Rant Talk about heartless...

This one really gets me. Seriously.

My daughter began band this year. She is blessed with an amazing natural talent (walked up to the tuba and slapped it a pedal Bb across the face first try) and is now playing baritone, as she is a small little wee thing. However, we're not the most affluent family. We couldn't purchase her an instrument, which we were assured was no problem. However, that was a bold-faced lie.

First, they immediately tried to get us to pony up $150+ for mouthpiece and instrument rental. Last I checked, I've never heard of a school where they even needed to be rented, let alone purchase them a mouthpiece for a school owned horn. When we were unable to do that, they refused to let her participate until I threatened legal action. (Found out that it's illegal to bar her from playing because we're not as rich as them...) This was solved, until her band director was transferred to another school. She went through the same ordeal, with the same end.

We thought we had it fixed. Now we find out they're not going to allow her to play in the Christmas concert because we haven't paid them. She sits first chair, and is already leaving the other students behind, and to boot this is practically punishing her for our lack of money.

Personally, I'm planning to find her a horn on Ebay so we own it and they can't say anything (I was an instrument repair apprentice in college, so I can EASILY maintain even a Chinese made horn)but I'm also going up there in person on Wednesday, and letting them know good bad or ugly I'm putting this in the local papers all over the county. When I grew up in band, we played instruments eight times the approximate value of that instrument for free, with mouthpieces provided. These are not even decent starter horns, but beat to pieces Jupiter ghetto stuff. The approximate retail value of this instrument is 700 dollars.

I'm basically trying to vent, but this is starting to crush my child's spirit. Do I need to follow this course of action, or combine it with legal action?

BTW, this is Tuscaloosa, AL-you NEVER hear about a football player that can't play because of money... Double standard all the way...

 

I was under the impression that this is fairly common. That's what my school had, a rent to own program. As they can't afford to purchase instruments.

However, that being said, it's not right to exclude her from any concerts.

 

That's just stupid. I say legal action is your best option, since, to my knowledge at least, isn't it illegal to pull stunts like this?

 

I would say you should definatly consult an attorney. The only question I would have is if taking the school to court would really be in your daughter's best interest. I'm sure this hasn't been a fun expierience for her, and would being the girl who ended up costing the school a significant legal settlement make things better or worse.

On principal, I would say get an attorney and take them to court, or at least threaten it. If she has the instrument then it is unconsionable that they wouldn't let her play.

On practicals, you might see if one of the charitable organizations (lions Club, Rotary, etc) might be able to get one for her.

 

If it's legal or not, I wouldn't have the slightest clue. But I'm sure taking the school to court is not in your daughters best interest. If she really shows alot of talent and wants to keep this up for a long time, then I'm afraid my suggestion is to save up a bit and find a good bargain on a used instrument.

As suggested you could look into charity's or other 'groups' that are willing to invest in your daughters musical talent.

Good luck,
L

 

taking the school to court would be pointless... the teachers would simply take revenge on her... it would only end up worse....

as for the topic as a whole...

thats the trend schools are taking with everything, make the parents pay, pay, pay pay..... (its clearly a political problem)

 

If morphine kitty is from the USA thats a nice little "legal action" from the USA end and a more "do it some other way" from the europe end

Anyway, get her an instrument off ebay if you can afford it, I know several people with them and they are pretty decent things - they arent anything special but there more than adequate. Dont bother with court action, lifes too short to get crying to the courst about everything bad that happens. If its a government run school you can take it to the newspapers and stuff (they shouldn't charge either), if its a private school then you cant do as much because they dont "have" to lend her anything...

Your alternate is (if she has the guts) is to have her play a solo in the concert, then at the end stand up and say "but the orchestra wouldnt let my daughter play because blah blah blah". Either way just do it yourself tbh, you dont want to embarras your daughter.

 

How much would it cost to buy her her own instrument?

AH

 

If you wanted to learn an instrument at the school I went to you either had to rent or buy.

