If you’d like to get your child a music-related Christmas gift, here are some links to gift ideas from Amazon! You could also consider going to Kidder Music in Peoria, The Music Shoppe in Bloomington or any other local business to help support local music.
Prices listed are estimates and will change periodically or they may be out of stock
Shoulder rest for full size violin or 14” viola - LINK - $25
Shoulder rest for ¾ size violin or 13” viola - LINK - $20
Rosin for violin, viola and cello - LINK - $20
Rosin for violin, viola and cello - LINK - $10
Rock stop for cello - LINK $20
Rock stop strap for cello - LINK $7
Books with music that they love like Disney, Star Wars, or anything like this - LINK - $15-20
There are plenty of free apps for metronomes and tuners that are great for helping students practice well. There is even an app on their school ipads called Tonal Energy that the school district paid $4 for. However, there is a benefit to having a dedicated device for tuning their instrument and playing the metronome click.
Metronome-tuner combined - LINK - $45
Clip on tuner for violin and viola that stays on instrument inside of case - LINK - $25
Clip on tuner for any instrument (best bass and cello tuner) - LINK - $20
Metronome only - LINK - $17
Clip on microphone that can be carefully attached to the bridge on an instrument and then plugged into an amplifier - LINK - $15
The cable is pretty short with the clip on microhone.
Guitar amplifier with effects that the previous item could plug into - LINK - $130
Electric instruments can be a bit of a gamble, I’ve seen many cheap ones that don’t play well and don’t sound good. There are other ways to take your instrument (if you own it) to a luthier and ask them to attach a pick up such as the Realist LINK - $225
If you own your instrument, new strings can make it sound and feel brand new. However, you have to make sure you buy them for the right sized instrument. I suggest getting new strings once a year. Feel free to ask me for recommendations before buying. I'll gladly change strings for any of my students if they bring in the strings they bought. If you rent an instrument, I believe they change them for you about once a year, but you may have to ask for that.
Violin and viola strings - Dominant strings $60 or D’addario Prelude strings $20
Viola strings - D'addario Heliocore strings $80 or D'addario Prelude strings $25
Cello strings - D’addario Heliocore $160 and D’addario Prelude $60
Bass strings - LINK - $80
Email billy.akers@mcusd709.org with any questions.
Happy shopping and happy practicing!