How to Care for Your School Band & Orchestra Instruments

With the new school year looming for students across the country, there are soon-to-be musicians about to take on the responsibility of caring for an instrument for the first time. We at Reverb wanted to put together a few guides for young musicians (and their parents) that will help keep their instruments in perfect working order for all the performances and half-time shows that await.

Just as you wouldn't maintain a piano and a banjo according to the same set of instructions, students won't be able to maintain their saxophones, trumpets, or cellos in the same way. So, we invited Matthew Stross from Missouri's Springfield Music—which has been selling and renting out school band equipment for decades—to share specific tips and techniques for a variety of instruments.

As Matthew explains:

Learning to play a new instrument is an exciting and rewarding experience, and having an instrument that is in tip-top shape makes the process go even more smoothly. A well-maintained instrument can make learning much less frustrating for the new player, allowing them to focus exclusively on the nuances of playing the instrument, instead of hassling with sticky keys, damaged corks, or science experiments growing inside of the instrument.

This series will examine some basic tips on instrument care for the new player, to help new band and orchestra students get off to a good start.

We've also compiled some other great articles that will help you make sense of your new instrument—and give you some ideas for how to play them in exciting, creative ways.

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