Tips

Practicing Over Winter Break

You’ve made it through the first half of the school year! For many of you, that means you’ve probably played a few concerts, recently completed your marching band season, or maybe you’re headed to the Rose Parade. With winter comes the thrill of pep band, the improvisation of jazz band, the spinning of winter guard, or the rhythms of winter percussion. You know by now, being a musician is a never-ending process with performances and rehearsals perpetually around the corner. With so much going on, you’re probably ecstatic to have a few weeks of winter break to take a break from all the commotion. While it’s great to take a break from any activity that takes up so much of your time, it’s important to incorporate a little bit of practice during your off-time to maintain your peak condition. Many professional athletes can attest to the same thing: just maintaining your physical state during the off-season makes it much easier to perform at your best when it’s game time. Here are few tips for musicians to maintain their “chops” during the off-season: Long tones For a few minutes a day, simply play a few long tones. This will get your

Dec 20, 2016 No Comments

Contest Season Is Right Around The Corner – Is Your Instrument Ready?

It’s not too late, but time is running out. Contest Season is almost here! January through April is a really busy time of year for school music students. Many of the annual contests and festivals happen during this time of the year. These include: Solo & Ensemble Contest Jazz Band Festival Junior/Middle School Organizational Festivals High School Organizational Festivals Your performance level and the success of your organization depend on a properly playing instrument. If your instrument has not been looked over by a technician in the last 6 months you may be overdue. Send your instrument in for proper maintenance to help avoid small problems from turning into something larger at an inappropriate time. It could help you get to the next level during the upcoming contest season. If you’d like to send your instrument in for us to check, we have a step-by-step guide on how to do that right here. As always, please give us a call if you have any questions. 1-800-382-1099

Dec 13, 2016 No Comments

What To Do When Your Mouthpiece Is Stuck

While at first glance removing a stuck mouthpiece can look fairly simple, it can be anything but. The mouthpiece shank and the receiver both have specific tapers so the mouthpiece fits snug and doesn’t wiggle or leak air while playing. The mouthpiece may be stuck due to damage to the shank or the receiver. It might be dirty or it may have just been jammed on too tight. In any scenario the proper way to remove the stuck mouthpiece without damage is to use a mouthpiece puller. There are many different pullers available on the market but the one we use here is a Bobcat or Accent brand. You adjust the tool, with the screws, so that one side of the puller is pressing against the end of the receiver and the other side is pulling against the bottom of the mouthpiece cup.

Nov 15, 2016 No Comments

2016 November Super Sale!

The “Super Sale” at Paige’s Music is one of our biggest sales of the year. If you are thinking of “stepping” up to an intermediate or advanced level instrument this is the best time to do it. We would love to help you find the best instrument for your advancing student or answer any questions about this special promotion. Here’s how it works – Come to the store and draw a coupon that will allow you to “SUPER SIZE” your savings. The coupons range from 5%-50% OFF* our already low prices! OR – If you would rather not use the coupon that you selected, you can use our 12 months same-as-cash* option. There’s no interest as long as your balance is paid in full within 12 months. There are minimum payments due each month and our retail staff can help estimate what those might be.

Nov 8, 2016 No Comments

Fall/Winter Rebates at Paige’s Music

Believe it or not the, the winter is coming up fast! To celebrate this gift-giving season, many of the manufacturers Paige’s Music works with are giving generous rebates with the purchase or rental of a new instrument. If you’ve been looking to upgrade your instrument, now is a great time! If you’ve been looking to upgrade to a professional level instrument, Conn-Selmer (Bach, Conn, Holton, King, Selmer, and etc.) has a $100 mail-in rebate or you can choose a pBone or pTrumpet ($179 value) as your gift! These plastic instruments play rather well considering their all-plastic construction and is available in various colors. The purchase of a Bach instrument and submitted rebate form also enters you in for a VIP trip to the Bach factory in Elkhart, Indiana! More information on the Conn-Selmer rebate can be found here: http://www.conn-selmer.com/en-us/

Oct 18, 2016 No Comments

Tips On Trombone Care

Daily care and maintenance of your instrument is very important to how well your instrument performs. Watch this quick video below for a few, quick tips on caring for your trombone.

