Klarinet Archive - Posting 000455.txt from 2004/02

From: "Krelove, Karl" <kkrelove@-----.k12.pa.us>
Subj: Re: [kl] Costco Clarinets!!!
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 2004 11:56:20 -0500

Although many of the parents who buy these instruments are truly unaware =
of the problems they're setting up for their children. SOME are looking =
for the cheapest way to discourage the child's interest without having =
to say "No" outright. The parents who are actually unaware, in my =
experience, are usually receptive to the suggestion that the instrument =
is an impediment and they should try to get something better.=20
This isn't a new phenomenon. I had a student almost thirty years ago =
come to a lesson with a new Bee flute her parents had bought. It was =
very inexpensive - much cheaper than the rentals our regular vendor =
supplied. She couldn't get a sound to save her life, and neither could =
I. I could see most of the keys were not covering completely. On looking =
more closely, I realized the whole flute was arced (curved) ever so =
slightly from one end to the other so none of the pads had a real shot =
at coming down level to the seat. The original vendor didn't offer =
service (it's 30 years ago - I forget some of the details, like why =
service wasn't available) so we sent it in to the store that supplied =
our rentals. They sent it back untouched and said they wouldn't even =
attempt to fix it. This isn't Costco, nor is it contemporary.
This leads me to a comment about shops not accepting these instruments =
for repair. It's true that they probably *can't* be fixed, and repair =
techs shouldn't be wasting their time trying to fix them. But they need =
to be very careful how they word the rejection. As a young (and fairly =
hot-headed) teacher, my reaction to the shop's message about the Bee =
flute was to think them snobbish and only interested in selling their =
(more expensive) instruments. I should probably have known better, even =
at the age of 20-something, but if as a music teacher, however =
inexperienced, I reacted badly to the message (which was not at all =
diplomatic in its wording - you could basically hear them snickering =
between the words), I can't imagine any better a result from a parent =
who knows less about the problem than I did (than we do). The shop guys =
(or customer reps) need to be very careful that they explain the =
problems with the instrument factually and don't project an "attitude" =
to the parent. Parts that cannot be gotten, keys that melt if you try to =
solder them or break if you try to bend them into place, pads that can't =
be seated with any reasonable amount of effort will all resonate with a =
concerned parent (never mind the one who just wants to discourage the =
kid without looking bad - that one's probably hopeless in any case).=20
Karl Krelove

> These Chinese junk horns are putting a real crimp on the legitimate =
band=20
> instrument business. As a School Services Representative (roadman), I =
see=20
> so many shiny new First Act, Simba, Harmony, etc. instruments out =
there in=20
> the hands of young children who don't know any better, and will soon =
become=20
> frustrated and quit band because they cannot play, thinking it is =
THEIR=20
> fault. How are they to know that BENNY GOODMAN could not have made one =
of=20
> those things play! We are trying to institute a policy of not =
accepting=20
> them for repair, since parts cannot be obtained, keys melt if you try =
to=20
> solder them, etc. "Take it back to Sam's Club/Wal-mart/Costco/Penney's =

> where you got it."

> Bill Hausmann

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