 

At our local Junior school they had a stock of instruments bought from school fund-raising or donated that were loaned (free) to pupils; if they got keen the school could get them a discount for a new or S/H instrument from a local dealer, but that was up to the parents. One problem at that age was the kid needed a small size in violins, etc, not one that could be used for years, so buying their own was an expensive short-term thing.

The system worked well, but then the LEA decided to economise and stopped the peripatetic instrument teachers.

 

Our school just had a load of instruments. We chose one and that was ours for the year. Other people used the same one too but as there was only ever one music lesson going on with each instrument at a time it didn't matter. Anyone who needed a mouthpiece their own one though. Germs and that. If people bought an instrument they used it instead.

I would definitely complain though. But don't go involving your daughter too much. She doesn't need to know that her teachers are being arseholes.

 

This is fairly common. Our schools had a selection of instruments which the really good players could use, but only because our school was reknowned for it's musical skill (vocal soloist right here until my voice broke and I discovered whisky and cigarettes). If you wanted to play you either have to rent the instrument, own it, or get one from outside the school. It's standard, to be expected and sensible if you ask me.

That said, the fact that the won't let her play in the show is a bit harsh and pretty mean. You need to talk to the governors.

More often and not the problem is more to do with lessons though. My sisters are forever in trouble for missing lessons and getting marked as truant, even though they're only across the hall playing clarinet or guitar.

 

A couple ideas for you:

seek an attourney's advice as stated above, i'm not sure if there's anything they're doing thats illegal, it's just wrong.
contact the local media
contact "Save the Music NPO" http://www.vh1.com/partners/save_the_music/ you might be able to get a grant or at least attention to pressure the school.

 

This is the part that rubs some people the wrong way, and I think KayinBlack mentioned it toward the end of his original post. Here in the US, any kid playing (American) football is handed equipment left and right. The school provides uniforms, protective gear, supplies, and anything else necessary to ensure that the team has a winning season. We even have district stadiums for them to play their game, complete with thousands of roaring fans. Here in Texas, they call it Friday Night Lights for a reason.

Compare that with pretty underfunded arts programs. Drama students have to find second-hand equipment and music students have to rent their instruments.

Why should we expect a tuba player to provide her own instrument when the local jock doesn't have to spend a dime?

-monkey

 

Thats a problem with American culture then, not the school system. Here in England I was a house captain for several teams and we had to buy all our own stuff. True, the Rugby team did get some preferential treatment from teachers, but they also got neglect from others. They got a chance to go on a Rugby tour of Africa, but they still had to pay their way and if they couldn't make it then that way tough. That's even bearing in mind how tremendously popular Rugby is in my area and how important it is to the school's reputation.

Of course, American Football is for pansies anyway - you don't see the British strapping on all that armour to play

 

Our hockey team had to sort out the kit with our own cash. Wasn't expensive though. The only reason was that we were using the rugby kit and it was for rugby, not hockey, so we wanted a change. Everyone had to get their own sticks though. Mine was carbon fibre!

 

Unfortunately KayinBlack, there's little I can offer except my sympathy. Truth be told, I expect that what they're doing is illegal under some sort of equal opportunity laws, but even if that's the case, there's probably not much that you'd be able to do to fix it in time for the event.

If you do intend to go the vengeful route, I'd suggest keeping it anonymous. The last thing your daughter would want is having that asshole dad pissing off everyone else in town - and while I very much share your sentiment, that's how it will be perceived. Like the parents that want cupcakes banned for being too fattening or get important guest speakers canceled because they don't want their son going (having witnessed the latter, it's an unpleasant event that got quite a number of people irate at the family in question, and the son was certainly less than thrilled to be the reason that everyone was mad at everyone else.)

 

hockey in UK ? niice

 

hehe

Not your version, although I have tried ice hockey and it was fun but I wasn't good enough at the skating part.

 

Gotta second all of this.

Sorry to hear they're screwing over your daughter, it's incredibly cruel of them to let her play but then not let her play in the concert. Hope you get it sorted