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SUDBURY VALLEY
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Where Can I Get An Instrument??
Remember – two BIG cautions:
- Using an old instrument? Get it checked over and repaired.
- DO NOT purchase an instrument at a department store; there is a reason that they are cheap! Go to a music store and get a good instrument; sure, get a student model rather than laying out a lot of money for a pro instrument, but get a quality brand like Yamaha, Bach, Selmer, Buffet, Fox, Artley, Gemeinhardt, Armstrong, LeBlanc-Vito, Besson, Holton, King, Ludwig, Vic Firth, etc. Of course, there are many other fine quality instruments as well; this list is not exhaustive. Ask one of us if you aren’t sure!
Below are some local music stores and some that are further away, but are either worth the travel, or the store services local schools (schools are listed in parenthesis after the store info). Stores with an asterisk (*) have returned our inquiry and are specifically interested in servicing our SVNHB members.
*Leonards Music, No longer in Wayland (better quarters in Bedford!), but the Leonards still live in Wayland and can easily get things to you or to the middle school or Loker. The store is now at: 128 The Great Road, Bedford, MA 01730, Phone: 781-271-1189, info@leonardsmusic.com, www.leonardsmusic.com
*Natick: There is a new store in the area, Music Go Round (Feb.2010). The store is in the 9/27 Plaza with Staples & Building 19. They specialize in buying and selling USED instruments. They have mostly guitars, but also have a decent selection of drums and wind instruments and some strings. Of course the selection changes all the time, but it is definitely worth checking out. They also carry supplies like reeds, oil, drumsticks and bags, strings, etc. 508-647-6874 www.musicgoroundboston.com
I had a long conversation with the owner, Philip Chernin, both to see what his philosophy was and also to find out what he had to say about some of the poor quality instruments that are going around. (Particularly, there are some disreputable companies out of China that make really poor quality instruments. You can't go by names because every couple of years they change the name on the instrument! Keep in mind that you get what you pay for. When the cheap instruments break, you often can't repair them! Not economical.) Anyway, he said he has a few of the cheap instruments, and showed them to me, and said that he is up front about the issues when people are interested in them.
*Johnson Strings (for violins, violas, cellos & basses) can be found at http://www.johnson-inst.com/
*Sudbury - Sudbury Music Center Inc - 354 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776-3007, (978) 443-8610 a satellite Co for Rayburn Music in Boston
Framingham, (Saxonville) - Liberty Music - 1613 Concord St, Framingham, MA 01701 - (508)877-5272
Framingham -- Center Music House - 18 Main St, Framingham, MA 01702-2908, Phone: (508) 875-0909 - http://centremusic.com/info@centremusic.com
*Natick - Strike Up The Band Inc - 5 Washington St, Natick, MA 01760 - (508) 655-9223 StrikeUpTheBand@gmail.com
Acton – The Minor Chord- a satellite Co for Rayburn Music in Boston http://www.theminorchord.com/ 77 Great Road Acton, MA 01720, (978) 264-0299
Needham Music– 947 Great Plain Ave.Needham, MA 02492 – 781-444-6429, http://www.needhammusic.com
*K & C Music Co, Inc (K & C Music) 273 Lenox St, Norwood, MA 02062-3497, (781) 769-6520, Walter Andruschow - WalBarb@aol.com (Wayland & Weston public schools)
*Boston - Rayburn Music 238 Huntington Ave. Boston, MA 02115 (Across from Symphony Hall) http://www.rayburnmusic.com/ Phone 617-266-4727 Toll Free 1-800-874-6767 - Tom Rinaldi, Northeast Educational Sales Manager, tom@rayburnmusic.com (Wellesley Public Schools)
*Westborough - Robinson Music Inc - 108 Milk St Ste 5, Westborough, MA01581-1228, (508) 366-7007 http://www.robinsonmusic.org
*Westborough - David French Music Company, 76 Otis Street, Westborough, MA 01581, telephone: (508) 366-5994 / fax: (508) 366-2343, http://www.davidfrenchmusic.com/- Alan Ventura, School Service Representative, alan_frenchmusic@charterinternet.com(Lincoln Public Schools)
*Acton – - Osmun Music in Acton (recently moved from Arlington). http://www.osmun.com/ sales@osmun.com (particularly good for brass instruments, especially for pro instruments)
When it is time to move up to a better quality instrument, be sure you move is upward, not sideways to a new instrument of the same quality. First of all, the best bet is to work through a private teacher - they know what is best out there right now and what is best for the individual student.
* Woodwinds, I would go to Leonards Music http://www.leonardsmusic.com/ or in to Boston to Rayburn Music http://www.rayburnmusic.com/
* Brass, definitely Osmun Music, now in Acton http://www.osmun.com/
* Johnson Strings (for violins, violas, cellos & basses) can be found at http://www.johnsonstring.com/
