Is it just me or does the Holiday season speed up every year?! Somehow Christmas is just two weeks away and many people are trying to find last minute gifts that are both meaningful and useful.
Every year I send out piano-related gift suggestions to my piano families. It’s a nice way for parents to encourage and recognize all the hard work their kids put into practicing (because, unfortunately, the piano doesn’t always get the same sort of fanfare as sports and other extra-curricular activities). The list is always a mixture of useful and fun stuff and the kids always enjoy showing me the piano gifts they received when they come back from our Holiday break.
Everything on this list I’ve either purchased for myself, have had students purchase, or is currently on my wish list (in case anyone’s looking for a last minute gift for me! lol).
Here are my top picks for this year!
CDs
Beethoven’s Wig – The title song of this Cd has always been a favorite among my students (we watch the video every year at our annual Beethoven’s Birthday Bash! You can watch is here.). The other songs on the Cd are equally as fun and is an entertaining (and hilariously silly) first exposure to some of the great masterworks of classical music. The Cd also includes the original version (without the lyrics) of each piece.
Carnival of the Animals – The Kanneh-Masons – The incredibly talented Kanneh-Mason family comes together for a beautiful performance of Camille Saint-Saens “Carnival of the Animals” as well as a selection of several other favorites.
Lang Lang “Piano Book” – Lang Lang recorded his favorite piano pieces from his childhood. These short masterworks for the piano are some of the most popular ever composed for the piano and most students run into them at one point or another. It’s a great selection of music to inspire students to keep practicing!
Helen Marlais’ Real Music for Kids – A beautiful compilation of short solo piano pieces. Many of these pieces are a student’s first dive into the rich world of classical music.
Practice/Lesson Helpers
Metronome – The friend and nemesis of all musicians! It is always a useful tool to have at the piano. This metronome is a great size and has volume control (my mom for one could not stand the ticking sound of the metronome!). I loved it so much that I bought several to use with the children’s band at my church.
Metronomes are essential for practice and came in at no. 3 on my list of the Top 7 Practice Tools Every Piano Student Should Have.
Music Book Clip – There’s nothing worse than being in the middle of playing a piece and watching the book slowly shutting! This book holder will help keep those books laying flat on the book rack.
Manuscript Paper – A perfect sized notebook for writing down compositions. It has a nice wide staff (easier for kids to write music on), 100 pages, and is 8.5 x 11 inches.
Manuscript paper is incredibly versatile and important for any piano student which is why it took the No. 2 spot on my list of Top 7 Practice Tools Every Piano Student Should Have.
Sheet Music Folder – I love the idea of students curating a folder of their favorite pieces. Pieces that they have mastered and loved and can easily revisit anytime they feel the urge to just play! This folder is a perfect place to put these pieces. The plastic sheet protectors keep those precious favorites safe as they are played over and over again!
Treble Clef Photo Holder – I usually send my students home with a sticky note listing their practice pieces of the week. This sticky note lives on the cover of their method book or binder. But this little photo holder would be a perfect place to put the sticky note at home! If placed on the piano, it would be a quick and easy way for students to reference what they need to practice each week.
Books
All About the Grand Staff with Guido D’Arezzo and Yookan the Toucan – Shameless plug of my book! It is a great choice for students who are just starting to learn to read music on the grand staff. My daughter has been playing for years and she picks up this book at least once a month to read for fun! She’s my biggest and best cheerleader! For more on my book, visit my blogpost about it.
When Step met Skip – An adorable adventure of steps and skips on the staff sure to entertain beginning music readers.
The Story of the Orchestra: The Nutcracker – I love “The Nutcracker” (our ever growing collection of nutcrackers can attest to that! We are getting close to 20!!) and this gorgeously illustrated telling of “The Nutcracker” is a beautiful way to share Tchaikovsky’s music with kids! Children can press the buttons on the side of the books to hear Tchaikovsky’s music played on each page of the story. I currently have “Sleeping Beauty” and “The Magic Flute” from this collection and plan on adding “The Nutcracker” very soon!
Clara Schumann, Pianist and Composer – Clara Schumann deserves all the attention and recognition she has been receiving in recent years. In the heavily male-dominated world of classical music, she is an inspiration to young girls. This chapter book dives into her life and long career dazzling audiences all across Europe with her music.
T-Shirts
A little humor, a lot of keys, and mega dose of style!
88 Keys, 10 Fingers, No problem!
Fun Stuff
Nanoblock Grand Piano – For the lego enthusiast! The bricks (as small a 4 mm x 5 mm!!) require some precise construction skills. You can purchase it as part of an instrument set or individually.
Composer Socks – Keep your toes warm (and inspired) while you play the pedal! Two composers are available:
Beethoven
Mozart
Make your Own Music Box – For the composer! They can immortalize their music (and practice writing notes on the treble staff!) with this very cool little kit. Once they are done punching out their piece on the paper strip, they can play it on the music box. Extra paper strip refills are sold separately.
Piano Purse – Seriously, how cute is this?!!
Music Pasta – I thought this was hilarious! It’s quite pricey for pasta, but you could make a whole music-themed family dinner out it.
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As a “toucan” of our appreciation download a free set of note flashcards (link in our Welcome email)!
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[…] I mentioned in my Holiday Gift Guide post, I encourage my students to curate a collection of favorite pieces. Pieces that they have […]
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