How about taking that money and putting your kids in private lessons? Or master classes (for something other than rote teaching the region music). Give them experiences by seeing professional Symphonies and Theater, and Ballet and Wind bands and Jazz Ensembles. Make them true consumers of the arts with that money, (since you don't need instruments and simply spending money on instruments to sit on shelves instead of a marching performance really doesn't do any good either). Teach the kids how and show them the want to actually learn to play the instrument they are holding!