Gift Ideas for the Music Student in your life
The holiday season is almost upon us. Maybe you’re like me and you like to get your shopping done three months in advance. Or maybe you are like my husband, desperately wanting to buy the right present for the right person but has no idea where to start.
Well as your friendly neighborhood music teacher, I’m here to help – a shopping list for the music student in your life.
(*I am not sponsored by most of these links. Links were included for ease and to get an idea of the item, I cannot necessarily vouch for their quality or cost effectiveness.).
PERSONALIZED MUSIC BAG
While a reusable shopping bag certainly works for carrying music, a personalized music bag is a great way to promote your child and your belief in their skills. Bonus – it keeps their piano music from getting lost in the house – who doesn’t love a good organizational tool!
PERSONALIZED ASSIGNMENT NOTEBOOK
Do you keep forgetting to send a notebook with your child to lessons? Do you forget which notebook is the piano notebook? Here are links to some fun and clever options for piano assignment books.
And never forget the tried and true method – buying spiral notebooks and labeling it yourself (or you and your child decorate it together – two gifts in one – a personalized notebook and quality time with family)
MUSIC LIBRARY
Expand your child’s musical repertoire. Here is a link to a great list of supplemental piano books. They are arranged by level of difficulty. Please feel free to consult your piano teacher to assess which level your child should get. But my general recommendation is to get the level right below your child’s current level.
These books also come in a wide variety of styles – from popular music to kids songs to jazz to rock ‘n roll styled music. I highly recommend this gift. It will stoke your child’s imagination and desire to play.
METRONOME
A metronome is a tool that helps keep the beat. I’m sure you can find metronome apps for your phone or tablet device. I am old school, I like the mechanical metronome because it provides audio and visual feedback for keeping the beat whereas digital metronomes tend to only provide auditory.
MUSIC DICTIONARY
This is a great resource for any budding musician, especially middle school and older. I would highly recommend this gift for a voice student, an adult beginner, or someone considering studying music beyond high school. A good dictionary will contain terms and definitions of any item or symbol you could come across in a piece of music. It will generally have a basic summary of musical history and composers as well.
I personally recommend the Hal Leonard Pocket Music Dictionary.
BOOKS
The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori & the Invention of the Piano by Elizabeth Rush is a wonderful book for your budding musician. The goal of every musician is to perfect creating the sound of their choice. But what to do if your instrument won’t cooperate? That is the problem Bartolomeo Cristofori set out to solve when clavichords would only play quietly and harpsicords would only play loudly. Beautifully illustrated and masterfully described, this book creates a vivid picture of the history of the piano.
Because, by Mo Willems, is a beautifully written and illustrated book about a little girl becoming so inspired at a symphony concert that she ended up studying music and becoming a composer herself. This story is an amazing because it shows the importance of every member in a community and how everyone needs to play their part in creating a beautiful symphony. I cannot recommend this book enough.
The adventures of fearless fortissimo - piano comic book
(Full disclosure – I have not read this book yet) The Adventures of Fearless Fortissimo are a comic-based piano book series. The comic book tells the journey of Fearless Fortissimo battling enemies and trying to protect the Unifinished Symphony. In conjunction with the comic book, there are piano pieces for the student to learn. This could be a great resource to motivate elementary and upper elementary music students to continue in their piano lessons.
LEGO PIANO
In conjunction with learning the history of the piano and how to play the piano, why not learn how to build a piano? Not an actual upright or grand piano, but a Lego piano. This toy, while honoring your child’s love of the instrument, can provide a needed brain break during practice sessions!
MUSICAL EARRINGS
These earrings, by Earrings by Emma, are absolutely adorable - for the music student OR music teacher in your life. They are hypoallergenic plastic post earrings for sensitive ears
Check out www.earringsbyemma.com
PRIVATE LESSONS
Sign your child up or continue with private piano and or voice lessons. The benefits of music lessons are endless: discipline and perseverance are learned traits, improved self-esteem, reduces stress, strengthens motor skills, improved concentration, a gift of self-expression, entertainment and blessing to others. Private lessons will give your child the individual time and attention to build a strong musical foundation and opportunities to train and develop musical skills that will benefit them for a lifetime.
Contact Beth Smith at gracealone1356@yahoo.com if you are interested in piano or voice lessons!
MUSIC REVIEW WORKSHEETS
Looking for a supplemental fun at home activities for your young music student? Is there a younger sibling who isn’t quite ready for music lessons but desperately wants to be involved with an older sibling’s lesson (as I have seen in most of my piano families, including my own)? This worksheet packet would be a great gift - simple activities that reinforce musical concepts to young beginners, introduce musical symbols to preschoolers and toddlers, and provide an opportunity for participation for a younger sibling to do while their older sibling takes their piano lesson.
*I am affiliated with this resource.
