Music Market gets kids paired with instruments

Dylan Allen is all about that bass.

It’s the reason the Valley View Elementary sixth-grader was one of the first in line to rent his instrument from Great Falls Public Schools for the next year at the third annual Beginner Instrument Music Market.

“I just like the low sound,” he said.

He picked out the instrument last year as a fifth-grader and his mother, Nikki Allen, said even though it’s a big instrument, her son has done a good job of hauling the bass back and forth to school.

“He said he could handle it, and I said OK,” Allen said. “It’s not too bad. He looks good with it and it fits him.”

There were plenty of other budding musicians in line to rent instruments either from the school district or various shops such as Bud Nicholls Music, Eckroth, Morgenroth and Rod’s Music on Thursday afternoon. In fact, the line to rent instruments from the school district snaked its way around the cafeteria at Paris Gibson Education Center and out the door.

“We may run out of instruments this year,” said Dusty Molyneaux, director of music and fine arts for GFPS. “It’s a good problem to have. But it’s a problem.”

The district has about 400 instruments available for elementary students to rent each year for a reduced cost of $70 for the year or $20 if a student qualifies for the free and reduced meal plan. But Molyneaux said students are limited to choosing between a viola, cello, bass, French horn and a couple others. Other instruments had to be rented from the other vendors.

The district has another music market scheduled Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria at Paris Gibson Education Center, 2400 Central Ave. The music market started three years ago for efficiency purposes.

“The way we used to do it teachers would haul the instruments to their schools,” Molyneaux said. “It was very inefficient.”

Because of this, it delayed the start time for students actually learning how to play their instruments, too, he said.

And if there was one thing evident in the Paris Gibson cafeteria Thursday afternoon, these students are ready to learn. Matthew Francis bounced around with cheeks puffed up, fingertips tapping the imaginary trumpet in front of him. The fifth-grader at Sunnyside Elementary couldn’t say why he picked the trumpet, but his fingers sure seemed to know why.

Avarey Stuff lives right across the street from Sacajawea Elementary School, so the fifth-grader’s mom Angela Swingley told her daughter she could play whatever instrument she preferred. Avarey picked the flute.

“It looks interesting to play,” Avarey said.

Lora LoDuca was very nervous when her daughter Angelina, a fifth-grader at Morningside Elementary, informed her she wanted to play the cello.

“She was really excited about the cello and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, what’s that going to cost us?’” LoDuca said.

But then she learned Angelina could learn to play the cello and it would cost $70 for the year if they rented from the school district.

“I’m very excited about the flat rate,” LoDuca said. “Seriously. Very excited.”

Reach Tribune Staff Writer Kristen Cates at 791-1463. Follow her on Twitter @GFTrib_KCates.