Oct 11, 2016 No Comments

October Marching Band Update

If you are in Indiana during the fall, you know marching band is a huge deal here! Indiana is home to many of the best marching bands in the country with Avon, Carmel, Center Grove, Chesterton and Lawrence Central all winning the Bands of America Grand National Championships. This weekend is the famed “Cavalcade of Champions” at Center Grove High School in Greenwood, Indiana. One of the most storied marching band invitationals in the state. This is the last weekend of invitationals before “playoff” season begins. If you’re looking to see some of best bands from around the state, this is a great show to attend as it features incredible programs, big and small! The “playoffs” are the process of working from every competitive marching band into the eventual state champion of each respective class. The competitions are hosted by ISSMA (Indiana State School Music Association) at various sites throughout the state. Each class is determined by school size with Class D being the smallest competitive class and Class A being the largest class. We begin with a regional where the top 10 bands in each class move on from each site into the semi-state stage. At semi-state, the top

Oct 4, 2016 No Comments

Tips On Clarinet Care

Daily care and maintenance of your instrument is very important to how well your instrument performs. Watch this quick video below for a few, quick tips on caring for your clarinet.

Sep 27, 2016 No Comments

Music At The College Level

Music does not have to end with high school graduation. You are not required to be a music major to reap the benefits of a college music program. Compared to a high school program, colleges and universities can offer a much wider array of ensembles to play in, such as year-round orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber ensembles, jazz bands, show choir, theater ensembles as well as marching band and pep band. Performing music at the college level is a transformative experience. What makes the experience transformative is that most of the work and practice you put into it will be on your own. Almost all of your rehearsal time will be put into the music itself. Your group rehearsals may also be quite independent in terms of sectionals and other small group rehearsals. This time will challenge you to improve yourself without the supervision you might be used to. This gives you the opportunity to not only master your instrument and performance of music, but to make incredible lifetime friends!

Sep 20, 2016 No Comments

Back-To-School Sale 2016

Come to Paige’s Music during the month of September and your first month is “on us” when you exchange your student instrument for a step-up instrument. This special offer is available on all of our step-up rental instruments in Paige’s Music, Encore Orchestral Strings, and the Indy Flute Shop throughout September. Curious about the benefits of step-up instruments? Please watch our short video on the advantages of upgrading your instrument below. If you wish to try any of our step-up instruments, please visit our store and our knowledgeable staff would be happy to assist you! You can contact us at [email protected] or by calling 1-800-382-1099.

Sep 6, 2016 No Comments

How Do I Send My Instrument In For Repair and Get A Loaner Instrument?

Sending an instrument into Paige’s Music for repair is a very easy process. Here’s what you need to do: 1. Call us at 1-800-382-1099 to let us know that your instrument needs service. We’ll arrange for a loaner to be sent to your school so your student isn’t without an instrument for class. TIP: You’ll need to keep your mouthpiece, bow, reeds, and cleaning items with you so that you’ll have them to use with the loaner until your instrument is returned to you. 2. Our District Manager will bring the loaner with him on his next visit to your school. He will also pick up your instrument and bring it back to the store for servicing. Most of the time your instrument will be returned to you the following week. TIP: Make sure you take your mouthpiece, bow, reeds, and cleaning supplies out of the loaner and put them back i your original case once your instrument has returned to your school.

Aug 23, 2016 No Comments

Tips on Flute Care

Daily care and maintenance of your instrument is very important to how well your instrument performs. Watch this quick video below for a few, quick tips on caring for your flute.

Aug 9, 2016 No Comments

Need to rent a school band or orchestra instrument? We’re here to help!

It’s the beginning of August. The sun is shining, the wind is warm, it’s the height of summer. In Indiana, school is starting. For many students, this means that English, math, biology, history come roaring back from the long summer. For a growing number of students, this also means the beginning of the musician’s journey! At Paige’s Music, we have partnered with many schools throughout the state to become the supplier of school band and orchestra instruments. For many families, the easiest option is to rent. Renting with Paige’s Music is a great opportunity to participate in music-making. We make rental easy and convenient and provide you with peace of mind. All of our band and orchestra rentals include free repair and replacement, free deliveries and pick-up, exchange, return, and early purchase discount options. We have several convenient options for renting an instrument on our Debut Rental plan.

Aug 2, 2016 No Comments

Tips On Trumpet Care

Daily care and maintenance of your instrument is very important to how well your instrument performs. Watch this quick video below for a few, quick tips on caring for your trumpet.

Jul 19, 2016 No Comments

How To Thrive At Band Camp

Band camp is one of the most fun, difficult, and trying times during any musician’s career. You will gain many great friends, make some great memories, and be pushed to achieve musical greatness as an individual and in an ensemble. As an alumni of the Avon Marching Black & Gold, the Marian University Marching Band and as a staff member of the Greenfield-Central Cougar Pride, I have a plethora of tips to help not only survive band camp, but also to achieve at the highest possible level! While you will achieve greatness, there is no way around band camp being an activity that is strenuous and will require more effort and dedication than almost anything else you will ever do! To help you through this, here is a checklist of things you can do to make sure you are prepared no matter where, when or how you are rehearsing: Stay Hydrated Being hydrated is the easiest thing you can do to achieve at band camp. This is Indiana, and as you already know, Indiana generally has very hot summers! You should fill a one-gallon jug with ice and water. Why one-gallon? This will be enough to get you through every

