>I've hooked up with the local Optimist Club and our American Recorder Society
>chapter and they have been very generous in supporting my program (well I am a
>member of both too). The parents pay for the recorders and music
>and I get them
>to pay the same amount if their kids stay on soprano or more if they move to
>alto or tenor. That adds money to the pot for the larger
>instruments and we now
>have 2 tenors and a bass for the program. Anyway, check with your local clubs
>that support youth programs: American Recorder Society, Optimist, Kiwanis,
>Civitan and maybe more.
>
>Hope this helps!
>Sue
>------------------------------------------------------------

Sue, I'm so glad that you bring this up. Recorder groups can make a
lot of community friends, especially for special events and the
holidays. Teachers shouldn't be afraid to let local community groups,
malls, et al, that they are raising funds to purchase instruments. A
couple hundred $ may seem like small stuff to the Rotary or Elks, but
it will be great for your purchases.

And while this may be a little counter to Plank Road's sales, let me
say that for some things, eBay can be a good source. You have to hunt
and read carefully, but occasionally you can find a good bargain
there, especially on larger instruments that may have been hiding in
the closet for years. But read carefully, look at the seller's
ratings, and study the pictures for problems.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Paul

--
*****************
Paul Jennings
Plank Road Publishing, Inc.
Publisher of MUSIC K-8 magazine & RECORDER CLASSROOM magazine
Wauwatosa, WI
pj@prpmk8.com
http://www.MusicK8.com
http://www.RecorderClassroom.com
http://www.GoldenRuleMusic.com
http://www.MusicK8Kids.com
http://www.SchoolMusicMatters.com
http://www.MooToobMoosic.com