You’re dead. Now what?

[whitbey]

Never seen this question…..

As the mortality rate is one per person, there is a good chance a few horns will be left behind without any understanding of what they are what to do with them. Most other family members would not know how to sell and ship a horn, let alone put it in a case.

Curious if anyone has helped do this or what anyone left for notes for when they are gone?


Remember when you were young at a wedding and someone said, “You’re next”? Now they say that to me at funerals. But I am the guy to put Fun back in the funeral.

[Kbiggs]

That’s what wills and trusts are for. I intend to leave mine to a few friends “for their personal use or disposal, as they see fit,” or words to that effect.

[Bach5G]

I’ve been thinking about this lately. The only solution is to sell them myself while I can but I still play all of them. I am contemplating selling a couple of expensive guitars that I don’t play much.

[MrHCinDE]

It would have to be some sort of sealed envelope which can only be opened after death to reveal the true scale of the horn investments to the surviving spouse, otherwise an early passing may be brought about by unnatural causes.

[atopper333]

I think this is exactly how several great horns wind up at Pawn Shops or Goodwill…

If the surviving family has no idea what they have…then they won’t know what they should do with it…

I have seen it a few times where the surviving friends will help out to get fair prices for the instruments that are left…I know I would try to help the family know what they have and if I don’t know…at least find out some values for them. Things sometimes seem to be overlooked when people are grieving…I’d just want to help them out to get what they could/wanted for them.

I hope my kids will keep a few when I’m gone…if anything as a form of remembrance…

[harrisonreed]

Just get a coffin big enough to be buried with your horns. People should buy their own stuff, not yours.

The Egyptians did it right. How else will people 6000 years from now know about the trombone?

[Bach5G]

A friend was sent off with his favourite mouthpiece in his pocket.

There was a bit of drama a few months later when it was thought the wrong mpc was included.

[BGuttman]

Now, now, Harrison. Don't you think the horns deserve to be played?

I gave my wife a couple of names of people who could accurately rate and resell my horns. Don't know if she's motivated enough to do it; there's a fair amount of money there; but she'd have to actively do something.

There are a bunch of other valuables (and a lot of junk) that will become my estate, provided she can convert it to cash. There is a very expensive camera, a very expensive stamp collection, a bunch of diamonds left to me by my father, etc. Right now all that stuff is just sitting there. Hope she can figure out what to do with it.

[Finetales]

As the mortality rate is one per person

Except for Keith Richards, of course.

[Burgerbob]

Barring unexpected death:

It's the owner's prerogative to take care of those kind of possessions while they are able. Give them away, sell them, make sure family members know what to do with them. I can only hope that close family will know SOMETHING about their loved one's hobby or profession.

[hyperbolica]

Two weeks ago a member of my quartet passed. So this is a question that has come up in a practical way around here recently. As far as I know, there was no provision for his horns in his will. Plus, his remaining family was not very friendly to his musical tendencies. His horns were all old and pretty beat up. A 78h with some unintended angles in it. A 70h that few can appreciate. A 2B that I've only ever heard of and never seen. Plus a raft of trumpets and other recycling fodder.

[Trav1s]

I've talked with my wife about this. The only horn of significant value is my 79H and she gets that. She's savy enough to search for resources but I have also directed her what to do with it if my daughter is not interested.

[WGWTR180]

I’ve help people in the past who’ve had no idea what their spouses owned. Sold everything and sent them, if needed, to their new homes. Never wanted or ever took a dime for me help.

[ScaryTerry]

Once I bought a trombone from a late Doctor’s daughter. He had about 20 of them and only had a list of how much he had paid for them new. I was 14 at the time and spent all of my money on a King 2B Silversonic. Best $900 I ever spent.

A dealer bought the rest of the horns the next day for a lump sum, so that worked out great for the family.

[BrassSection]

My plan is to give my trumpet playing grandson first crack at my trumpet and also my euphonium which he plays on occasion, those are my most valuable horns, and the remaining 3 if he wants. Any or all he doesn’t want will go to one of two local band directors at small rural schools, either to use for the school, or to give to a deserving student. I prefer being a Band Booster as opposed to an Athletic Supporter.

[chromebone]

I’ll sell them off at some point before I’m dead. There’s more to life than playing the trombone, and I want to experience it before I die. As my teacher John Swallow used to tell me “Playing trombone is what I do, it’s not what I am”.

[CalgaryTbone]

The lawyer (a friend and musician) who drew up my Will brought this up. He suggested not putting it in the Will but rather making a supplementary list of items, and suggesting where you hope they would go. Music library, for instance, could go to a music program of some kind (University, or high school conservatory program). Horns could be gifted to high school students interested in studying music.

He (Lawyer) suggested that making sure your family was aware of these wishes, and that the letter expressing your wishes be stored with your Will (copy to executer?).

Don't think that everything will already be sold off - you don't know when your time will be up. A friend from school that was playing with another Canadian orchestra passed away rather suddenly last year from an aggressive Cancer. Another trombone colleague just passed a month or so ago (also Cancer) just after retiring.

I hope that I will have the time to sell/give away most of my musical equipment to be able to enjoy seeing them continue to be useful. Our former Harpist was able to give the Oboe that had belonged to her Mom to a deserving young student. Then she had the pleasure of playing with the young girl who had the Oboe in a combined concert with the local Youth Orchestra.

Good timing that this has come up - I need to write that list, and figure out where I want everything to go that I am donating.

JS

[Wilco]

It would have to be some sort of sealed envelope which can only be opened after death to reveal the true scale of the horn investments to the surviving spouse, otherwise an early passing may be brought about by unnatural causes.

[blast]

I did this a few years ago for one of my oldest friends, who had cancer. He didn't want his wife to have the stress of dealing with it after he had gone. He had asked me six years earlier when he was first diagnosed. All I would say is that he wanted all money raised to go direct to charity and this made it difficult for the pros I sold to when claiming tax relief for the instruments.

[dougm]

Two data points:
1. A friend has a King 2B Silversonic. He has told me over and over that his daughters have been made aware of how much the horn is worth so they can sell it when he passes.

2. Another friend has asked me to help him sell his horns, but a few years apart. First was a Bach 8 that he bought new in the 1940's. He is now asking me to help him sell his Shires, as he is not able to play anymore.

But, I have seen horns on the estate auction sites that are lumped in with the rest of the deceased personal property.

Doug

[ks5diox]

I requested that my relatives have the Beethoven Three Equali played live at my graveside when I die.

Most of my wife's family is already buried in this peaceful rural cemetery in upstate NY. When her parents mentioned the possibility of joining them in their 'forever home', we agreed. As a natural procrastinator, it feels satisfying to have this one detail of my life worked out.

[hyperbolica]

I requested that my relatives have the Beethoven Three Equali played live at my graveside when I die.

Most of my wife's family is already buried in this peaceful rural cemetery in upstate NY. When her parents mentioned the possibility of joining them in their 'forever home', we agreed. As a natural procrastinator, it feels satisfying to have this one detail of my life worked out.

My quartet played this at a member's son's funeral. It was all we could do to make it through. The music, even without the funeral, is incredibly moving. It's solemn without being depressing, and even a bit of light at the end.

[CarlVicVogel]

Doggone it all....I have 6 trombones that play well. Only the 3 small bores will fit in the coffin. Both 42BO's and the bass trombone will have to be sold by my son.