Klarinet Archive - Posting 000813.txt from 2004/07

From: "Christy" <perickso@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] First Act Stuff? i.e. The WalMart.
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2004 09:36:43 -0400

Warren said, "For a
> beginning student, what choices from an equivalent price point, can they
> make? Used? Probably nothing.

Warren, Your lack of knowledge about the musical instrument industry is
showing. It's common knowledge that most beginning clarinet students (or
beginners on any instrument) start with a good student quality rental
instrument. Around here, the cost is about $15 a month. If the kid likes
the instrument and sticks with it, the parent can purchase the instrument
and the rental fees apply to the purchase of that instrument or the purchase
of a "step-up" instrument. It would really be less costly for a parent to
go this route than to go to Wal-Mart and pay the $175 for the piece of junk
that is not repairable, not tuned properly, etc... The trouble is, the
average unsuspecting parent who thinks they may save a buck or two by
purchasing one of these instruments doesn't know that if something goes
wrong with it, there is no one who has the parts to fix it and they'll need
another instrument. In the meantime, the kid's musical ear is not
developing properly and they are frustrated as heck if they have any musical
sense at all, due to the fact that they can't produce the sound that other
players are getting on their properly maintained rental instruments that can
easily be traded in or returned to the store. The First Act instruments may
be returned to the store but I wonder how long Wal-Mart will allow their
customers to keep and use a purchase before they run out of time to return
it for a full refund. If you knew anything at all about clarinets, or
played on one of these instruments, you would know these instruments are a
VERY bad purchase for that money.
In case of someone on a low budget, many of us who are teachers have
given reduced rates or bartered for services from parents so the kids can
get music lessons. There are also programs such as Music Link available
that give scholarships to needy students who wish to take private music
lessons. The kids do, generally speaking, get free music lessons in the
schools from the band directors and some school districts also have piano
teachers giving free group lessons in the school.
My own college education was certainly not free but I did have a great
deal of help in the form of grants, scholarships and low interest rate loans
(3% at that time). Unfortunately, it is becoming more difficult for kids
today to obtain financial aid due to budget cuts. I really think that what
stores like Wal-Mart need to learn is that customers are discovering that
they like some customer service and product support when they purchase
something and this is what stores like Wal-Mart don't do a good job of
providing. I think people have a bit more financial savvy than you seem to
give them credit for and most recognize that quite often you don't save
anything by making the lowest price purchase. There is something to be
said for making a purchase from a specialty store rather than a discount
store like Wal-Mart. At the rate Wal-Mart is going, however, with the
discrimination lawsuits, etc..., they won't be able to keep those prices as
low as they do for long. Their practices and policies will return to haunt
them and that process is already happening. I know quite a few who will not
make purchases at Wal-Mart anymore. Christy

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