Summer time - time to prepare your instrument for next fall!
Here are some basics:
1) Most families are in the "rent to own" program - and most of you have renter's insurance. This qualifies you to take your instrument in for a repair called "playing condition" or "PC" for short. Your instrument will be looked at, and any repair needed to put it back into top playing condition will be made, free of charge, due to your insurance, I STRONGLY encourage you to take advantage of this, if you have the renter's insurance.
The repair shop in Bangor is called "Bangor Brass & Woodwind Repair" - and is located at 585 Hammond Street - ph. 659 - 7227. The owner, Mr. Shaw, does excellent work - and he repairs all of our school instruments, and my personal instruments, too.
2) If your instrument is NOT going in the shop, here are some basic suggestions:
WOODWINDS - Can remove fingerprints with a soft cloth. There are special cloths designed to polish the finish for silver flutes (nickle polishing cloths) and for the gold colored saxophones (lacquer polising cloths), that you can purchase & use, too. Woodwinds should NEVER submerge their instrument in water, as it is bad for the pads. However, sax & clarinets can & should wash out their mouthpieces; they can also rinse their used reeds in clear water, and let them dry / store them in a plastic reed holder to prevent warping. This is a GREAT TIME to order a new box of reeds for next fall, so you are ready to go whenever you're ready to play! Sax & clarinets should use cork grease on all corks to prevent them from drying out & becoming brittle, too.
BRASS - Should wash out their mouthpieces. You should also rinse off / out your 3 valves (trumpets) and both inner (silver) and outer (gold) slides for trombones. Let the valves / slides dry, and carefully put your instrument back together. Do NOT oil them, until you are ready to play again - as the oil will just evaporate, and leave minerals behind; it is perfectly OK to store them without oil - just remember to add some the first time you are ready to play again. Just like the woodwinds, you can wipe off any fingerprints with a soft, clean cloth - or you too, can use a lacquer polishing cloth for the gold colored brass instruments (I don't believe any of my brass instruments are silver colored).
PERCUSSION - check your snare stand for any missing, or loose hardware, or any screws that no longer work. Check both the batter (top) and snare (bottom) heads for dents, holes, or tears. These heads can easily be replaced, if needed. A soft brush can help remove any dust / fuzz bunnies that may e stuck between your rim and top head. If you are not going to play for a while, it doesn't hurt to loosen all of the lugs EQUALLY around both the batter & snare heads - a turn or two, just as long as you do the same to each one. Just remember to tighten them back up the same amount, equally, when you are ready to play again. This is a good time to replace any broken sticks - and to add another pair that gives you a variety: maybe a different size, or different shaped tip (nylon vs wood; shape of the tip can vary, too).
PARENT$$$$ - don't forget that if you can pay off your instrument, you will save about 30% when compared to the amount you will pay if you make each monthly payment until you own the instrument. It is worth it to see if the pay off balance will fit your budget - even if not currently, check back frequently, because you may find you can at some point in the future, and save that money! Check you balance by calling David French Music at the number on your contract - or go to davidfrenchmusic.com to find their contact information. I hope you can save a little "green" this way!
Have a great, fun, safe, and restful summer! Looking forward to making music together again this fall!
Sincerely,
Terry Flegel
Hermon Band director
Here are some basics:
1) Most families are in the "rent to own" program - and most of you have renter's insurance. This qualifies you to take your instrument in for a repair called "playing condition" or "PC" for short. Your instrument will be looked at, and any repair needed to put it back into top playing condition will be made, free of charge, due to your insurance, I STRONGLY encourage you to take advantage of this, if you have the renter's insurance.
The repair shop in Bangor is called "Bangor Brass & Woodwind Repair" - and is located at 585 Hammond Street - ph. 659 - 7227. The owner, Mr. Shaw, does excellent work - and he repairs all of our school instruments, and my personal instruments, too.
2) If your instrument is NOT going in the shop, here are some basic suggestions:
WOODWINDS - Can remove fingerprints with a soft cloth. There are special cloths designed to polish the finish for silver flutes (nickle polishing cloths) and for the gold colored saxophones (lacquer polising cloths), that you can purchase & use, too. Woodwinds should NEVER submerge their instrument in water, as it is bad for the pads. However, sax & clarinets can & should wash out their mouthpieces; they can also rinse their used reeds in clear water, and let them dry / store them in a plastic reed holder to prevent warping. This is a GREAT TIME to order a new box of reeds for next fall, so you are ready to go whenever you're ready to play! Sax & clarinets should use cork grease on all corks to prevent them from drying out & becoming brittle, too.
BRASS - Should wash out their mouthpieces. You should also rinse off / out your 3 valves (trumpets) and both inner (silver) and outer (gold) slides for trombones. Let the valves / slides dry, and carefully put your instrument back together. Do NOT oil them, until you are ready to play again - as the oil will just evaporate, and leave minerals behind; it is perfectly OK to store them without oil - just remember to add some the first time you are ready to play again. Just like the woodwinds, you can wipe off any fingerprints with a soft, clean cloth - or you too, can use a lacquer polishing cloth for the gold colored brass instruments (I don't believe any of my brass instruments are silver colored).
PERCUSSION - check your snare stand for any missing, or loose hardware, or any screws that no longer work. Check both the batter (top) and snare (bottom) heads for dents, holes, or tears. These heads can easily be replaced, if needed. A soft brush can help remove any dust / fuzz bunnies that may e stuck between your rim and top head. If you are not going to play for a while, it doesn't hurt to loosen all of the lugs EQUALLY around both the batter & snare heads - a turn or two, just as long as you do the same to each one. Just remember to tighten them back up the same amount, equally, when you are ready to play again. This is a good time to replace any broken sticks - and to add another pair that gives you a variety: maybe a different size, or different shaped tip (nylon vs wood; shape of the tip can vary, too).
PARENT$$$$ - don't forget that if you can pay off your instrument, you will save about 30% when compared to the amount you will pay if you make each monthly payment until you own the instrument. It is worth it to see if the pay off balance will fit your budget - even if not currently, check back frequently, because you may find you can at some point in the future, and save that money! Check you balance by calling David French Music at the number on your contract - or go to davidfrenchmusic.com to find their contact information. I hope you can save a little "green" this way!
Have a great, fun, safe, and restful summer! Looking forward to making music together again this fall!
Sincerely,
Terry Flegel
Hermon Band director