inBachs / The Mistake I Won’t Make Twice - Why Instrument Insurance is a NEED

By Kelly Riordan
Sponsored by Clarion Associates, Inc.

It often feels like our instruments are an extension of us. They are our passion, lifelong hobby, career, and a key part of our self-expression.

Like many musicians, my set of professional clarinets was also one of the first significant purchases I made.

The day before my high school graduation, I traipsed down to my professor’s studio in downtown Milwaukee to test instruments that he had hand-selected and brought back from Conn-Selmer in Indiana. Somehow, I got the first pick, and we quickly settled on a beautifully matched pair of Selmer Signatures.

The next week, I was volunteering at a local scout camp to teach canoeing. It was a 45-minute drive each way, and I remember calling my teacher most days to discuss the break-in process for my new horns. This new set of instruments cost 6-7x what my beater Toyota Corolla could have possibly been worth on a good day, and I was terrified to mess them up...but Prof. Levy had a very detailed strategy, and I followed it to a tee.

Those same instruments are sitting on my desk right now. They are, to this day, my prized possessions. I’m teary-eyed thinking about all of the places my clarinets have taken me and the achievements we have had together. It would be devastating to be without them for any reason.

I’ve also been in the industry long enough to see instruments go through some serious trauma. Trumpets falling off the back of cars before playing a graduation ceremony, French horns sent to the wrong country on the way back from our European tour, and snapped clarinet keys when the stand was tripped over...it’s scary out there.

What’s even more scary is that my clarinets were not insured that first summer. The stress breaking them in the “right way”, coaching during my long commute, and careful selection, could all have easily been wiped out in a moment.

I can’t imagine taking that risk again, and I won’t. Having my instruments protected in case of travel snags, accidents, or emergencies is so crucial that I would happily scream the importance of instrument insurance from the roof of Carnegie Hall if they would let me next week.

TLDR; Check out my friends at Clarion. They do fabulous work protecting instruments, because that’s their only focus. You won’t regret a policy, but you will regret not having it when the worst happens.