Trombone Holiday Gift Ideas

If you want to help your budding musician get some of the neat tools that they will need for their field of study, but don’t want to ask them directly for the products they need, I have a few suggestions below that might allow you to win at gift giving without blowing the surprise. As always, if you have questions or need specific guidance, use the contact form on the website and I’ll get in touch with you as soon as my schedule allows!

  1. Gift Certificates/Gift Cards/Store Credit

This is a convenient gift option that will allow your student to get exactly what they need, when they need it. In most cases, gift cards don’t expire! The amount is up to you and your budget, but I can tell you that ANY amount will be a welcomed (and relatively easy) way to make sure the money goes to what they need, when cash sometimes goes to video games or other activities instead. Hickeys.com from Ithaca, NY is where I do quite a bit of my trombone shopping, and they have a link where you can purchase gift cards here:

https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku093803.php

2. Mutes!

Students usually need straight mutes and cup mutes, and there are TONS of options out there, but one mute that they don’t always think about is a practice mute, which turns down the volume of their playing enough that they can practice when others need quiet time.

The budget end of this gift option is the PAMPET mute on Amazon for around $25. You get what you pay for, which means that it isn’t the best mute, but is a nice mute you can keep at your place so that when your student visits, they can practice and you can relax. :)

https://www.amazon.com/PAMPET-Trombone-Straight-Mute/dp/B079KZ1WPD/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3VY1XWVGK87BF&keywords=trombone+practice+mute&qid=1699888846&sprefix=trombone+practice+mute%2Caps%2C118&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

The middle-of-the-road practice mute option is the Denis Wick practice mute, which runs around $60 at Hickeys.com:

https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku007924.php

The practice mute I recommend because of the price point coupled with durability is the Bremner Shhhhmute, which comes in around $75:

https://www.hickeys.com/search/products/sku089941.php

3. Alessi Music Studios subscription

Joe Alessi, Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic, has a wonderful online program called Alessi Music Studios that has a TON of really great content that would help any budding player. There are different subscriptions available, and you can reach out to the website administrators if you have questions.

www.alessimusicstudios.com

4. Audio Recorders

One of the best tools that a student can have in their toolbox is an audio recorder. Here is a reasonably priced recorder that will serve them well:

https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-H1n-VP-Microphones-Microphone-Windscreen/dp/B0BS1QFZBB/ref=sr_1_6?crid=PJ7NJR7FE3QG&keywords=zoom%2Brecorder&qid=1699889745&sprefix=zoom%2Brecorder%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-6&th=1

A note about instruments and mouthpieces:

If you have the budget and are inclined to get your student an instrument or mouthpiece for their holiday gift, I think it is important to find a creative way to let them know that you want to do this for them, but that you don’t necessarily try to have the item there to open at gift giving time. It is a large investment, and it deserves taking time to find the right fit. Even within specific models, there is enough variation that trying the instruments out is worth it.

You could coordinate a visit to one of the custom shops (Shires or Edwards, for example) and make it an adventure for you and your student to do together. How cool would it be to road trip to one of those shops together? Be creative in how you package such a generous gift!

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Trombone Holiday Gifts Part 2

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