Growing Brass Pathways
More to start: fewer to quit.
This has been a quiet mantra that has resonated with school music dealers for decades. While there have been many great activities to encourage and fund band programs in America’s schools, the growth of band has been spotty at best. Consolidation at both the manufacturing and retailing levels of school music services points to demand that simply follows the decrease in school populations.
This is not just a U.S. phenomenon. In the United Kingdom, where brass bands dominate the musical landscape, the trombone, for example, was named an “endangered species”. By extension, all low brass was threatened.
One music store has helped turn this challenging problem around with a simple and engaging solution. Cole’s Music, a school music dealer in Sewell, New Jersey saw the impact directly.
LauraLee Houghton who, together with her father, owns Coles Music and their general manager, Russ Coleman, comment on the idea of including pInstruments as part of their beginning rental program.
Russ Coleman discusses the initial idea of renting pBones from Coles Music.
The Challenges of Beginning Brass
The trombone is the heaviest and most awkward of the standard rental instruments to hold, especially for a child. The trumpet is not far behind.
With the average weight of a tenor trombone at about seven pounds, the instrument is a challenge to balance for any beginner. An average sixth grader is about half the of a full-grown adult, doubling the effective weight to about 14 pounds.
The beginning trumpet student has similar issues. Compared to relative size, the “adult conversion” of a 6th grade trumpet experience extends the trumpet length over 14% and accounts for the need for greater arm extension. The weight of the trumpet doubles as well putting additional stress and strain on young arms.
Of course, the original designs of both instruments were made for an adult player. Add a hardshell case (another three-plus pounds) – just getting the instruments back and forth from the locker could constitute success!
Hear about the practical benefits of using pBone in the classroom.
A Better Pathway to Brass
When directors recognize the inherent problem of trombones from the child’s perspective, pInstruments can be the natural first step. Providing a lighter weight, less awkward trumpet and trombone experience AND removing the inevitable damage that a beginner can cause on a metal instrument make starting on the pTrumpet and pBone, for the first few weeks, a very appropriate decision.
Both band directors and Cole’s Music saw the importance of moving the students to metal instruments at the right time. They also decided to use the transition as motivation and reward for hitting certain targets.
“One director decided that on page 15 of the book, the students would receive the brass mouthpiece,” said Russ. This immediately helped their sound develop even more. Other players saw the reward and wanted it as well. Progress was sure and steady. In a few weeks, players received their metal instrument and another musical growth spurt occurred.”
"We have about thirty schools using the pInstruments. And we have found that those who start them out on the pBones have a higher percentage of trombones in their beginning band classes."
From Renting to Subscribing
Renting a plaxtic instrument? That’s not really the issue. The cost of the learning path to the parents is still the same. Cole’s initial trial period is four months. All payments go towards the purchase of the metal instrument and the parents accrue that rental payment from day one.
Transitioning from a pBone or pTrumpet to a brass instrumentcan be seen more like a subscription service than a rental. That “subscription” concept could easily include a step-up instrument down the road. But the student must enjoy that initial experience first.
The band world moves slowly. Radical ideas are not the norm, yet dropouts are. As we continue to focus on “more to start, fewer to quit,” out-of-the-box ideas can yield tremendous results.
pInstruments provide important solutions to growing band programs with authentic, affordable beginner instruments.
Watch the full interview with Coles Music.