What does MN think of crowdfunding for an instrument?

Benslow looks like a great organisation.

Link fail. I'm not on mumsnet much these days...

It's worth a try. I'd contribute if I had any spare £. Look up www.a-y-m.org.uk they often help towards an instrument and then maybe they can crowdfunding the rest?

I came to say what Clara has said. The school will have contacts with people who own good instruments that are available for loan, and will own its own instruments.

You are right, op, in this world £3000 doesn't go very far, unfortunately.

Is there a particular instrument the family is trying to buy? Have they got advice from people who really know what they are talking about? It is possible to find very good sounding instruments for less than this for a student, if the family can find an instrument dealer who takes an interest in the child. Probably the teacher of the child would be the best person to advise them about this. There is not a direct correlation between the sound of an instrument and its value, so it is possible to find very healthy sounding violins for lower prices and crappy sounding ones for 10s of thousands and more...

The London conservatoires (especially the RAM) have fantastic instrument collections which they lend out, probably mostly to conservatoire students, but they may be able to lend a few cheaper ones to younger kids (£3000 would be considered a very cheap violin by the standards of these conservatoires).

I think it would make sense for the child to try a few different instruments borrowed from a good, but not a pretentious, dealer, and then do a fundraising concert, crowdfunding, find a sponsor, etc to pay for it. I don't know London dealers except the most pretentious ones (I am American). There is a violin shop in Newbury that I think is quite good, so I would have a look there, perhaps. www.philipbrownviolins.co.uk/default.asp?action=ShowCategory&CategorId=43

We need a far better instrument than we can afford, and the child is question reckons she is going to play it for ever. I wouldn't crowdfund though! We are looking into grants, loan schemes and charities, and will also have to save up ourselves.

Did they explore the "take it away" scheme? You can basically purchase an instrument for up to £5k on monthly instalments without any interest applied to the loan.

More info here

www.takeitaway.org.uk

Agree with witchend
They could explore borrowing or hiring first.
Also they could go back to conservatoire and ask what help is available since they obviously want the child in their ranks
Dd has an instrument on loan .. we couldn't afford to buy it and the orchestra wanted that particular instrument to be used.

Whilst I can agree with you to a certain extent Ylvamoon and obviously you have experience of this.
However, ime it's quite rare for a child to get to this level and then want to give it up. The ones that do, the biggest group seem to be those who were doing it for Mum or Dad, not saying you were like this btw, some kids just burn out.
I would support the child, but still doubt the reliability of the source.
The insurance on a cheaper instrument is bad enough and it would need to be insured.

The tax payer funds most of dd place at her school and I am eternally grateful and so is she, she works so hard. I'm sure this young man would be immensely grateful for a leg up.

Yes. I'd support it. Too many kids involved in violence in today's society. It's nice to see kids still pick a musical instrument up

I wouldn't pay if asked. For same reasons as already mentioned AND we are taking about a very expensive instrument for a child! What if said child decided two years down the line that classical music is not for him and he need a 3k E- Guitar to peruse his ambitions?
(Believe me, been there! My DD is very talented in her chosen sport and was very successful - we are talking youth team and world champions. And yet, she has decided not to continue with the competitive side she is tired of all the travelling and training. Yep early teens, ... you just don't know!)

My immediate thought is I don't love crowdfunding and wouldn't a more traditional way be for some fundraising activities/events-like the concert suggested. Could he do a sponsored something?? More likely to get media and thus business interest that way too.

I don't know anyone who has been expected to stump up so much for a violin, as a junior.
Gosh, even the violinists at dd specialist music school aren't expected to pay so much for a violin. Some of them are working at undergrad level and entering YMOTY and don't have that expensive of instrument
He'd have to be an experienced pro working in a renowned orchestra to spend so much.
I'd question the source of the advice tbh.
It has nothing to do with rich or poor, moreover bad advice.
HTH

He could borrow a high quality instrument from this wonderful organisation

benslowmusic-ils.org/

I was thinking that a concert would be a good idea. You could organise a sort of musical soirée and ask people to buy tickets or make contributions with proceeds to go to the new violin.

I would. It's seems "worthy" enough

Unlike the crowd funder I saw recently to help the owners of some beach huts which were vandalised. Very expensive beach huts which are presumably insured

If I'm totally honest if I was sent a request to contribute towards a crowd funder for this it would be a definite no. I'm struggling to find enough money for food and fuel for the rest of the month though.

I wouldn't begrudge being asked though nor would I think it grabby or judge. Perhaps if I had a lot more disposable income I'd think it quite sweet and dig deep.

If the family are looking at grants I would advise searching for 'educational awards' as well as just specific music awards. DD has recently been awarded funding towards musical expenses by an organisation that give grants for all sorts of educational costs eg. travel expenses, courses, projects, school fees, purchase of equipment. They do not promote themselves as a 'musical charity' at all so would not appear on the usual lists of funding providers. I'm sure there are other similar organisations in different areas of the country, they can just take a bit of finding.
I'm not sure how I feel about crowd funding for this purpose - I guess it may be worth a try and people will either think it's worthwhile and donate - or not. At some point we will have to buy DD a horribly expensive instrument and I have no idea how we will manage it - people have enough expenses for their own children - but I don't think I would feel comfortable doing it like this.
Previous posters are right that the conservatoire will have come across this situation many times before and should be able to advise.

I would have mixed feeling about that.

On one hand I don't think money should stand in the way of true talent either in music, sports or any other activities like that. I wish there was more opportunity in this country for helping people who have talent so they are the ones who make it, not those with money.

However I'd join with the person upthread who said they don't like crowdfunding. Often it seems to be basically "I don't want the hassle of saving up so I want others to pay" (not saying that it is in the case of your friend, but it colours my view) or in some cases presenting a totally misleading case. eg the NHS won't pay for it, when they're not offering it because it is known not to help.

Also if parents, or even friends of parent,s put it in then unless I knew them really well I wouldn't donate because I would have no way of knowing whether:
a) My child's a genius is true or not.
I've had several conversations recently about a friend's "genius" dc. I've heard all about how they realised the dc was desperately musical about 6 months ago. They realised when dc was asked to prepare for grade 1 in a common woodwind instrument that they'd been learning for 2.6yrs at that point. They are totally convinced they are a genius and their 10yo is headed for glory in their instrument. They have convinced mutual friends so much they say the child's name in a reverent tone. I can see them crowdfunding for a better instrument.
b) Whether actually the family can afford it but their choosing not to, because they think others can pay. Dd2 needs a new trumpet before the next grade. We're not looking at £3k, but it's going to be instead of a holiday this year, and possibly next year as well. So I'd want to feel that they weren't just expecting others to pay and were putting something in themselves.

What would convince me to pay would be things like: Local known music teacher's endorsement. Going to a concert and hearing them play and knowing they were actually excellent. Knowing the family and that they do put a lot financially.

Sorry to sound negative. My view is coloured by I don't think I've ever seen a crowdfunded thing that I know something about and either wondered how they're getting away without being charged with gaining money by false pretences or why should people pay for you to get a freebee.
I know neither of these are true in your friend's case, but that's my local experience. Do check before doing it for your friend though; I would loath it if someone did that for me for the above reasons.

I think the conservatoire would be best placed to give advice on this. It must be a problem they come across every day.