Keeping instrument safe at school

[Un2Trois]

If your dc plays an instrument at school or takes school music lessons, how valuable is their instrument? Dc has an entry level instrument and we will soon upgrade to an intermediate one for better sound and playing quality. This will cost about £1300.00. I'm gulping a bit at the thought that they could lose it at school or it might get damaged. Is it worth insuring it? How does your dc make sure their instrument is safe at school?

OP if this is a state comp anything like the one I went to in South London, please do not leave it there. Make DC take it to and from. Pleassseeee

@coconut my dds leave flute, violin and viola as well as occasionally bassoon in the cupboard at a se London state comp. We have had one cracked instrument in five years and that was because it had a rubbish case. I’m not sure anyone is trying to steal the instruments- they probably would have no idea what they were worth. A chilly’s water bottle is the only thing either child has ever had nicked!

Sorry to hijack, but @minisnowballs - are there specific models that your DC's flute teacher is recommending? It sounds as though my DC is at a similar stage and we've been instructed by her teacher that she needs something with open holed, B foot joint, ideally fully silver. Teacher is very happy to spend every penny I have and more, I am trying to rein her in (not least because I have a 12yo oboeist who will be outgrowing her instrument in the next couple of year with far more financially painful consequences).

We're planning a weekend in London to go to a couple of specialist shops once GCSEs are finished and I need to have more of idea of what we're seriously considering before then.

Hi TheTurnofTheScrew- I shall send you flute specifics by DM if that's OK...sounds like they are at quite a similar stage?

Our school has an instrument room. There is some sort of card/code access. It’s not big enough, but you could easily stick a flute in there.

My daughter had an expensive flute when she was at school once she got to Grade 7, and it never crossed my mind NOT to insure it against all risks as a specified item on our insurance policy. I wasn't so much concerned about it being stole from her locker as I was worried about her leaving it on the train.

We also put airtags in all the cases.

@LotsOfBalloons if you're thinking of getting a nicer headjoint (which is a good idea), do check it fits with your DD's current flute body. I have two Trevor James flutes, and the headjoints can't be interchanged - the width of the tubes is ever so slightly different.

Your DD really should try to play any new instrument/headjoint anyway before you buy.

Ah yes good point. We're not there yet but once she's done grade 7 I might have a word with her teacher/the shop. It's all SO expensive.

We did this with DC's cello - a decent advanced student cello costs several thousand so they had a basic one for school orchestra etc and kept the decent one at home for lessons and practice. Good cello only went to school on the day of a concert and was kept in the head of music's classroom until needed. WIth a flute that would be even easier as they could keep it in their backpack on concert day.

Allianz are brilliant for instrument insurance.

After my child "lost" an expensive musical instrument, I have put an airtag in the case. Definitely worth thinking about for those children who leave musical instruments and bags etc lying around

I am laughing at myself, as having been completely sure we would be OK with DD2 taking her (very expensive) new flute to her current school, now that we have actually paid for it I've very much changed my mind. She'll be taking the Yamaha when needed for the next five weeks...

That said, it will still have to go to boarding school with her in September, and though I'm sure they understand the importance of keeping instruments safe she's still really dippy and it feels like there is still very much the potential for it to get mislaid.... I've bought Air Tags so thanks to the poster who recommended this.

DS carries his guitar in a hard case and it is in a locked room when not in use. It is also insured on our house insurance under Personal Possessions cover.

Ds plays a different and equally expensive instrument. He has an airtag in the case and also some sort of hidden GPS tracker attached to the instrument itself.

It's big so would be hard to lose (in theory).

Our school have individual lockers for music and sports students who have lots of kit.

His case doesn't fit in the lockers so supposedly he takes the instrument out, puts it in the locker and leaves the case in the music room.

But I suspect he just dumps the whole lot in the music room.

It's insured for loss, theft, accidental damage.

(And having typed all that out I'm not sure why I'm being all mysterious about his "instrument". He plays bagpipes)

Loving the idea of a special bagpipe GPS tracker!

I have to say that I've never actually seen this secret hidden tracker. The service and repair guy offered to do it, it cost £150 but since the pipes are both £ valuable and sentimentally valuable we decided it was worth it. The repair guy knows where it is but a random bagpipe thief wouldn't know. And I don't know either.

I am now wondering if it is all a massive con and there is not in fact a hidden tracker anywhere and the guy just fleeced us of £150 for nothing 😀. It must need batteries replacing eventually or something? Or is it like the cat's microchip? Maybe it's a microchip to prove ownership rather than a tracker, that would make more sense.

I have been taken for a mug with all this secret tiny James Bond GPS tracker nonsense.

Music storage room at our school. Always try to pick them up in the car on music days for fear of them leaving instruments on the bus. DD keeps her 'best' instrument at home and only takes it in for concerts - she's been lucky enough to be able to borrow an acceptable school instrument for rehearsals/lessons. Thanks everyone for the insurance info, really need to do this.

My DC between them have over £8k worth of other instruments (mostly hired but cheaper ones owned). I have Allianz full cover and just cross my fingers they pay up if needed, as we certainly can’t afford a home and a school version of each. School has dedicated music storage but anyone with a school swipe card can access it.

Ours have their own individual padlocked lockers( by instrument size) Viola daughter was able to keep hers in head of music office whilst on waiting list for a locker.