READ THIS FIRST!
With each payment made, you've been building equity in your child's musical instrument. 100% of the Base Rent paid has been automatically applied toward the purchase. Thus, you will eventually own your instrument if your payments are continued.
For example, if your monthly Base Rent is $20 and you've made 12 payments, you've accumulated $240.00 in rent credit. In many cases, that's over a third of the purchase price!
Many parents consider returning now because the Summer months include a break from musical instruction (through school programs and/or private lessons). The same number of parents, however, do not realize that returning the instrument cancels the rental agreement and all rent credit or equity is lost. Consequently, a new rental agreement must be established when students return to their music programs in the Fall. Is your child expressing an interest in music education for next year? Be sure to ask your child of his or her continued interest before you return.
And We Haven't Even Talked About the Benefits of Music Education!
Unlike team sports, students in school band or orchestra can always participate. No one sits on the bench waiting for a chance to play.
Students who participate in school music programs are 52% more likely to go on to college and graduate.
According to a recent study conducted by neurologist Dr. Frank Wilson, when a musician plays he/she uses approximately 90% of the brain. Wilson could find no other activity that uses the brain to this extent.
The study had also shown students who took more than four years of music and the other arts scored 34 points better on the verbal portion of the SAT than those who took music for less than a year.
A recent Rockefeller Foundation study discovered that music students have the highest rate of admittance to medical schools. Music scholarships are also a great source of funding for a college education.
When a child succeeds at the diverse tasks required to play an instrument, self-esteem is enhanced.
As a student begins to understand the connection between practice and the quality of performance, self-discipline becomes self-enforcing. It may then be a short jump to making the connection between self-discipline and performance in life.
Students in band or orchestra develop higher cognitive skills and increased ability to analyze and evaluate information. They also learn about teamwork and conflict/resolution skills required for success in the modern workplace while enjoying the healthy, positive activity of band and orchestra with friends.
