FAQs

We are often asked how early a child may begin music lessons. The answer depends on both the choice of instrument and on the individual child’s interest and development. Some children have the patience to begin piano or violin lessons at age 5, but most will make better progress once they’re a little older. Guitar requires more dexterity and reach, so most children will not be ready until age six or seven. Ukulele is a good alternative to younger students interested in guitar but may not be old enough yet. Every child is different so we recommend trying a lesson or two with no further commitment and having the instructor give you their experienced advice on whether or not your child is ready for private lessons.

NO WAY! It’s never too late to start learning something new, especially a musical instrument. We always have room for adult learners at the studio no matter what your age! No prior experience required ! The Southbury Music Studio has an active and growing community of adult students. The age of students spans 3 generations, and the ability level is everything from “I’ve never played a musical instrument before” to ”I’ve been playing for many many years”

Yes we do! Drop it off at the studio and we can restring it for $20 plus the cost of strings.

The best time to be ready for back to school with your instrument in tip top shape is to bring it to us at the end of the school year so there is plenty of time over the summer to fix it up. Our repair person’s busiest time is the Fall during back to school so the turn around time will be longer if you wait until then.

Our Rental Instruments are locally owned from The Creative Music Center in Monroe, CT.

If you’re not sure whether or not your child is going to commit to an instrument, renting is a very cost effective option. Rental payments range from $27 to $79 per month, depending on the type of instrument your child chooses. The monthly rental payment is a fraction of the cost of buying a quality musical instrument outright. Plus, if your child wants to switch to another instrument, and change sizes, you can easily exchange a rental instrument (and carry over your accumulated equity*), as opposed to having to purchase (or rent) a different instrument.

Our exclusive rent-to-own program means 100% of your base rental payments (excluding tax and maintenance) are applied towards the purchase of your instrument or any band or orchestra instrument of equal or greater value than the instrument you are renting.

Yes, we do offer a school year special for FIRST time renters only. You pay up front one price for the instrument and get it September through June 15th. The instrument can not be returned early for money back and the instrument can not be exchanged.

We rent band instruments from Yamaha, Selmer, Jupiter, Buffet, Bach, Conn, Armstrong and Gemeinhardt. We rent strings from several quality manufacturers, including Yamaha and Eastman.

That’s always an option. The best thing to do is check with your music teacher before you buy it. Oftentimes, instruments purchased at a store other than a music store may not meet the minimum quality standards for reliability and durability that will help your child to be successful in music. Our rental fleet not only meets all quality control benchmarks but all of the instruments in our fleet are checked over by our experienced repair staff prior to being rented.

Anytime. Once you’re confident your child will continue to play that instrument through middle school and maybe high school, it’s definitely time to consider buying. With our rental program, your base rental payment goes towards the purchase of the instrument you are renting or, if you decide to upgrade, your rental payments can be applied to the purchase of an intermediate or professional instrument.

You may switch instruments to another band or orchestra instrument at any time, providing your contract is in force and your payments are current. If there is a difference in the monthly price between your current rental and the new rental, you will be responsible for whatever the monthly rental price is of the new instrument.

That’s easy. We simply apply all of your equity to the new intermediate or professional instrument. Then, you have the option of purchasing the instrument outright and taking an additional 20% off your balance or financing the instrument over 12 months. It’s your choice. Just let us know how you want to proceed.

If your child chooses a stringed instrument (violins, violas, cellos, bass), he or she may outgrow the instrument during the school year. In this case, simply call or stop by the store, and we will exchange the instrument for the next size up. (If you’re not sure what size you need to get next, make sure to check with your teacher.)

Our maintenance fee covers any repair or general maintenance needed throughout the contract, other than purposeful damage. The fee doesn’t cover broken strings, reeds, chipped mouthpieces, bows or other disposable accessories.

Strings are NOT covered by the rental maintenance and repair coverage. However, if you bring it to us, you can buy a new string and we can put it on for you for no charge.

Yes, a new contract must be filled out and signed for each instrument being rented.

Yes, this is a month to month rental contract and can be stopped at any time. The equity built toward that instrument gets lost once returned however.

We follow the NAMM guidelines (and CDC) for preparing a product to rent or sell and also in maintaining our store and workshops. We use listed CDC approved cleaning products/methods to clean and disinfect instruments, mouthpieces, cases. We strictly observe “sit time” as well on incoming and outgoing instruments.