The generous gift we haven't received - update #33

[Coley]

Yes, I'm curious to see what might happen with DS's playing if he has a new horn. He does remarkably well with this old horn. He works hard with the horn he has, and he's proud of it because it's his, you know? He never complains about it. When we first started talking about different horns, he kept saying, "But I like my horn." That's how he is. I've wondered, if he played another horn, would he be surprised to find it's easier to play? He might be.

Thanks again for the input!

[MommyPenguin]

My husband has worked as a professional musician, and he's always a fan of buying an instrument that you can grow into.  That doesn't mean buying a professional-level instrument for a kid who is just starting out, but if a kid has been playing the instrument for a while and knows they want to stick with it, and they aren't at an age where they are using a smaller version they will grow out of (our little ones play the violin and that's the case with them), buy at least a good intermediate level instrument, maybe upper intermediate.  If you can, at least.

[MurPl1]

DH played sax in HS, but I've never heard him play.  So a few years ago I rented him one at BrookMays.  It had a three year rent to own contract.  But we had the option of turning it in anytime in that three years.  We kept it for about a year and a half.  Turns out that I rented an alto and he played a tenor sax - my musical knowledge is less than squat.  He actually could have traded it for the right one, but never got around to it and kept working with the alto.

[Coley]

Oh, the irony ...

Over the weekend, we went to several local music stores to see about French horns. One shop happened to have a used, intermediate horn in good condition. DS tried it out and liked it, so we bought it.

And then I got the PM this morning from my relative telling me that she has sent her French horn. So, it looks like DS will have two. Oh well. The silver lining is that he'll have one for home and one for school. He'll always have a back-up in case one needs repair.

[cwm]

YAY for new French Horns! Even if they're used, it's amazing what a difference a quality horn makes. That's what I played all through high school and college, and when I had a chance with my job (at a music store) to take one home for a week to try it before I bought it, it was a no brainer at all. That intermediate one lasted through college (wasn't a performance major, but still played through it all) and was absolutely amazing. I know several people who still had spares sitting around because you never know when you're going to need to get something fixed. If the valves suddenly sieze up for no reason (faulty oil) it's nice to know that you can still play/perform.

I didn't keep my first horn, I sold it to pay for the new one and only had about a $400 balance. And anyone who's bought a french horn will realize that that a $400 intermediate horn is an amazing buy and can't be passed up. At all.

[TootsNYC]

Oh, the irony ...

Over the weekend, we went to several local music stores to see about French horns. One shop happened to have a used, intermediate horn in good condition. DS tried it out and liked it, so we bought it.

And then I got the PM this morning from my relative telling me that she has sent her French horn. So, it looks like DS will have two. Oh well. The silver lining is that he'll have one for home and one for school. He'll always have a back-up in case one needs repair.

Not to indulge in magical thinking, but that sounds like cause and effect to me!

Happy horn playing to DS.

[Coley]

Oh, the irony ...

Over the weekend, we went to several local music stores to see about French horns. One shop happened to have a used, intermediate horn in good condition. DS tried it out and liked it, so we bought it.

And then I got the PM this morning from my relative telling me that she has sent her French horn. So, it looks like DS will have two. Oh well. The silver lining is that he'll have one for home and one for school. He'll always have a back-up in case one needs repair.

Not to indulge in magical thinking, but that sounds like cause and effect to me!

Happy horn playing to DS.

LOL ... That's what I was thinking! Thanks. 

[Coley]

YAY for new French Horns! Even if they're used, it's amazing what a difference a quality horn makes. That's what I played all through high school and college, and when I had a chance with my job (at a music store) to take one home for a week to try it before I bought it, it was a no brainer at all. That intermediate one lasted through college (wasn't a performance major, but still played through it all) and was absolutely amazing. I know several people who still had spares sitting around because you never know when you're going to need to get something fixed. If the valves suddenly sieze up for no reason (faulty oil) it's nice to know that you can still play/perform.

I didn't keep my first horn, I sold it to pay for the new one and only had about a $400 balance. And anyone who's bought a french horn will realize that that a $400 intermediate horn is an amazing buy and can't be passed up. At all.

$400?! Wow. That is an amazing buy. The horn we bought was used by a woman who played it through college. It's probably good for us to have a spare.

[Sophia]

In high school I knew a girl who was a major Cello player.  Someone in band smashed her Cello right before her Julliard audition.  They got her a new one, but it took awhile to "feel" right.  Plus, her parents weren't rich. 

[PastryGoddess]

Thanks, everyone, for the input. My initial question was whether I should prompt this relative of mine about the horn she offered. From the responses, it sounds like the consensus on that is "no." It would be better to purchase a horn on our own.

I've been researching instruments off and on for a while now. This is a French horn, which is a big investment even for an intermediate-level instrument. We got very lucky with DS's current horn as a beginner instrument. We wanted to see how it went the first year with DS's interest level. He's feeling committed at this point, and given the condition of his horn, it's time for another option that will serve him in the long term. My relative's offer came at the right time, but I can't hold off on buying a horn for DS to wait for hers. Perhaps she will eventually follow through.

