2018 Gifts For Musicians – Make The Yuletide PLAY!!

Every Christmas the same uncertainty surfaces about my musician friends:

“I know she’s into music, but… what do I get her??!”

“You’re a musician too – what can I get him that he’d like??”

Well, those are excellent questions, so here are hand-picked, tried-and-true ‘perfect gifts’ in 2018 for your melody- makers. They’re not only going to like these gifts – they’ll be able to use them for their craft. So choose some o’ these… and bless your little musician’s socks off!

For SINGERS:

If you have a singer to buy for, they’ll easily sing your praise for one of these gifts:

• Travel Mug + Bluetooth Speaker and Radio!!: Who doesn’t like to be all high tech AND keep their pipes hydrated at the same time? Every singer usually has water with them (for me, with a little lemon added). This tumbler helps ’em sing their best and lets ’em play their favorite warm-up music via any Bluetooth device. Inexpensive too. 100% BPA-free, non-toxic, useful and entertaining. They’ll LOVE it!

• Microphone T-shirt:  If your singer likes to show off their talent, and is into other modern band instruments too, they can strut their stuff with this not-so-subtle reminder of their musical penchant and prowess! Immediately interesting graphic, fresh approach, and quality cotton. Feels so good!

• Wireless Mic Kit: If your singer is doing gigs at all, for weddings, parties, receptions and they do not have a wireless mic system, they are going to love you getting them this gift. Once I bought a wireless mic for my concerts I’ve never turned back. No more messy cables; easy to go into the crowd. It rocks! This system has received all 5 stars in reviews AND currently has a $10 off coupon. Great gift, on the higher price side.

For DRUMMERS: If You Have No Gifts to Bring, Pa-RUM-pum-pum-PUM…

If you have someone special in your life who likes to hit things, well… wear layers. And keep all valuables from the end of their sticks!

But really… drummers are great. Without them, music would certainly be more dull, so throw ’em one of these gifts that they just won’t be able to beat (HA!):

• Tempo T-shirt: It’s true (at least when I’m leading the band), the drummer sets the groove and keeps it there. Celebrate the importance of this skill by letting the drummer in your life advertise his importance!

• Drummer Survival Kit: Whether on a gig, recording in the studio or just practicing and attempting yet again to master “La Villa Strangiato”, your drummer will appreciate this bag of essential drum accessories that they’re replacing all the time. Put this in the “can’t hurt, might help” category of highly appropriate gifts.

• Drum Multi-Tool: Drummers are no strangers to setting up, tearing down, fixing and repairing, and sometimes jerry-rigging things into their perfect performance arrangement. Enter a tool that will help them do ALL that, plus give ’em piece of mind that they’ll never be without what they need to tune their heads. And I mean their drum heads, not their rhythmic-brain-encasing one.   😉

• Zildjian Splash Cymbal: Finally, if you really want to get their groove on, spend a little extra and give ’em a splash! No, I don’t mean a day at the pool. A splash cymbal is a little cymbal used for quick filler accents and effects. Think “The Police” – their drummer Stewart Copeland used them all the time. It’s another asset they can never have too many of, and one o’ these in their Christmas stocking would be rocking!

For GUITARISTS/BASSISTS: Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree?!

Guitarists are a singular lot. Their instruments seem to pull them into a strange, new world… a world of inexplicable face contortions, exploding hair styles, and clothes that express… well, something!

Bassists, though they play instruments that look quite similiar to guitars, are nonetheless very different from those ostentatious cousins. Maybe it’s because they are always down so loooooow in pitch, like miners under the earth, or because they’re too busy trying to lock in with the drummer, who… just… can’t… keep… time! Whatever the reason, they tend towards stoicism and layin’ back, cooooool, baby.

For both of these curious musical oddities, there is a rich stack of goods ready to just rock their world. With these gifts you can’t go wrong:

• • Thalia Capo – Trust me, guitarists can never have too many capos, and these look incredible! Function meets fashion, and sure to get them noticed even MORE than their current rockin’ hairstyle. Lifetime warranty too! The 24 karat gold-plated finish and fourteen interchangeable fret pads will have them grinning earring to earring. It looks a lot more expensive than it is, and I guarantee they will use it with pride! Guitarist focused.

• • Sound Harbor Capo – Another capo option on the less expensive side by Sound Harbor. Perfect for beginner guitarists or experienced players who just need yet another capo. And that would be just about all of us. Dependable and easy to use. Lifetime warranty. And free included picks! Guitarist focused.

• • Guitar/Bass Cable – You can also never have too many cables as a bassist or guitarist. I like this brand on bass in particular because they are extra thick and beefy. They have a lifetime warranty too. For musicians who play regularly it’s awesome to be able to walk into a nearby Guitar Center with a cable that died, plop it down and see them just hand you a new one without hesitation, and without charge. I’ve done it many times and always am ecstatic that lifetime warranties on cables exist. This is a great gift that keeps on giving… for a lifetime!

