Rental Program through Music & Arts (Portland area)
Music and Arts supplies our parents with Top Quality rental instruments at very competitive/best prices in town. We highly recommend you go through us to ensure a quality instrument which is paramount to the success of each player.
Avoid the Rush
- If your student already knows which instrument they want to play, you can order as soon as you like using our online Link
- Preferred Delivery- Choose “Ship to Home”. This is “no cost” shipping direct to customer’s home-3-5 day delivery by UPS, depending on when ordered (weekend orders shipped out Monday or Tuesday).
For students unsure of instrument choice
- We offer 2 weekend “Instrument Petting Zoo” events in early September. Students can come and try the different instruments with the assistance of a M.U.S.E. teacher. See dates, times, location on our “Petting Zoo” page.
- We will have a limited supply of instruments available to rent on those days.
- Even if your child has their mind made up, you may want to drop by to one of the events and take a minute to try that instrument just to be sure.
- To help students decide, you can go to our “How to Choose an Instrument” page to watch examples of each instrument being played by faculty and M.U.S.E. students.
- Please R.S.V.P. if you are coming to one of the events so we can best prepare. See petting zoo page for link.
Rental Cost: MAKE SURE YOU ENTER THE SCHOOL NAME WHEN ORDERING. OTHERWISE, YOU WON’T GET THE DISCOUNTED PRICE BEING WITH M.U.S.E. If you are from a Catholic school that starts with Saint don’t use a period on the abbreviation. Example: Make it St Anthony. Not St. Anthony.
Flutes, Clarinets, Trumpets, Trombone, Percussion Learning Kits (both bells and snare are required) $17 per month. Please take the instrument insurance which will cover damage, repair, stolen instruments.
Alto Sax are $28 per month.
To order online to be shipped to you (3-5 business days) us the following link: Music & Arts
Important message about renting vs purchasing :
We recommend renting an instrument first, not purchasing. If you are looking to purchase an instrument be very very careful. We always recommend going through a local store or Music and Arts to purchase because you will be supported in case something goes wrong with it. Many advertised new instruments online look like a great deal but in most cases they are not. As the old saying goes, “you get what you pay for”. A lot of these instruments are junk and will fall apart within a year. For example, a quality student model trumpet usually runs $800-1,200. When you see a “new” trumpet online advertised for $150-300, it’s junk.
For Eugene area schools (St. Paul and O’Hara) we recommend either going to to Beacocks Music in person or order online:
Beacocks Music https://www.beacockmusic.com
Eugene Location: 791 W 8th Ave, Eugene
Mon-Sat: 10 am- 6pm 541-653-9929
Instruments available to play in our program:
Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Snare Drum/Xylophone (tuned bells)
Please Note: Drummers must rent both items. Both come in one carrying case on wheels if you order them through our instrument supply company Music & Arts
Check List for Parents:
- Rent an instrument (drummers need to have both snare drum and Xylophone)
- Purchase a fold up inexpensive Music Stand for home practice (Purchase Link below)
- Clarinet and sax players need to buy a box of reeds size 2.0(Purchase Links Below)
- Cleaning kits are nice to have but aren’t required. (Links below)
Other stores in the area:
Music and Arts (formerly Tigard Music) 11579 SW Pacific Hwy Tigard 503-620-2844
Beaverton Music 12630 SW 1st st. Beaverton 503-643-5431
Wally’s Music 607 Washington st. Oregon City. 503-656-5323
Beacock Music 1420 SE 163rd Ave. Vancouver 360-694-7124
Music Stands
Invest in your child’s lessons by making sure they have a fold-up-wire music stand. Stands cost in range of $12-18 and can be purchased at any music store or through M.U.S.E. at one of our instrument rental events. Students need to have a good place to set their music while they practice. Laying music down on the bed or on a table creates bad posture and awkwardness in reading the music. Please consider the purchase of a music stand.
You can pick one up at a local music shop or order online at: www.westmusic.com or www.wwbw.com
Other Important supplies
Alto Saxophone and Clarinet Players need reeds. We suggest to buy a box of reeds size 2 to start with(make sure ALTO sax not tenor) A box of 10 reeds should last them for at least 1/2 of the school year. Clarinet players will want to move up to a 2.5 later in the year. Example:
Accessories for Instrument Maintenance:
Clarinet Cleaning Kit (includes Thumb pad rest for more comfort)
Alto Sax Cleaning Kit (includes Thumb pad rest for more comfort)
Trumpet Cleaning Kits including valve oil
What if we already have an instrument in the family? Can we use this for class?
Perhaps you have an instrument in the family, one an older child played or handed down from a parent or grandparent and it just happens to be the one your child wants to play. No need to rent then, as long as the one you have is in good working order. You need to take it into a reputable music shop to have it checked out and updated on maintenance. It is important that the instrument is in good playing condition so your child can be successful and doesn’t get frustrated if it isn’t working correctly. Many older instruments passed down through families are wonderful gems and well worth any maintenance or refurbishing.
What if my child doesn’t know what instrument they want to play?
Check out our Instrument Demonstration page where actual M.U.S.E. students show new students how each instrument sounds and is played.
Percussion Demonstration (Xylophone and Snare drum)
The best recommendation we can make is to choose the instrument your child is excited about. It’s important to focus on what they feel good about playing because they’re the ones who will have to practice the instrument and they are more likely to do this if it’s the instrument they choose!
A common question asked by students and parents is ” What is the easiest or hardest instrument to play?” The simple answer is practice. Each instrument has it’s challenges but nothing too hard that cannot be overcome with practice.
What is the procedure if the instrument I rented needs maintenance or repair?
Contact the M.U.S.E. office
Do we keep renting the instrument over the summer or do we have to return it?
Most of our continuing students keep their instruments over the summer and we hope they get to practice a bit, maybe play music with friends, take some private lessons, play their music for grandparents or relatives, possibly participate in a band camp. We have added special Fun Music on our new website for kids to download and play this summer so we hope you can encourage them to keep playing!
However, some parents want to return the rented instrument and then rent again in the coming fall.
Please do not leave your rented instrument at the school office or with your MUSE teacher. MUSE has nothing to do with the instrument contract you signed with any music shops