OMEA - Ohio

“Soaring Instrument Prices Could Stop the Music at Many Schools.”

In “Soaring Instrument Prices Could Stop the Music at Many Schools” (New York Times, October 2, 2026), Sydney Ember shares the challenges schools around the country are facing from tariffs that “are straining meager band and orchestra budgets.”

NAfME member Jeff Lipscomb a high school orchestra director in Kanawha County, West Virginia, shared, “I’ve actually had to buy instruments out of my own pocket.”

“I don’t even have a budget. Zero money,” shared Carolynn Langston, who has been teaching music at low-income elementary schools in Oregon for two decades. “Instruments are more expensive, which then squeezes even tighter on somebody like me.”

NAfME member Latasha Casterlow-Lalla, supervisor of visual and performing arts for Passaic Public Schools in northern New Jersey, shared that the prices of many instruments have grown exponentially since the pandemic. “A student saxophone that used to be $420 is more than $900. Tubas are at least $9,000, and the high school band wants four. If the proposed brass tariffs go into effect, she said, buying all of them would probably take her five or six years. By then, the would-be tuba players would have graduated.”

“We’re going to eventually hit our rubber-meets-the-road moment,” Casterlow-Lalla said.

NAfME Southern Division President Annamarie Bollino of Virginia also weighed in, saying she expected the proposed tariffs on brass instruments would further push up prices.

Read the full article (registration/subscription required): https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/business/economy/tariffs-instruments-school-music-programs.html

Take action today by contacting your members of Congress: https://bit.ly/oppose-brass-wind-tariffs

And read more about the issue here: https://bit.ly/brass-wind-tariff-blog

FREE PD for Ohio Music Teachers!
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21
OMEA & Music Will are providing this impactful workshop for no charge. We are grateful to Kent State University for granting us the use of the facility.
Popular Music Ensembles serve as an entry point to involve a wider range of students in music by engaging their personal musical interests, giving them agency, and applying contemporary culture.
The Modern Band approach creates a collaborative opportunity for students to explore produce and create music. It can be applied in almost any setting, ensemble, or classroom.
Click this link to register today!
https://www.tfaforms.com/4845923?EventID=a0DTQ00001cPtwE

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🎵 OMEA President’s Office Hours ("Common Time")! 🗣️✨
T O D A Y!!!!
We are excited to announce a new initiative designed to bring our community closer together. President’s Office Hours is an open, informal space—an hour to talk, listen, and connect!
Whether you want to drop by just to chat, check-in, share your recent victories, or talk through challenges and concerns, we want to hear from you.
📅 When: First Sunday of every month at 7:00 PM--Beginning in September.
🚀 Next Opportunity: Sunday, October 4th
🔗 Join via Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/auv-aeiv-fya
MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW—we look forward to connecting with you! 🎶

🎵 OMEA President’s Office Hours ("Common Time")! 🗣️✨
We are excited to continue our new initiative designed to bring our community closer together. President’s Office Hours is an open, informal space—an hour to talk, listen, and connect!
Whether you want to drop by just to chat, check-in, share your recent victories, or talk through challenges and concerns, we want to hear from you.
📅 When: First Sunday of every month at 7:00 PM
🚀 Next Up: Sunday, September 4th
🔗 Join via Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/auv-aeiv-fya
MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW—we look forward to connecting with you! 🎶