MI Pro

In years gone by, music just didn’t cut the mustard for some schools. For some of us a token recorder or perhaps the odd triangle and a tone-deaf maths teacher filling in for an hour was as good as it got. Thankfully, now that we all live in the 21st century, music is seen not as a legitimate way to catch up on a nap for an hour, but as a vital part of a well-rounded education.

Most schools have not only choirs, but some sort of orchestra, perhaps a jazz band and certainly a full-blooded approach to the musical way of life.

Some educational establishments have even embraced that most unruly of beasts, rock n roll and have invested in enough kit to allow students to form bands and perform for their peers, teachers and families.

With all this in mind – and as the summer break grows shorter by the day – it’s time for schools across the country to start thinking about what they can find in the way of musical rentals.

A potentially lucrative area of the market, schools can provide an awful lot of business in these tough times – something that retailers yet to jump on the scholastic bandwagon would do well to recognise. Even the smallest bit of help given to a local comprehensive can lead to a steady flow of uniformed customers and the potential of regular large-scale rentals.

So, with the writing on the blackboard, let’s open our books at the appropriate chapter and find out what the market has to offer the bright young minds of tomorrow…
Soundpost

Soundpost is a distie that has been especially thorough in its approach to the schools market, with each of its instruments tested against guidelines issued by the Department for Children, Schools and Families and administered by the Federation of Music Services in association with the MIA.

Its Primavera family of bowed string instruments fulfils all of the criteria set out in the guidelines, ticking all of the boxes for music education instrument procurement, but also delivering the quality and reliability that hire instruments need to be able to provide.

For rental instruments, the objective is durability to ensure that retail suppliers get the maximum life and, therefore, rental return after the initial purchase price has been covered. Soundpost is particularly proud of the fact that there are Primavera instruments out there in regular hire use which are older than the students playing them.

The award-winning Prima 200 violin, the Prima 200 viola and all Prima cellos and double basses feature ebony fingerboards, and are incredibly consistent performers in the rental market.

JHS & Co
As you might expect from one of the biggest and broadest distributors on the market, JHS has got plenty to offer in
this area.

Antoni strings remain a strong seller and a popular brand for beginners on the look-out for their first step into the weird and wonderful world of the school orchestra. Antoni is a name that has become synonymous with excellent quality, ready-to-play and importantly – for parents on a tight budget – affordable string instruments.

Available in sizes from eight to full-size in violins, the Debut range aims to cater to students who want an easy-to-play and reliable first instrument. Cellos and double basses can also be found in the Debut range, with prices starting from £69.99.

On the brass and woodwind side of things, the Odyssey brand sees JHS once again hitting all the key areas confused parents and teachers want to see – high quality, well priced and dependable flutes, clarinets, alto saxophones, trumpets and cornets, starting at £129.99. A full range of accessories is available alongside the instruments, and each comes with a fitted ABS case that looks able to stand up to the most determined of schoolboy scuffles.

Finally from JHS is a brand that will no doubt be popular with those kids who prefer hitting things to sitting down and playing them: Performance Percussion. This is a line that covers a broad range of percussion items, from junior KS1 percussion sets through to ever-popular world and multi-cultural percussion, to hardware and accessories. Additionally, electronic drum kits – so vital for low noise in-school practice – and the UK’s best selling full-size, all-in five-piece kit, the PP300 (£399) also have a big part to play in the success of the Performance Percussion range.

Barnes & Mullins
A huge amount is on offer from Barnes and Mullins for schools looking to stock up on the musical side of things. First up is the Jose Ferrer line of classical guitars, which is a popular choice as a rental instrument. The Classical Guitar – especially in fractional sizes – is still the instrument of choice for beginner guitarists, due to its wider string spacing and softer-impact nylon strings.

Jose Ferrer guitars are entry level instruments that offer a level of quality and playability that is significantly higher than the sort of thing offered up by High Street chains. Sizes available are 1/2, 3/4 and full size, with current retail prices of £49, £53 and £59 respectively, with each guitar coming complete with a woven gig bag.

Orchestral strings is also an area covered by Barnes & Mullins, with its Hidersine Piacenza and Hidersine Piacenze Finetune violin outfits. Hidersine has been famous for its rosin for over 120 years now, but in recent years a whole range of accessories and instruments have also been introduced.

The Piacenza Violin is an ideal starter instrument, featuring a spruce top with figured maple back and ribs. It comes with a case and bow and is fitted with Thomastik Infeld Synthetic Core strings, which would cost around £35 in stores. Add to this the inclusion of a block of Hidersine 3V rosin, and you have a quality outfit with a very affordable retail price of £175.

