Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Weril 980 4/4 4-piston BBb comments/pics


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Posted by js on October 31, 2001 at 23:22:36:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Weril 980 4/4 4-piston BBb comments/pics posted by Jeff Hicks on October 31, 2001 at 21:48:06:

As a taxpayer, frankly I resent schools buying "highest-grade" horns to pass out to kids to use for "free" when other kids or their parents bust their bottoms to buy such instruments while trying to pay property taxes to buy the "free" horns for other kids who arbitrarily get to use them.

Further, if a kid gets handed the use of a school-owned Bach Stradivarius trumpet/trombone, Conn 8D French horn, Willson euphonium, Miraphone-186/Meinl Weston-25 tuba, Selmer Paris Saxophone, etc., etc., what is the incentive for these kids to impress their parents with their achievements and get their OWN instruments? The idea that "top-grade" instruments are not to be respected but rather that they are nothing but disposable pieces of (soon to be torn-up) cr*p will be encouraged.

I think that schools should try to acquire most-for-the-money instruments: perhaps very fine brands such as Blessing trumpets and trombones (if indeed the school supplies these instruments at all), Holton (379) horns, Weril low brass, top-end Taiwan saxophones (Antigua Winds - superb copy of Selmer, Paris), etc., etc., and try to respect the money that taxpayers sacrifice for the use of others. If individual kids or their parents have the desire to use even better equipment, they should certainly go shopping for it, using the money that the county DIDN'T confiscate from them to waste on "top-end" instruments that would be abused and destroyed by non-appreciative/non-owning/non-paying/users.

I'm all for bands being outfitted with "top-quality" instruments, as long as this is done with private funding. Otherwise, carefully shopped for most-for-the-money instruments are in order.


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