by and drop your instrument off. Your school’s Educational Representative can pick it up, or you can ship it back to us direct.
And as soon as your child is ready to give band and orchestra another shot, we’ll be ready to assist!
