Equipment: Why is matters

Too often, we choose to have our 6th grade students who are picking out the instrument that they will potentially be dedicating the rest of their lives to play their first note on an instrument that does not function. We assess their capabilities on how well they can push through the leaks, dents, and missing screws. We aren’t looking at their artistic potential or their musical abilities, we are monitoring their ability to write with a broken pencil. 

And we understand that not every parent is able to afford to purchase a brand new instrument for their kid. Parents are not the ones that are providing a program to allow their kids to play an instrument; the school is. Having students utilize equipment that is not functioning properly is not only painful for their personal image, but also their physical health. 

The extreme forcing and tension that comes with playing on equipment that isn’t working leads to health issues that end up affecting kids for the rest of their lives. Hyperextending fingers, carpal tunnel, tendonitis, and many other issues that can require surgery.