FWIW, I was a kid who played a school instrument -- the bassoon. Bassoons are very expensive, so there was no expectation that parents would buy or even rent them when I was in school. My high school had a few loaner bassoons -- two were good quality and the rest were older and not in as good repair. I got one of the good bassoons, and it had a big influence on my desire to keep playing. I loved it and played all the way through high school. After high school, I stopped playing for one simple reason: I didn't own a bassoon. I had a classmate who was assigned one of the lower-quality bassoons from the high school. She had a terrible experience and struggled with learning to play it. I don't want to put DS through that.

*waves*  Hello fellow double reed player.  I played the oboe throughout high school

[Coley]

Thanks, everyone, for the input. My initial question was whether I should prompt this relative of mine about the horn she offered. From the responses, it sounds like the consensus on that is "no." It would be better to purchase a horn on our own.

I've been researching instruments off and on for a while now. This is a French horn, which is a big investment even for an intermediate-level instrument. We got very lucky with DS's current horn as a beginner instrument. We wanted to see how it went the first year with DS's interest level. He's feeling committed at this point, and given the condition of his horn, it's time for another option that will serve him in the long term. My relative's offer came at the right time, but I can't hold off on buying a horn for DS to wait for hers. Perhaps she will eventually follow through.

FWIW, I was a kid who played a school instrument -- the bassoon. Bassoons are very expensive, so there was no expectation that parents would buy or even rent them when I was in school. My high school had a few loaner bassoons -- two were good quality and the rest were older and not in as good repair. I got one of the good bassoons, and it had a big influence on my desire to keep playing. I loved it and played all the way through high school. After high school, I stopped playing for one simple reason: I didn't own a bassoon. I had a classmate who was assigned one of the lower-quality bassoons from the high school. She had a terrible experience and struggled with learning to play it. I don't want to put DS through that.

*waves*  Hello fellow double reed player.  I played the oboe throughout high school

Aw ... Another double reed player!  Do you miss it? I do.

[PastryGoddess]

Thanks, everyone, for the input. My initial question was whether I should prompt this relative of mine about the horn she offered. From the responses, it sounds like the consensus on that is "no." It would be better to purchase a horn on our own.

I've been researching instruments off and on for a while now. This is a French horn, which is a big investment even for an intermediate-level instrument. We got very lucky with DS's current horn as a beginner instrument. We wanted to see how it went the first year with DS's interest level. He's feeling committed at this point, and given the condition of his horn, it's time for another option that will serve him in the long term. My relative's offer came at the right time, but I can't hold off on buying a horn for DS to wait for hers. Perhaps she will eventually follow through.

FWIW, I was a kid who played a school instrument -- the bassoon. Bassoons are very expensive, so there was no expectation that parents would buy or even rent them when I was in school. My high school had a few loaner bassoons -- two were good quality and the rest were older and not in as good repair. I got one of the good bassoons, and it had a big influence on my desire to keep playing. I loved it and played all the way through high school. After high school, I stopped playing for one simple reason: I didn't own a bassoon. I had a classmate who was assigned one of the lower-quality bassoons from the high school. She had a terrible experience and struggled with learning to play it. I don't want to put DS through that.

*waves*  Hello fellow double reed player.  I played the oboe throughout high school

Aw ... Another double reed player!  Do you miss it? I do.

surprisingly I do. 

[Kaymyth]

Thanks, everyone, for the input. My initial question was whether I should prompt this relative of mine about the horn she offered. From the responses, it sounds like the consensus on that is "no." It would be better to purchase a horn on our own.

I've been researching instruments off and on for a while now. This is a French horn, which is a big investment even for an intermediate-level instrument. We got very lucky with DS's current horn as a beginner instrument. We wanted to see how it went the first year with DS's interest level. He's feeling committed at this point, and given the condition of his horn, it's time for another option that will serve him in the long term. My relative's offer came at the right time, but I can't hold off on buying a horn for DS to wait for hers. Perhaps she will eventually follow through.

FWIW, I was a kid who played a school instrument -- the bassoon. Bassoons are very expensive, so there was no expectation that parents would buy or even rent them when I was in school. My high school had a few loaner bassoons -- two were good quality and the rest were older and not in as good repair. I got one of the good bassoons, and it had a big influence on my desire to keep playing. I loved it and played all the way through high school. After high school, I stopped playing for one simple reason: I didn't own a bassoon. I had a classmate who was assigned one of the lower-quality bassoons from the high school. She had a terrible experience and struggled with learning to play it. I don't want to put DS through that.

*waves*  Hello fellow double reed player.  I played the oboe throughout high school

Aw ... Another double reed player!  Do you miss it? I do.

surprisingly I do. 

There seem to be quite a few of us.  I do still get to play my oboe (and flute and Irish whistle) in a local Celtic band, so I am not completely deprived.

[Nikko-chan]

In high school I knew a girl who was a major Cello player.  Someone in band smashed her Cello right before her Julliard audition.  They got her a new one, but it took awhile to "feel" right.  Plus, her parents weren't rich.

Like, smashed as in deliberately broke the instrument?

[Sophia]

In high school I knew a girl who was a major Cello player.  Someone in band smashed her Cello right before her Julliard audition.  They got her a new one, but it took awhile to "feel" right.  Plus, her parents weren't rich.

Like, smashed as in deliberately broke the instrument?

Yes, in a jealous fit.  Although, they didn't know who did it.  It was stored in the band room, and then it was kindling.