Elmwood band scores a dozen instruments at fraction of cost

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Elmwood’s Breanna
Williams and Christian Aldaco with new Tenor Saxaphones that the school purchased. The school secured 12
instruments worth $57,000 for less than $3,000. (Photo: J.D. Pooley/Sentinel-Tribune)

JERRY CITY – The Elmwood band program is scoring great instruments at very little cost.
Since January, the band has purchased $57,329 worth of brass and woodwind instruments for $2,883.
It’s all in an effort to help students who can’t afford to purchase their own instruments.
Band Director Justin Brinkman gave as an example a tuba If bought new, it would cost $8,500. He picked it
up for $285.
Since January, he has purchased 12 instruments: one tuba, two French horns, two tenor saxophones and two
also saxes, on soprano sax, one clarinet, one trombone, one trumpet and one flugelhorn.
He is awaiting delivery on another trumpet and an alto sax.
He makes his purchases through the General Service Administration, working through the DLA Disposition
Services in Ohio.
"When we buy an instrument, the chances are it in not in the state of Ohio," Brinkman said.
But the dollars spent on instruments does go to the state.
"It’s a way for the government to take an instrument they are no longer using, and sell it
back."
Brinkman said he goes online every week to see what’s available, then sends an email to DLA, making a
request.
There’s no guarantee he’ll get the item.
Brinkman then arranges for shipment.
He estimated he has tried for 120 instruments and has gotten 12.
The only one he bought "blind," without seeing it first, was the flugelhorn for $40.
"We can take a gamble for $40. It ended up being a $2,000 flugelhorn."
"A great use of public money, and spending band dollars," said schools Superintendent Tony
Borton after Brinkman gave his presentation at Monday’s school board meeting.
The director takes advantage of this opportunity to help students who can’t afford to purchase their own
instrument.
"This gives us an opportunity to make more horns available" and to provide students instruments
they’re not likely to own, like a tuba.
For every dollar invested, Brinkman estimated the district got $17 in return.
"This is not a normal process," he admitted. "You don’t see a lot of places doing
this."
Brinkman, who is in the National Guard as a first sergeant with the 180th Fighter Wing in Toledo, also
played in the 555th Triple Nickel band from 2001 to 2012, when the band was decommissioned.
He wondered at that time what happened to all the instruments.
"How can I turn a bad situation into a positive one?" he wondered.

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