Are you wanting to give meaningful gifts this year?
Give the gift of music!
Here’s my list of great musical presents, that go beyond the obvious concert tickets and Spotify premium.
If you have someone in your life who loves making music, these gifts will be appreciated.
This post has been written with ukulele players in mind, but most of these ideas will be relevant for other musicians.
Buying online or local?
I’ve suggested some online retailers in this post. But you should check out your local music store if you have one. The prices will be similar to online and you’ll be able to see what you’re buying. Plus you’ll be supporting a local business.
In my hometown of Hamilton, two specialist music shops I recommend (and they don’t pay me any commission to say this!) are:
Shearer’s Music Store, in Anglesea St, across from the bus station. There’s plenty of parking in front of the shop.
Keith MacMillan Stringed Instruments, 36 High St, Frankton – next door to Village Organics, across the road from the railwayline.
Gifts under $50
A clip-on electronic tuner
Tuners cost from $20 upwards. They’re super-handy, but easy to lose. I wouldn’t advise spending more than about $35.
Make sure the tuner you choose has a setting for ukulele (or other relevant instrument).
Here are a few links for ukulele tuners. (NB I’m not getting any commission from any of these places. Maybe I should!)
This is the tuner that I have. It has a USB recharger, so no batteries to replace.
A music stand
A music stand is a very useful piece of gear.
When you have a music stand you don’t have to crane your neck to read your song chart when it’s on the floor or perched on a chair. It also makes it easy for other people to read from one page.
Here’s an example of an inexpensive music stand for sale online: Pink music stand
It’s lightweight and it won’t last forever. But for $50 you won’t necessarily get a stand that works better than $25.
Music basket
A sturdy basket to store and carry around musical gear is very useful. Mine cost $29.95 from Trade Aid, New Zealand’s fair trade organization. www.tradeaid.org.nz
Gifts under $100
A ukulele
Or a spare, if they already have one! When you own two ukuleles, you can always get a friend to jam with you.
I know someone who has just bought herself a Makala Dolphin (it’s a reliable basic ukulele), to go with her very nice (more expensive) concert sized ukulele. She’s going travelling, and wanted a cheaper, quieter uke to take along in her suitcase.
Another friend owns two “travel ukuleles” – thin-bodied models that together take up about the same space as one standard ukulele.
Here’s a link to my post about buying a beginner ukulele.
Ukulele lessons
My Ukulele Gift Package is three half-hour ukulele lessons for $US105, delivered online via Zoom or Skype. I teach all over the world.
Click this link to buy the Ukulele Gift Package, which comes with a special gift certificate.
More ideas
For a few other ideas, here’s a link to my post about handy ukulele gear.
Hi, I’m Alice
I’ve been in love with the ukulele since my mother, Sue, taught me three chords when I was six.
I teach ukulele to adult learners all over the world via Zoom and Skype. If you happen to live in Hamilton, New Zealand, I also teach group ukulele classes.
You can find out about my group classes by clicking here.
Click this link to book online ukulele lessons with me. $US160 for six half-hour lessons.
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Sign up here and I’ll send you ukulele resources and videos. Strum your way to fun!