2021 Holiday Gift Guide for Musicians
It’s the holiday season again, and I’m back with my annual gift guide for musicians! These are a few of my favorite suggestions for musicians, whether they’re a classical musician, rock musician, or just play an instrument for fun.
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Table of Contents
Girl, Unstrung by Claire Handscombe
I recently had the great privilege of reading an advanced copy of Girl, Unstrung, a new Young Adult novel by Claire Handscombe. This book follows a high school violist through her journey auditioning for a performing arts school in pursuit of an orchestral career.
Even though I’m 25, I really enjoyed this book, and the overall messages it communicates about the classical music world. I highly recommend this novel for teens interested in classical music, and violists of any age. It’s not often we get to read a well-written fiction book about a violist!
Fun sheet music
I love receiving sheet music for the holidays, especially when it’s something “fun” that I don’t have to play professionally. (For me, this is usually piano arrangements of pop and movie music).
“Fun” sheet music is a great gift for hobby musicians who just want to enjoy time with their instrument, as long as you get them music that isn’t too difficult for their level. This is a fun stress reliever, at least for me!
Musical art from Inkermezzo
Inkermezzo is run by a professional cellist who makes gorgeous music-related art pieces and stickers. I bought a few things from Inkermezzo over the summer, and I’m obsessed with everything I received! She makes high quality pieces of art for a fair price.
A lot of her art is geared towards string players, but her portraits of composers would be great gifts for musicians who play other instruments!
Check out Inkermezzo’s shop here!
Pencils and Erasers
Musicians who still read paper sheet music can always use more pencils and erasers. I know these aren’t super exciting, but they can make nice stocking stuffers!
My favorite pencils for sheet music are these Papermate #2 1.3mm pencils. They’re super thick, don’t break easily, and have great erasers attached!
My favorite standalone erasers are these Blackwing Pencil Replacement Erasers that I bought off Shar so I could bump an order up to free shipping. They erase super well, and I just love the texture of them.
Music Composition Notebook
My parents got me this cute little notebook that looks like sheet music on a trip to Tennessee a couple years ago. They bought it in a small boutique, but I’ve also seen them on Amazon.
This would be a great gift for a composer who needs to jot down melodies on the go, or any musician who might think it’s cute decor (like me)!
New Strings
I know this is specifically for string players, but new strings are expensive, and a lot of us change our strings less often than we should simply because of the price tag.
If you know someone’s favorite type of strings and have the money, this is always a thoughtful gift! Even a giftcard to put towards a new set is very appreciated.
I buy my strings from Shar Music. String Emporium is also great – they cater to double bass, but have strings for other instruments too!
iPad or Tablet to read music
If you’re looking to drop a lot of money on a musician, they may be interested in a tablet for reading sheet music.
I personally LOVE my 2020 iPad Pro 12.9 inch, and have found so many uses for it in and out of my career. There are also options for musicians who prefer Windows–check out my blog post all about the Surface Book 3, if that’s something your recipient would be interested in. The Surface Book 3 is a great option!
Some musicians feel strongly for or against using tablets to read music. Since this is quite an investment, I’d recommend asking them what their thoughts are before purchasing this high ticket item!
Check out more of my posts about tech for musicians here to see if your musician might enjoy using a tablet for music!
App store gift card
Along the same lines, if you know a musician who uses a tablet for reading music, an app store gift card is a nice way to help them experiment with new apps!
I know I really dislike paying for apps, and will sometimes put off upgrading an app for a couple years. Gift cards are a great way to help your musician upgrade the apps they use every day!
Purchase an Apple gift card here
Purchase a Google Play gift card here
Purchase a Microsoft Store gift card here
Spotify/Apple Music Gift Card
If the musician you’re buying gifts for uses a streaming service to listen to their music, a gift card is always appreciated!
We use streaming services to study the music we learn, in addition to listening to our favorite tunes to unwind. This is both practical, and fun!
Purchase a Spotify gift card here
Purchase an Apple gift card here
An autograph from their favorite musician
Finding an autograph from any famous musician can be hit or miss. Some are cheap, some are expensive; some are real, and some are forged. I personally collect Taylor Swift autographs, along with signed Playbills. I also have Hillary Hahn’s autograph from when I went to one of her concerts!
I treasure these autographs, and love collecting them! An autograph from a favorite musician can feel very personal, and can be treasured as decor for years to come.
If you’re a musician, are any of these items on your list? Do you already own any of these items? Let me know in the comments! If you have any other gift ideas, please leave them below for others to get inspired!
Happy holidays!
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