 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2007-10-22 20:39
I saw an ad on craigslist asking for a clarinet, flute, or keyboard for their childs music class.
i have a student model clarinet i offered this guy and he said his child is 11 and so far his grade is an incomplete because he doesnt have the instrument to play.
does it make sense that a child playing in elementary band would join without an instrument? or does it make sense that they would make kids learn clarinet, flute or keyboard in a general music class?
something just doesnt sit right with this.
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2007-10-22 20:41
so i just got an email stating its "a required music class right know he has a incomplete"
ive never heard of making a child learn an instrument in a regular music class. except recorder.
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2007-10-22 20:49
-- "ive never heard of making a child learn an instrument in a regular music class. except recorder." --
Well, only where the school provides the instruments. Probably a good idea. I think whole generations have been put off the recorder because of memories of being forced to learn it at school.
Steve
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-10-23 01:28
Schools can not require the purchace of expensive things like instruments. This is one reason that recorder is used- it's less than $10 in many places.
It's craigslist so it sounds like a hussle to me.
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Author: ohsuzan
Date: 2007-10-23 03:09
Yeah, Janlynn. This whole thing smells of Nigerian inheritance scam. Next thing you know, he'll be wanting to send you a check for 150% of the purchase price, and have you "refund" him the overage.
Be careful!
Susan
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-10-23 04:08
"This whole thing smells of Nigerian inheritance scam."-
I have seen things like this before and it goes more like this. A- "I don't have much money but I want my kid to have a chance to learn music." B- "No problem. I have an old clarinet [that would only get $50 on ebay anyway]. I'll send it to you out of the kindness of my hart to help a child." A- [with tears in eyes] "Thank you so much you kind person. ... Now on to ebay. Yeah! 40 bucks!!" {repeat 20 times with various items and you have gas money for the month}
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2007-10-23 12:17
hmmmmm - he said he would pick it up and told me where he lived (in my state) but something still feels off. i had offered it for $50 and got a sob story so said if he drove out to pick it up he could have it. this morning i have asked him what school requires him to buy such an expensive instrument. awaiting the reply.
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2007-10-23 13:20
Sob story huh? well that's really close to 'tears in eyes'.
I'd steer clear of this one. There is no such public school that can require an instrument. Most, if not all, public schools have regulations that require that supplies can be purchaced for under a certain amount. This allows children from low income families to have the same chances as everone else. This guy is lying. If he gives you the name of a school then call there and ask if they have music classes that require instruments.
Some schools' music students must rent or buy instruments but this is for electives, not required classes.
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2007-10-23 13:42
here is the reply i got when i asked him what school required and instrument...
"well we can buy or rent and we dont have the money.. my son wants to play it so he can join band later on.. actually the music teacher gave him a hard time because he hasnt had it on time.. its charlton.."
so, im confused as to whether this is an elective (band later on) or required (music teacher says he hasnt had it on time)?
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2007-10-23 13:50
additional email - "he is in a music class it is a required class if he dont get an instrument he has to go to chorus wich he does not want to go"
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2007-10-23 14:23
skygardener - thank you. i almost fell for this. as soon as i asked for the name of the school and the music teacher the emails stopped. omg - i almost invited him to my home. who knows what could had happened. it may not even be a "clarinet" scam - it might be a way into someones home. of course he doesnt know im single and live alone, but still.......
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2007-10-23 15:07
ooops - turns out, the guy was telling the truth. provided name and # of the school. however, this is not a required class. if they dont have an instrument, then they have to take basic music and sing and the child did not want to do that.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2007-10-23 15:48
If you keep your own interests in mind, you should be safe.
No reason exists that your profit should suffer - schools will routinely accept donations that may be applied against tax.
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Author: FDF
Date: 2007-10-23 23:59
Call the school and talk to the Principal and the child's teacher. Tell them you'd like to know if this is a legitimate practice, if so you don't mind donating your instrument. It is probably worth a tax contribution to charity. If all sound right to you, wouldn' it be nice to talk to the child and see if he/she would like to play clarinet.
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Author: bahamutofskycon
Date: 2007-10-24 15:45
To add to Synonymous Botch and FDF - I would call the principal to see if they would accept the donation of the clarinet directly to the school. Add the stipulation that your intent is that the particular student would get to use your donated instrument for now.
If the student doesn't stick with it he'd have to return it to the school. Then the school would still have the clarinet for other students in need. And you'd have the piece of mind that the instrument you donated out of the kindness of your heart wasn't sitting in the student's basement gathering dust.
My thought is that this may be a better long term solution for your charity.
Steve Ballas
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