• • Pick Maker! – It’s happened to me many times in my beginner years – you show up to a gig and find that you forgot your guitar or bass picks! But now… that’s no problem! This gadget clips to your keys and is always with you, so you can make a pick out of just about anything. Way cool tool for guitarists or bassists.

For ORCHESTRAL MUSICIANS: Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With Strings?!

Even wrapping your Christmas gifts in brown paper, like the song says, goes better with a classical orchestra playing behind you!

(By the way… who does that???)

Violinists, cellists, viola players and even those wielding the big upright basses… they work hard and deserve some warm Christmas or Hanukkah love too.

Except maybe violinists. Violinists might actually get too much love.   lol

Regardless, here are some awesome offerings for the more “refined” musician in your life!:

• Fermata “Rest” Shirt: I laughed right out loud the first time I saw this! Anyone familiar with reading real, classical music notation will get this immediately. Woodwinds, brass, strings… they’ll all get a kick out of this. The fermata symbol means musicians are to not play for an unspecified amount of time. Too funny. Give ’em a laugh and they’ll love ya for it.

• Instrument Humidifier: Violins, violas, cellos and upright basses are all made of wood. A LOT of wood. And when winter comes the heaters in our homes, schools and businesses start pumping dry, dry, dry…. very DRY but warm air into all the places we keep our instruments. This can wreak havoc on finely cut wood and, especially, the joints where the pieces come together. If the heater’s on, then your musician needs to be hydrating their instrument. They simply wet the sponge in this little box, put it in their case, and they are taking much better care of their instrument. Problem solved; investment protected. And it’s quality care that is cheap!

• Rosin: If you play a classical stringed instrument, you must have rosin. It’s what makes the bow “stick” to the string and produce the tones you hear. Before every performance your musician will be rosining up their bow, as John Denver said, so you can never have too much of this crucial disc of tree sap (yep, that’s all it is). Show them how sticky your love for them is!

For PIANISTS: Where Would ‘Peanuts’ Be Without ’em?!

Every year at the Christmas season the keyboardists get to show off a bit. I don’t know why it is, but Christmas music tends to be more demanding of those tickling the ivories, and thus they get to bring out their most advanced technique and skills a lot at Christmastime. I have many memories of keyboardist friends playing really unforgettable pieces at Christmas, including “Christmas Time Is Here” from ‘Peanuts’ – one of my personal faves.

They are quite a respectable lot, keyboardists. It’s probably because they tend to be people who practice a lot, in a committed manner, as they have since childhood, and they tend towards being very reliable and precise in my experience. Of all musicians then, they deserve some good stuff!

• “Creative Decisions” shirt: I know several keyboard player colleagues that would get a real kick out of this shirt. Everybody makes mistakes but the sign of a truly road-worthy keyboardist is that, even when they make mistakes, they sound like it was a decision and not a lapse of memory or skill!

• Pig Hog 10 foot Keyboard Cable: Every keyboardist that plays out wants the full-spectrum sound capabilities of their keyboard to be represented well. That means delivering it to the sound board in as pristine condition as possible. For that… they have to have a good dual cable. This’ll do the trick and it has a lifetime warranty. I’ve had so many keyboard cables fail over the years. It’ll really save them aggravation to get a good one like this that is getting good reviews from real players.

• Mogami Keyboard Cable: If price is truly no object and you want to give your keyboardist something that he or she probably will not buy for themselves, get them this cable. It’s specifically made for electronic keyboards (not piano) to give the best sound and longest life. It has a lifetime warranty and is made by a company that consistently for decades has been known in the music industry for making the best wire for cabling in our field. They’ll be awestruck.

For ALL MUSICIANS!:

The following gifts will be very welcome regardless of what particular instrument your musician might be into. If they’re into music, they’ll be into these!

• • Samson SR850 Headphones: I reviewed these some weeks back in this article. Excellent quality for the price. I use them myself all the time in my studio. If your musician likes to record at all, even just on their own computer, or if they just love kickin’ back and listening to their favorite music (just like you do!) they’ll love these headphones!

• • Beethoven-inscribed Writing Pen: Finally, I include this because most any musician would be proud to quote the music Master himself about the importance of music in our lives. Ah, Ludwig… if only he was a twentieth-century composer… so we could meet him!
    

It’s All Wrapped Up!

Well, I hope these selections helped you finish your “gifts for musicians”
shopping quickly and effectively. We’ve all got so much goin’ on these days, and efficient kindness is always helpful!

As you follow these links, remember that anything over $49 on Amazon gives you free shipping.

If you’re already a member of Amazon Prime, however, you get free shipping automatically, like we do in my family. I’ve used that option countless times and saved a bundle. Now you can too!

As a final note, you probably noticed the U.S. Military pics throughout this article. As of December 1st, there are approximately 26,000 troops deployed on our behalf, most of whom will not be home for Christmas. Remember them well, and breathe a prayer for their safety. And if you know one that plays an instrument… well, maybe send ’em one o’ these! It’ll make their season hearing from you, regardless what the gift is.

Merry End-of-Christmas-Shopping! Stay warm. Now, go… watch… Christmas movies!!   lol

Teaj