What the musician in your life really wants this Christmas

Twinkling lights are popping up around town, mince pies are back in the shops, and we’ve heard Wham!’s Last Christmas on the radio at least a thousand times. It can only mean one thing - the festive season is finally upon us.

And as you rush around the shops (or browse the Internet from the comfort of your sofa) to pick a suitable gift for your loved ones, spare a thought for the musicians in your life.

While we can often be notoriously hard to buy for (the temptation to treat ourselves to music-related items all year round is too much!), we’re hoping for more than a novelty pair of socks come the 25th of December. 

So that being said, MusicTeachers.co.uk has compiled a list of helpful hints and gifts to make this Christmas the best one yet for the music lover in your life. 

As mentioned, ditch the novelty items…  

Let’s face it: gifts like novelty ties are fun for the first five minutes… until the sound of it blaring out Jingle Bells on repeat makes everyone want to tear their hair out. 

While socks may be easier to conceal, there are plenty of much better presents to gift the musician in your life, such as… 

A Gift Card for music lessons 

It’s a myth that lessons are just for beginners - as even the most experienced players can benefit from another professional’s input. 

Whether the person you’re looking to buy for is a straight-up newbie (a shiny new saxophone with a block of teacher sessions sounds like the perfect present to us!), would like some encouragement to pick up their instrument again, or is even a pro who wants to expand their musical repertoire or work on a particular technique, the gift of time with a teacher would not go unappreciated. 

While you can always purchase a few lessons on their behalf, here at MusicTeachers.co.uk, you can also choose a gift card, allowing the recipient choose a teacher who is right for them.

Go independent

Whether it is for a brand new guitar or a book of sheet music, your local music shop will always appreciate your custom. 

Although it may be less convenient to physically pop into a store, the expert knowledge you’ll receive is second to none when picking the perfect present for your loved one. 

Spark their inner Mozart 

Useful for both seasoned professionals and beginners alike, you really can’t go wrong with a book of manuscript paper.

Ignite their imagination by gifting them a blank canvas - who knows, by next Christmas, you may be presented with your very own symphony! 

Gift tickets to their favourite artist 

Gig tickets these days can be pricey - but much like gifting a voucher for lessons, whoever you buy them for will not only get to see their favourite band but will also be spending time with you. And that’s priceless. 

 …or someone totally new which you think they may enjoy

Just as you’d gift a book to a friend, the music lover in your life is sure to appreciate surprise tickets to a lesser-known artist.

It could even be a smaller band you have never heard of - it’ll be like a Secret Santa gift to you both! 

Support local venues and artists 

That being said, grassroots music venues, projects and artists could all do with your support this Christmas.

Whether it’s purchasing merchandise from an up-and-coming group, contributing to crowdfunders, buying music from Bandcamp pages on a pal’s behalf, or checking out what your local arts centre has to offer, these can all make great gifts that will make someone else’s Christmas a little brighter too. And what could be more festive than that?