i'm a freshman in high school, this is my sixth or seventh year playing flute. i played piccolo in middle school, so i am familiar with the instrument, but i used the school's model. i want to look into buying a piccolo for myself. i plan on using it to march, but also for concerts. i will most likely buy one from my private teacher, who is a very reliable source, but i just want some second opinions. what affordable models would you recommend? are there any brands i should definently stray away from? --thank you

You should be safe with any of some of these models listed below. These should serve you find for HS.

Armstrong
Yamaha
Emerson
Gemeinhardt
Sonare (I have not tried myself but heard they are very good.)
Jupiter
Pearl has a piccolo out, but I have not tried one of them either or have heard much about them, so I am not in the position recommend one.

i'm a freshmen in highschool too. i've played picc since middle school too.lol. so i don't know if my advice will do much good... but i thought i'd try.

for marching i use a wooden yamaha the school gave me, don't have an exact model. but i wouldn't suggest wooden for marching. it get's discolored, and marching isn't very good for it. at least, that's what the lesson's teacher told me.
now i play a metal geimeinhardt[sp?] for concert season. don't like it as much at all. if you're looking for an intermediete one, i say yamaha, but i don't know many of the smaller brands either.
good luck finding one. :]

I would say that either an all plastic on or just a plastic body would suite your needs the best. The plastic blends better for indoor concert use but can also be used outside for marching, which wood should not be. That would keep the price low cost also.

Find a good music shop and try several different models. Find one you like and can play well. Then buy one (probably elsewhere) at the best price.

you use medal for concert season and wood for marching? that seems a bit backwards LOL

i know.
my band directors are brass players.
i played the wooden during marching season because it was the only one in inventory.
but then concert season came around and my drum major needed a nice one for orchestra. so we traded. :/ i miss the wooden one. but i wish i was playing it for concert season instead of marching.

I was lucky I played a wooden yamaha piccolo throughout highschool and university I think it was 61 model. It was very old (I got it used for $200) and at the time I got it they had already stopped making it. It is not playable anymore (cracks and stuff), but it lasted me a good 10 years. Excellent for a used $200 wodden piccolo.