Monday, December 12,
2005
The PMC Quick Note is a
weekly service provided to all area directors. It is part of our mission
to support the lives of band directors across the
Maintaining Your
Instrument Inventory’s Health by Marvin Manring
Nothing derails a band rehearsal faster than an instrument that doesn’t perform properly. When it happens, neither the student nor the band director is 100% into the process of making music. Plus, unless you’re accustomed to performing in front of your students with a screwdriver, jeweler’s pliers or pad glue to make an on-the-spot repair, instruction time—the ‘golden hour’ that we work with students--can evaporate very quickly.
You can minimize the need for school
year repairs by establishing a repair schedule for 2006 as a standard part of
your music budget. Take stock of your instruments and form a systematic plan to
ensure that your inventory gets professional attention on a consistent basis.
Summer repair programs usually don’t
start without some investment of time and effort on your part, and your
investment might be more significant than the school district’s during the first
couple of years. If you’re confident that you can deal with a particular family
of instruments, send off the group that would be better serviced by an
experienced repair technician. You might choose to designate a particular group
of instruments each summer based on need or amount of use, and then rotate in
another group the next year.
Also, your students need to take
advantage of this opportunity as well for their personal instruments. Ask your
field rep for information and materials. Sending a contact letter about the
repair program and a response form for students to return with their instrument
in the last days of the school year can pay a lot of dividends. (Think in terms
of the reduction in ‘down time’ and reduced band director
stress!)
Establishing a repair schedule is
also a very important part of the overall creditability of your program with
administrators. Your ability to create and execute a careful plan of maintaining
inventory goes a long way when you request instrument upgrades or additions. To
your credit, you have shown that you are willing to put in the time and effort
to maintain what you have. You may also be able to show a consistent problem
with a particular instrument over a longer period of time and make a good case
for replacement or upgrade.
Often it involves bringing some
aspects of band budget management into the mainstream budget process, in the
same manner that schools purchase music through free textbook funds or pay for
trips through a district-wide travel budget. If you don’t budget instrument
repairs through your school’s repair/maintenance/upkeep category, start now!
Your music store’s field
representative can assist you in creating a plan of action to resuscitate,
rejuvenate, and reenergize your instrument inventory. December and January are
prime months to plan for the next budget year. Minimizing repairs through the
year is a significant way to ensure that the kids keep playing during the
‘golden hour’ that you have them in the room—and isn’t that what it’s all
about?
Marvin Manring is a
1985 alumnus of
See You In
January!
The staff of
Contact Your
Can we assist you with
anything? Please contact your local Palen Music Center school road
representative for all of your music education needs.
Moberly (660) 263-0109 Joe
Brown
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