Thursday, August 26, 2010

Which student saxophone is best for my child? Part II

Using the Internet to help purchase a saxophone

So, what other options did my parents have? Well, at the time they did not have too many options; mainly for one reason... there was no internet back then. Now with the influx of the information highway, concerned parents can not only research and find the best options available for student saxophones but they can also find the best prices (which in several instances, this ‘information’ can be a setback and lead to even more confusion!!). So what are the best options? I believe there are many options with many different variables and I will try to cover as many of these scenarios so that you can get a better picture of the student saxophone market and the choice that will best benefit you and your child.

Must I purchase a Yamaha student saxophone for my child?


Despite what your child’s’ band director or instructor might tell you, you do not HAVE to purchase a Yamaha. The first thing to know is that there are many other options for a student saxophones other than the Yamaha 23 model or whatever recent model name they are using nowadays; which I think they are calling the Yamaha 275 (YAS 275 for alto saxophone, and YTS 275 for tenor saxophone).

Is the Yamaha student saxophone a good student sax?

These are good saxophones, but buying a new one is very expensive, and buying a used one can be very risky, and cost you more in the long run.

Will the Yamaha name help in the event that I need to resell the sax?

Yes and No. I say that because, the Yamaha name will help it to sell but if you paid full price or anywhere near it, you will be fortunate if you get 25% of what it sells for brand new. For example, Yamaha student alto saxophones sell on average for about $400 on ebay, and they sell for $1,700 - $1,800 brand new. That’s an easy one to figure out.

So in the long run, is it worth it to buy a brand new Yamaha student alto saxophone for my child?

If your student pursues music for their entire middle school and high school education, then the investment makes more sense. If you are not sure they will pursue music for that period of time, it is probably not the greatest investment. Buying something just as high quality at a fraction of the cost is the best option.

Link to full article: Saxophone Buying Guide

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Which student saxophone is best for my child? Part 1

Article: Which student saxophone is best for my child?
by Mark Wigginton, President - CE Winds

This is a very great question, one that I hear so often. Also one that you may get many different answers to from numerous sources, which generally can lead to frustration for anyone seeking the answer. Being someone who began playing saxophone as a young student at age 11, I fully know about the long and vigorous journey a student goes on from first starting out, to playing in high school; onto the college level; and finally into the professional arena.

The Journey of a Student Saxophone Player

As a young student saxophone player, I was not given the best tools to succeed with. In fact, I was given a student saxophone that was purchased by my grandmother from a local music store for $300; and because of the condition, in my opinion, this saxophone was way over priced. My first saxophone was the dreaded, beat up, Selmer Bundy II student alto saxophone.  It was very worn and used when I got it and to this day, I do not think it was ever in 100% working order, which kept me from playing all the notes that the sax was designed to play.

So how did I make it through all those years as a student saxophone player with such an inferior instrument?  Honestly, I don’t know. Well, officially I only played that student saxophone for 4 ½ years, and for what I was asked to do during that time, it did what I needed it to do. You see, as a student saxophone player, there was not too much demand on me, as long as I learned my scales and parts for the band, my individual tone and experience level was not as noticed until I entered the high school level of playing; which introduced me to solo performances for both classical and jazz.  Here is where the quality of the sax could no longer be hidden and actually became a hindrance to my ability to advance as a young student saxophone player.

When I entered 10th grade, my parents purchased a brand new Armstrong student tenor saxophone for me. I think the sale price on it was around $1,200, but by the time it was paid off, I think it cost my parents around $2,400; which is no where near what that student saxophone was worth. The initial $1,200 was a big stretch for a student saxophone, especially at that time, for that model. I know you may read that and say, “$1,200 seems cheap for a student saxophone, I see Yamaha student tenor saxophones selling for over $2,200,” and you are right; but if you have a true grasp on the saxophone market and you understand what it is that you are buying, you will clearly see that there are so many other options available to you as a parent buying a saxophone for your child, and that the most expensive option is not always the best option.

Link to full article: Saxophone Buying Guide

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Musical Instrument Purchases and the Current United States Economy

There is no denying it – the US economy is struggling, school budgets are being cut, and music programs are being cut out completely in several areas. One of the reasons is lack of ability – not that parents or students aren’t interested – because we are ALL born with the gift to want to create music, but they are finding it hard to sign their children up for school band because they may feel they can’t afford to purchase an instrument that will give their child every advantage when it comes to learning how to play.

CE Winds really wants to make a difference!

First, we commit to building the highest quality instruments we can build and sell them at a price that anyone can afford.

Second, we commit to give you options on how to pay for your instrument, such as our Student Payment Plan, as well as the option to exchange your instrument for something else or return it if your child loses interest.

Third, we commit to your child’s school. For every dollar you spend, CE Winds will issue a credit to that school, credits that they can use to purchase more CE Winds instruments, uniforms, and music, whatever they need, through our School Rewards Program.

Last but not least, we commit to the future of music. For EVERY CE Winds instrument sold, a percentage of that sale will go to More than Music, a non profit committed to providing instruments to students worldwide that just cannot afford to purchase an instrument, scholarships to students who deserve to go to college but can’t afford to, and hope for those who just do not have much to hope for.

Everyone here at CE Winds knows that there are many options when buying musical instruments for yourself or your children, but the best options are not always the most expensive ones.

CE Winds – Releasing a New Sound!!!
www.cewinds.com
www.christopherelliottinc.com

CE Winds Student and Intermediate Flutes Released!

CE Winds is entering the flute market with two models of student / intermediate flutes;

1) CE Winds Alpha Series C Foot Flute
2) CE Winds Alpha Series B Foot Flute

You can choose from the following options:

Open Hole or Closed Hole
Silver Plated Lip Plate or Solid Silver Lip Plate
Split E or Standard E

Any questions please visit www.cewinds.com, email info@christopherelliottinc.com us or call 904.996.9312.

Other 2010 Releases will be the CE Winds Alpha Series Clarinets and Trumpets! We will let you know when they are available for purchase!


www.cewinds.com
www.christopherelliottinc.com