The next step up for budding concert violinists is the Piacenza Finetune, which  is equipped with Wittner FineTune pegs. Although visually identical to traditional pegs, the Wittner Finetune pegs have a tiny internal gearing system that allows for ease of tuning. This is a tuning innovation that has the potential to save thousands of hours of wasted lesson time and make teachers’ lives that bit more bearable. The Piacenze Finetune retails at £245.

Another range from Barnes & Mullins is Höfner, a name most of us associate with the Beatles, but one which also turns out an awful lot of orchestral strings that are well suited to the school market.

The Höfner Alfred Stingl (AS) range of instruments are the result of the company’s Chinese manufacturing operation, with the AS060 range of violin, viola, cello and bass outfits available for students of all sizes – violins from 1/16 through to full size; violas in 13-inch, 14-inch and 15-inch variants; cellos from 1/8th to 4/4 size; and double basses from 1/8th to 3/4 size. Prices start from £106.

The Music Force
There is plenty worth checking out from the Music Force, with Ashton having established itself as a front runner in the beginners’ corner of the market and made the natural progression to providing instruments that are suited to the playground.

First up is the SX10 saxophone, an alto sax with a lacquered brass body that includes a hard-wearing canvas case and a neck strap. The FL10 flute is a classically styled silver-plated flute crafted in the key of C. Well suited to first-time flautists, it comes complete with a carry case to protect it on the way to lessons, as well as a cleaning rod and cloth to keep it looking and sounding as good as new.

Next up is the CL10 clarinet in Bb, which aims to provide a good jumping off point for youngsters to learn on. It features a 17-hole ebonite body and smooth action nickel plated keys, and comes with a reed and 4C mouthpiece. With a case and cleaning cloth also included, Ashton has covered all the basics here.

Finally there’s the TR10 trumpet. This top-value package includes a cleaning cloth and valve oil, so young players can keep their horns in tip-top condition, as well as a carry case to protect it from damage when it’s not being used.

EMD
As is to be expected from the brand that crops up in the most unimaginable places, Stagg has plenty of products that will keep headmasters happy.

Handily, all of its student instruments are supplied with backpack-style gig cases, each with double shoulder straps, MP3 and phone pockets and a strap for a visibility light (should those dangerous winter drivers fail to see your pride and joy in the evening).

Instruments available from the wide-reaching Stagg brand include the 77-SA SC Alto saxophone (£485), the 77-FE SC Flute (£199), the 77-T SC trumpet (£236) and the 77-C SC clarinet (£205).

As an added bonus, all Stagg brass and woodwind instruments are now set up by three full-time specialists (with a mighty 70 years worth of experience between them) before dispatch, ensuring instruments arrive in a ready-to-play state.

Gremlin
Folk specialist Gremlin has plenty to offer the schools market thanks to its wide range of well-built and reliable products from a variety of brands.

Valentino in particular is a great name for Gremlin and one that is well known across the pond, having been a market leader in the United States for some years now. The GR2103 classical flute is a basic but excellent quality Chinese-made beginners’ instrument, that comes complete with case and retails at a particularly attractive £99.99.

The GR6501 full-size violin is another market leader for Gremlin, and features a carved solid spruce top, carved maple body, an attractive inlay and hardwood pegs and fingerboard. Retailing at £79 and with a decent quality case included, it is easy to see how this brand has become so popular abroad.

Finally, it would be criminal not to include Gremlin’s classic Descant Recorder. It’s made in the United Kingdom in a highly distinctive black and white plastic design, and is also the instrument that school room dreams (or nightmares, depending on the player of course) are made of. The recorder has a suggested retail price of £6.95.

Children are the future
Without question, there is plenty on the market for schools anxious to re-stock their music rooms with equipment that won’t break instantly and will stand up to enough punishment to sound marvellous come the end of year performance.

School rentals are an important part of the retail sector, and one that retailers must be on board with if they are to prosper. Building good relationships with decent schools – ideally through the provision of well built, nice sounding instruments that are the perfect fit for eager to learn students – can do wonders to ingratiate a store with the local community.

Putting a well-made guitar, or flute, or double bass into the hands of a school kid is not simply a way of making a few extra quid, it’s an investment in a potential future customer who, if looked after properly, could be a huge asset to your shop in years to come. In each school year there are dozens of kids desperate to bring a bit of music into their lives, and they can do so by visiting the local store that provided them with their first rental instrument. The children, as they say, are very much the future.