Shopping for a music lover can be tricky, especially now that music has gone digital. You can’t exactly casually peruse the CD shelf to learn who their favorites are or what albums they still need to add to their collection. But the fact that music exists in the digital era doesn’t necessarily mean finding gift ideas for that music lover needs to be a challenge. Here are some gift ideas any music lover would love.
1. Records Aren’t a Thing of the Past Anymore
While most people find their music online these days, that doesn’t mean records don’t hold value. Buying someone an album or collector’s edition of their favorite musician can make for an awesome collectible that any music lover would love to decorate their room with. Plus, there isn’t a way to imitate the sound those records make when they take your favorite song to the turntable, so don’t underestimate the value of buying the music lover on your gift list their favorite album in record form.
2. Music as Art
There are a lot of ways to make your music lover’s favorite band into visual art. Go online or to a music store and look for posters of his or her favorite band. You may even be able to find retro posters of the classic bands he or she loves, or even tour posters or t-shirts that can be framed. But those aren’t the only ways to turn your loved one’s favorite band into art. You can also commission someone to paint something symbolically related to that favorite band or musician onto an old drum cymbal to turn it into cymbal art.
3. Reclaimed and Personalized Items
You can also reclaim musical items to turn them into something else your music lover can use or wear. For instance, an old guitar string can be turned into a unique and stylish bracelet. You can also personalize a guitar pick and turn it into a keychain or keep it as a usable pick for someone who loves to strum. What’s their favourite instrument? You can find or make earrings, bracelets, pendants for necklaces, and even cufflinks out of old keys and valves off flutes, trumpets, clarinets, saxophones, etc. Press a piece of sheet music into a pendant or turn an old piano key into a necklace or keychain, or find someone who can print your loved one’s favorite song lyrics or sheet music onto a scarf or bag. You can find lots of items like this by shopping online and you may be able to make some yourself for an extra personal touch.
4. Signed Editions
For even more of a collector’s dream, you can find signed memorabilia, like signed cymbals, drum sticks, albums, t-shirts, sheet music, and lots more. Some bands may even have a contact form that would allow you to request to buy signed items and some will have them available on their websites. For the classics, eBay, used music shops, and auctions might be the answer.
5. If All Else Fails
Tickets to a concert are always a safe bet. If no one is touring close by soon enough, you can always find a venue that puts a variety of new musicians onstage. You might just help your favorite music lover find his or her next favorite band or the perfect venue to take his or her own talents to the stage to get noticed.