Parent's FAQ
Message of
Assurance

Behind every successful student there is a supportive parent.

Behind every successful student there is a supportive parent. Your praise, encouragement, and enthusiasm will help promote your child's success. Having a good quality instrument and a place at home to practice free of distraction is very important.

When starting instrumental music, we advocate renting before buying for a variety of reasons: some children will not enjoy the experience and wish to quit; others may need to change instruments for physical or other reasons; certain students will only play for one semester or year then move on; the cost to rent is less expensive than purchasing.

For the average student, it takes approximately one year to feel comfortable about his or her instrument. Buying before learning to play can be overly expensive, as most stores do not offer substantial refunds.

Musicare's Rental Rebate Program and Repair Services for Parents

When a student musician becomes serious about music, parents may return the rental instrument and purchase a new one through Musicare's rental rebate program. Read more about our rental services.

Parents also need to be assured that their children are playing on clean instruments. Musicare uses Ultrasonic cleaning, the latest technology available to super clean wind instruments. Read more about our repair services.

Our Resources for Parents

• Musicare Parent's Guide (2010)
• Parent's Guide to Buying a Band Instrument
• Message of Assurance
• FAQ for Parents
• Listing of Private Music Teachers

Musicare's Parent's Guide 2010 (PDF)

Musicare's Parent's Guide is an easy to read publication. It contains rental pricing, instrument descriptions, "must have" and "recommended" accessories, tips on instrument care, FAQ's, a listing of private music teachers plus piano and other repair/tuning services for the Ottawa area and more. Download the 2010 Parent's Guide now.

At Musicare, we believe that all instruments should have a good home. If you are looking to buy or sell a used, new or under-played instrument, please visit our consignment inventory page and then contact us with your request.

By choosing Musicare's "Rent Before Buying Program" parents are:

• Not locked into a non-refundable "option to purchase plan".
• Not required to purchase additional mouthpieces.
• Not paying full retail prices for unwanted instruments should a child discontinue music classes.
• Free to cancel whenever necessary without penalty.
• Free to exchange to other instruments.
• Automatically enrolled into the Musicare "Free over the Summer Practice Plan."

The Musicare Rental Plan Features:

• Monthly or discounted school year payment plans.
• Rental rebates for "down the road" new instrument purchases.
• A large selection of brand name instruments to choose from.
• Educator discounts on all accessory purchases.
• A cleaned and sanitized mouthpiece or mouthpiece package.
• "Walk-in" instant repair and cleaning services.
• FREE loaner for "over night" repairs.
• Multiple instrument discounts for families renting more than one instrument.
• Instrument delivery.

Browse through our online catalog for a listing of our rental instruments.

Brass | Percussion | Strings
Woodwind | Accessories | Videos

Reserve your rental instrument now!

Comparison Shopping In Ottawa

Musicare offers several-thousand rental instruments at affordable set rates. Our "one price policy" ensures that ALL customers pay the same price even if you are not the first in line.

Musicare has also been a continuous member in good standing of the Better Business Bureau since 1975, helping to maintain a measurable standard for customer service and accountability.

Did You Know?

Did you know that Musicare is the only repair centre in Ottawa to offer high-tech ultrasonic cleaning? Our system will clean everything from piccolos to giant tubas and mouthpieces.

Contact us to learn about how our rental instruments are always properly cleaned.

No time to visit our store? Living at the other end of town? Ask us about home or office delivery. We ship daily to the location of your choice.