Bring the Thunder! Start an Affordable Classroom Drumming Program with Bucket Drums
Whether you’re trying to outfit for your music classroom with drums on a tight budget, or you’re looking for a new classroom percussion activity for your music students, Remo Rhythm Lids and West Music 5 Gallon Buckets are an ideal solution. This combination can...
How to Choose the Right Case for Your Guitar or Ukulele
As a music store employee, one of the things that pains me the most is seeing a customer carry their guitar in for a repair without any sort of protection. They then spend their hard-earned money for a repair or restring, only to carry their instrument out of the...
The Best Guitars, Ukuleles, and Banjos for Beginners and Advancing Musicians
Working at a music store, one of the most common questions customers ask me is which guitar or ukulele will give them the best bang for their buck. Specifically, they want to know if there’s a brand or model that will give them the best quality, sound, and features...
Your Guide to Affordable Classroom Percussion
In my classroom, I had what most teachers have: a random assortment of hand percussion selected by someone many years ago. A few cowbells, some jingles, a strange number of sand blocks, you know the drill. Hand percussion is such a valuable tool for the elementary...
How Not to Get Played When Buying a Musical Instrument
Vitamins, bed pillows, car tires – I’ve ordered all these things online in the past year. The convenience and speed of buying online just makes sense for some things – but not everything. Case in point: musical instruments. A few years ago, a guy came into our...
Pro Tips for Choosing the Perfect Ukulele
Pro Tips for Choosing the Perfect Ukulele In the market for a new ukulele? There are countless options to consider. But which features should be your top priorities? What makes a difference in tone, longevity, and overall quality? And all those extras – which ones are...
How to Expand Your School’s Music Program with Prop 28
It’s official: with Prop 28, your music program budget just doubled, tripled, maybe even quadrupled. But after years of limited funds and making do with what you have, where do you even begin? You’ll save oodles of time if you work with a one-stop shop that has...
Everything You Need for a Spooktacularly Musical Halloween
We love our spooky books here at West Music! These top halloween books make perfect additions to your classrooms during this season of fun! Before we dive into books, we invite you to watch this video featuring Ryan West demonstrating how puppets and spooky sounds...
Setting Up a Keyboard Lab
Setting up a keyboard lab in your classroom can be a great way to give your students access to high-quality instruments and software. Here are a few things to consider when setting up your keyboard lab. Get the Right Equipment Whether you're planning for 1:1 or shared...
How to Choose the Right Ukulele
By Sarah Sheehan National Sales Consultant (Fretted Instruments), West Music When it comes to selecting a ukulele, there are multiple factors to think about before making your decision. West Music is here to help shed some light on the features and advantages of the...
Classroom Building Blocks
Essential Instruments for K-8 General Music Classrooms Whether you are starting an instrument program, expanding your selection, or making a few updates, classroom building block instruments are time-tested winners for introducing music concepts and building...
How to Pick the Perfect General Music Curriculum
Have you been teaching the same lessons in your music classroom for five, 10, even 15 years? Are you going to be teaching a new grade? Then perhaps the time has come to change things up with an all-new music curriculum. But where do you start? Is there a program that...