Jul 12, 2016 No Comments

How We Clean Your Brass Instrument

First we take the instrument completely apart. All the tuning slides are pulled and all the valves are removed and disassembled. Next, all the parts and the main body are immersed in one our four ultrasonic machines using different cleaning solutions and run through the process. After they come out of the ultrasonic cleaner, all the parts are rinsed thoroughly and inspected to make sure they have come clean. Next, the tuning slide tubes and valves are lightly scratch buffed to remove any oxidation that may still be on the pieces. After that, the springs, water key gaskets, valve stem washers, cap washers, bumpers are all replaced as needed. Finally, the instrument is reassembled with the proper lubricants and checked for proper airflow. Rotary valves are tied with new string and realigned. Any needed repair work is done outside this process. That’s a quick overview of the brass cleaning process. If you haven’t had your instrument in for awhile, please contact us or simply drop by the store!

Jul 5, 2016 No Comments

Top 5 Reasons to Experience Drum Corps International’s 2016 Tour Premiere

The DCI Tour Premiere is in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium this Thursday, June 23rd. The gates open at 7pm with the show starting at 8:30pm. We think you should be there! Here are just a few reasons why! 1. Experience the shows live before anyone else While the Drum Corps International Summer Tour will be taking place over the next 8 weeks and there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy the performances and productions the corps have to offer, there is nothing like seeing each show live with an audience for the first time. Drum Corps International is the premier drum and bugle corps organization featuring well-known corps such as the Blue Devils, The Cavaliers, Carolina Crown, and many other famous and fantastic performance ensembles. Modern drum and bugle corps are the “Division 1” of the marching music and Drum Corps International is “Marching Music’s Major League” and the top groups compete for the World Class World Championship in August in Indianapolis. For a taste of the best drum and bugle corps has to offer, please enjoy this video! 2. Experience Music, Old and New. Throughout its history, drum and bugle corps have had the creative freedom to experiment, explore,

Jun 21, 2016 No Comments

Take Care Of Your Instrument This Summer

In our last blog post we mentioned that now is a good time to get your instrument serviced. However with schools out and possibly no summer program going on it can be difficult to get your instrument in to the shop when you live a distance away. Here are a couple of tips for those of you this effects. Brass instruments – At the very least make sure you grease up the tuning slides and move them in and out a few times to spread the grease around. Keep the valves oiled and make sure you get the instrument out from time to time to move the valves and slides around. Clean your mouthpiece out! Woodwind instruments – On reed instruments make sure you take the reed off the mouthpiece and clean it out with some mild liquid detergent soap and lukewarm water (not hot!). On flutes you can also clean out the headjoint (not the main body) with some mild liquid detergent soap and lukewarm water (not hot!). Be careful to not move the head crown assembly or it will have to be reset. String instruments – Make sure and let the tension off on the bow to keep the

Jun 14, 2016 No Comments

Urban Play by the Buffet Group

As one of the premier manufacturers of wind instruments, there is a great deal of knowledge and craftsmanship behind the music of the Buffet Group. With all of this expertise, the Buffet Group created the free, fun app: Urban Play. Urban Play gives the user the opportunity to play along with some of the top musicians including Camille Chapelliere (Clarinet), Regis Moreau (Flute), Al Naniscalco (Saxophone), Fabien Cyprien (Trombone), Michael Rambaud (Trumpet), and many more world class musicians! All of the playable tracks come in different difficulties and you can start at any point in the track and utilize either just the accompaniment and/or the soloist music track. Another great feature of the app it includes the opportunity for improvisation over a background groove. Every instrument track is performed by a professional musician so you can not only play along, but have a guide for the musicality and tone to strive for! Urban Groove is available for iPad and iPhone (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/urban-play/id886668420?mt=8) and Android 4.1 or higher (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.buffet_group.UrbanPlay).

Jun 7, 2016 No Comments

Get Your Instrument Serviced This Summer

Has it been a while since your instrument was in for a check-up? If summer is a down time for you and your playing time, then you should send your instrument in for a check-up. We recommend two visits each year to help keep your instrument in proper playing condition and the summer is the perfect time. In fact, schools across the state will be sending in all kinds of school-owned instruments this summer to be cleaned, repaired, and refurbished so that they are ready to go for the next school year. The best way to get your horn serviced during the summer is to bring it to the store. Our District Managers are visiting some schools during the summer, but not all schools and not every week. It’s very sporadic. The safe thing to do is call us first to see if arrangements can be made to drop off a loaner and pick up your instrument. You can call us at 1-800-382-1099. Have a great rest of your summer and don’t forget to practice!

May 24, 2016 No Comments