By the time students are in high school, they have likely played on the same student model or rental instrument for at least 4 years. Just like in sports and in other activities, the demands of band increase as students progress, so students will most certainly benefit from playing on a higher quality instrument by the time they are a sophomore in high school.

However, before purchasing any new or used instrument, it is highly recommended that students and parents do the following:

First, speak to your band director and/or private instructor about the desire to purchase a new instrument and seek their recommendations / guidance.
Visit Volkwein’s Music in person, meet with one of the trained instrument salespeople, and test out several instruments before purchasing.

There is an overwhelming number of options available, including many very appealingly affordable instruments online. Many of these instrument-shaped objects are extremely low-quality and are difficult to impossible to repair. Therefore, the instrumental music staff at Norwin recommends that high school students consider the following Intermediate and Professional level instruments when purchasing a new or used instrument:

Intermediate - Yamaha YTR4335, Yamaha YTR5335

Professional - Yamaha YTR6335, Yamaha YTR8335 (Xeno), Bach Stradivarius 18037

*Intermediate = high school student with intermediate-level skills who may continue playing their instrument after high school

*Professional = high school student with advanced-level skills who probably will continue playing their instrument after high school

Custom Order Page - Norwin High School Band - Trumpet

TRUMPET