<p>Your thread did make me run out with my Target flyer today and start with purchasing the room items. I did ask son if he wanted to to go buy the items himself but he said he’d trust my taste. He’s a camp couselor for the next month so won’t have much free time to shop for college anyway. Also, JC Penney sells tuxes for about $100 which is perfect since my son’s idea of laundry is throwing things on the floor and I’d hate to buy a better quality one until he learns to take better care of his performance clothes… His poor roommate.
My question should we be looking at better metronomes, tuners or recorders for college or wait until he gets there to see what is needed? Anything else music related that your son or daughter couldn’t live without?</p>
<p>Momofbassist, my son’s studio professor posted a list of stuff on his website. Pretty much everything related to his instrument - specific music, intruments, metronomes, mutes, tuners, including prefered brands and interesting tips, like to not purchase used toilet bowl plungers (?). </p>
<p>I assume that not every professor would do that, but that may give your son a great opportunity (excuse) to “suck up” (oops, I mean make an initial contact). Just email the professor and ask.</p>
<p>Someone asked about Boston and bikes: there is a big new effort underway to make Boston a more bike-friendly city, including a bike rental service offered by the city. At the same time, there are new efforts to ensure safety for everyone, bikes, pedestrians and cars, partly by enforcing traffic laws fairly, meaning on bike riders as well.</p>
<p>All this advice is great. Some parents need to prepare for their kids departure (and future convenience and safety of their kids) by over planning, and other parents want their kids to fly on their own sooner. I think if your student wants and accepts the help, then by all means help them. My D let me help her when she was a freshman, but then cut me off quickly after that as she started to feel suffocated. (Hmmphf!) I will say, skip the bike the first semester if your child is going to a big city for the first time, and if you do get them a bike, try a used clunker that isn’t tempting for someone else to steal. We made sure my D’s bike was always one of the uglies on the rack and she liked it that way. Also, for musicians that would like a keyboard, definitely look on eBay, and get rack raisers so you can store it under your bed easily. </p>
<p>To all you first-time-freshman parents … get ready for the gap in your life … it hits you like a brick so you need to get active in something else besides your S or D now so you get through it smoothly.</p>
<p>Can any brass (specifically trombone) players speak on whether mutes are typically required for performance degrees? I’m a few years out, but I’m debating whether or not to get one now or continue borrowing from the school and want to know if it’s a good investment.</p>
<p>^^Son plays Euph and Bass Trombone. You will need your own mute. You can probably wait until your first term and see what your prof recommends. That’s what my son did.</p>
<p>Probably mentioned, but Bed Bath and Beyond has a lot of great options, you can get a scanner and pick things you want and they will notify the store closest to your college/destination and they pack everything up and when the time comes you go there and purchase everything. You can take things out/add things as needed as well</p>
<p>We did that a couple of days ago so that we can pick things up in Boston. Our sales clerk said Boston is so busy they have everything stored in trucks in the parking lot sorted by pick-up day. You don’t even have to go in the store to pay.</p>
<p>I thought BB&B’s prices were OK ,though not the most competitive. Since the other options, though, would be paying for shipping or renting a car in Boston so we could go shopping, it probably all comes out even and is pretty convenient.</p>
<p>Thanks, sagiter! I’ll probably just wait then.</p>