2013 Holiday Gift Guide

by Josh Schrader, MT-BC

With less than a week to go until the big day, the procrastinators amongst us might begin to feel a slight sense of panic.  Especially if you have a music lover you need buy for.  Here are some holiday gift ideas for the music-lover on your nice list:

1. A 1-Year Subscription to an Online Music Service:  $100 - $149.99/yr

There are many to choose from.  The one I personally recommend and use with my family is Rhapsody.  One premium subscription is good enough for both my wife and I to share.  With that subscription, we get access to over 18 million songs on up to three different mobile devices and 3 different computers.  This means, both wife and I’s phone, our shared tablet, my work laptop, my personal desktop and my personal laptop can all have the software installed.  If I need more devices, I can simply access my Rhapsody account via the internet on any browser.  Once logged in, all my playlists and purchased tracks are available.  Need to go somewhere where there is not a data connection or wifi, you can download the tracks to your device so they are available for a limited time.

So, if you want to listen to that new album that was released last month without having to purchase it, this is the way to go.  Other options include: Spotify, Rdio, Google Play Music All Access

2. Klipsch S4i II In-Ear Headphones: $39.99

These headphones have award-winning sound and deliver nice deep bass.  I personally have and love an older model of these.  They are super comfortable and come with 3 different size ear fittings.  This newer model has a 3 button volume and play control feature.  There is both an Android version as well as an Apple version.  They have a gold-plated connector and come with a handy case to store them in too.

3. Headphone Ear Muffs: Varies.

Perfect for the cold-weather commuter or exerciser.  

4. Jam HDMX Wireless Bluetooth Speaker: $30-$50

These little guys have great sound.  The classic version fits right into the cup holder in your car.  This great for listening to podcasts and Rhapsody playlists on the go.  The larger Jam Plus version has even greater sound.  The selling point on those particular ones is that you can pair two of them for wireless stereo sound.  My wife and I personally each have one of these little ones.  They come in several different colors as well.

5. Concert Tickets: Varies

Lets not overlook the obvious.  A gift-certificate to TicketMaster is a great gift for any music lover

6. Ticket Stub Diary: $12

This is the perfect gift for a teenage concert-goer or a person who likes to see live shows.  This diary allows space to keep the ticket stub and then has space in the margin to document the memory.

7. Bach Neck Tie: $45

This hand-drawn necktie is perfect for the music educator, performer, or music enthusiast on your shopping list.

8. Rap Makes Me Feel Invincible: $24

It’s just funny.  That’s why.

9. Drumstick Pencils: $7.95

At the first sign of a rock-n-roll emergency, these mild-mannered #2 writing utensils flip to become a pair of dynamite drumsticks, laying down some rhythm for that song on the radio or the music in your head.

10. Sterling Sliver Personalized Guitar Pick: $32

This sterling silver guitar pick hand stamped with the names or sayings of your choice. They also have over 200 design stamps that they can use with your words.

11. Cordoba Ukulele Pack: $89.99

This is the same ukulele that I personally own and the one that Capital Music Therapy Services, LLC recently gave away in their mailing list raffle.  It is made of mahogany with a rosewood fretboard.  It comes with a bag, tuner, two picks, and chord book.  It has excellent sound and the extra goodies make it a great value.

12. Floor Drum: $30.25

This excellent little drum sits on the floor and comes with two mallets.  It’s made by Remo and therefore has great construction and sound.

13. Rhythm Instrument Kit: $69.95

This kit comes with a 20" Chilean rainstick, an agogo bell, a monkey drum (Djen-Djen),a pair of Latin American maracas, a Latin American wooden fish guiro with striker, a pair of ankle bells, a pair of hardwood claves, an instructional DVD, and a reusable container with lid.

Happy holidays and happy shopping!

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7 Music Instruments You Didn’t Know You Have!

Marie-Louise Lyon, MT-BC

I recently saw this video floating around facebook and it got me to thinking, “what are some super basic things you have at home that make super awesome instruments?” And so began a list of 7 creative ideas for music instruments you didn’t know you have!

Drums:

My son absolutely loves to drum! I think he started drumming long before he was born! Using tubs, coffee cans, oatmeal and formula containers, or something similar, you can make an awesome drum! Just put the lid on the container and there you go! You can beat on the drums using your hands or any kitchen utensil. 

Shakers:

Shakers are a great tool to develop both gross and fine motor skills. Shakers can be made using any size container or jar filled with small foods such as rice or beans. You can vary the sounds by the size of the container and the amount of rice or beans you put inside. Make sure to close them tightly though, because nothing is worse than cleaning up tiny bits of rice! 

Guiro:

A guiro, or as my husband would say, the fishy instrument, is a great instrument to capture the attention of kids! It has a unique sound and provides great sensory input for kids. To create the sound use a cheese grater and a wooden spoon. Run the spoon over the large bumps on the grater and voila! This will produce the cool sound and vibrations similar to the guiro. 

Water Xylophone:

This idea is generally better for older kids because it takes a lot of muscle control. Put water into glass jars or cups to create a water xylophone. Each jar should contain different amounts of water to create the different pitches. The more water, the deep the sound, the less water, the higher the sound. You can add food coloring or glow sticks to the water to create an even cooler experience!

Another great variation of this would be to use 2 liter bottles. To create the sounds, you can either blow across them (a great skill to teach breath control!) or tap the opening with a spatula.

Chimes:

A cool instrument, even for babies, is a wind chime. Not only do they sound pretty, but they are visually stimulating too! To create a wind chime, attach some nails, bolts, and other metallic items to string, then attach them to a wooden stick (like a dowel rod). You can play the chimes using your hands or using kitchen utensils. You can spice them up by painting the metal with spray paint or adding colorful ribbons.

Castanets:

Castanets are a great instrument to use when dancing around! They fit nicely into the palm of your hand, and who doesn’t like to pretend to be a flamenco dancer or bull fighter? Attach two bottle caps to a small, folded piece of cardboard or cardstock. Put it in your hand and open and close it (like you’re making a puppet talk), and you have your very own castanets. For younger kids who will have a hard time holding on to them, you can add some string to make a hand strap. You can also put sandpaper on the outside of the cardboard to give it some grip. Put on some music and dance away!

Here is a great flamenco song to play-along to:

Bass:

This has always been one of my favorite homemade instruments! Take a large box and put a small hole in the bottom. Tie a knot in some string and thread it through the hole so the longest part of the string is on the outside of the box. Attach the string hanging outside the box to a tall stick. Now you have yourself a bass! You play the bass by moving up and down the stick while plucking the string with your other hand. My son loved the sound and used the box as a drum to make a band!  

With a little research and some elbow grease, you can create a variety of instruments to use at home. They are fun to create with your kids and add another element to your music jam sessions. Let us know about the instruments you create!

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