Now every musician will probably want something very pricey, like a new instrument perhaps? Or an amp or mic or something like that. So what can you give to a musician for Christmas that doesn't cost the earth?
Here are a few tips for affordable musical gifts:
Pencils - every musician needs a pencil even if they use a lot of technology. You can never have enough pencils and to make them a little more special as a gift you can give them ones with musical patterns. Actually any musical looking stationery will do. There are just so many options, here are just a few!
Flash Drives
Mugs
Jewelry
Cufflinks for a guy
Personalised gifts, such as guitar picks with the persons name on or a meaningful message.
A musical looking clock. Make sure it is not a loud ticking one as this can be very annoying while teaching.
Awesome looking musical ornaments that can add to the aesthetics of a music room. This may be more personal as not everyone likes useless paraphernalia and it may also need to be instrument specific.
So those are just some ideas. Remember that music is a very personal thing, so if you want to spend a little more money on a loved one, don't be shy to ask them exactly what their needs or wants are. If you plan on buying a keyboard, for example, the person will probably have the exact one that they want in mind. You will save so much stress, anxiety and money if you just organise it with them. In the case that you really want it to be a surprise, maybe make your own 'gift card' for them and then after the Christmas madness you can go together to carefully pick out the item that the person wants.
Disclaimer: None of the above pictures belong to me. If you are in South Africa you can get some wonderful gifts from www.musicalgifts.co.za. They are based in Pretoria.
Of course I have know idea where t is now, because I lent it to someone and can't remember who.
I partly bought it because I thought it would be very useful as a music teacher to be able to advise parents, and partly because I, at the time, had been having a few questioning thoughts. I suddenly panicked that perhaps I had chosen the 'wrong' instrument (at the time the saxophone was my main focus). I thought maybe this book would give me some percipient answer. I thought that it would say, that due to certain personality traits...really my character, I should have learnt to play a specific instrument. I thought that I had perhaps missed out on the 'correct' instrument for me, and that if I had been exposed to it first, then I would naturally have picked it up every time I walked into my bedroom. I thought that if I had studied that specific instrument then I would have been an amazing musician from the get go. My nagging question was perhaps I had chosen the WRONG instrument and had been pushing against this current my whole life, and that if I had not been so mislead, then I would not have had to battle through practice sessions and force myself to play scales.
While the book was interesting, it didn't really help me. I think it would be incredibly useful for someone looking to introduce their child to music. What did help though, was that is got me thinking that if I were to choose any instrument in the world, what would it be? Well, you guessed it, the saxophone. It was not purely because of my character or because it is right or wrong physically for me, (while these certainly can be contributing factors), but because I love playing the thing. I love the sound it makes and I love that I sound different to other saxophone players. I also realised that if I spent 6 hours a day practicing, I could be pretty darn good, but I don't want to do that. That doesn't mean I don't practice and it doesn't mean that I can't play the instrument. It also doesn't mean that I am any less of a teacher or a person for that matter. It's just that I have so many other interests in my life, that there aren't enough hours in a day for me to get through everything.
What I do know is that having a few struggles along the way has helped me to be a more empathetic teacher. I believe it has also helped me to be a more patient and encouraging teacher. It has also taught me that not everybody learns the same way or even thinks the same way, and sometimes you have to teach the same thing in 3 different ways before it makes sense to a student.
I have also been able to study the clarinet and recorder further because of my previous knowledge of the saxophone. This instrument has afforded m opportunities to do gives and be in adverts.
I have tried playing a bit on other instruments (non woodwind), but in truth very few excite me enough to want to spend hours with them.
Yet on the other hand I have met people who were just handed an instrument at school and told that they had to play that one, because the one that they wanted to try was already taken and then they ended up being able to play that instrument so well that they forgot about the first one.
So when it comes to personality, I think you must consider if a child expresses interest in it and are willing to give it a go. Don't force them. Expose them to as many different instruments as possible. If they are able to try out different instruments before deciding, encourage them. Once they have picked something, encourage them to stick with it for a while. If they don't gel with the teacher, find another teacher (after you have given it some time), but let them go through all the steps to learning the notes, making music before switching too much. The most important thing is that your child has an overall good experience of learning music. Sometimes a student may clash personality wise with the teacher and not the instrument. Sometimes it may the be the instrument. Sometimes your child may be going through hormonal changes and just doesn't want to practice. I believe though, that if you expose a child to learning music with the correct person, they will not only learn more about how to play an instrument, they will learn how to express themselves as well as discipline and how to think in a different way, and my personally favorite, they learn how to appreciate listening to music. This may mean that your child might not end up playing music when they leave school, but they will be an informed audience member, and will their life may therefore continually be enriched by beautiful sounds.
(Disclaimer: please note that this picture does not belong to me)
I am truly grateful that I have been blessed to meet some of South Africa's finest musicians and Shane Cooper is certainly on the top of that list. Bass player, composer and producer, Shane, is definitely someone to watch in the South African music industry. He has recorded with many other well-known South African musicians including Melanie Scholtz, Kyle Shepherd, Bokani Dyer, Rus Nerwich, Zim Ngqawana and Dan Shout (to name a few). He was a member of the Indian fusion quartet 'Babu' and South African quintet 'Restless Natives' (both were based in Cape Town).
After watching Shane play numerous times at the Standard Bank National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, it was then no surprise to learn that he was selected as the Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz in 2013. I have not heard any other player make a double bass sing like he does, and when he plays his solo's you will involuntarily sit up and watch his every move. Being at the Grahamstown jazz festival specifically, you are inundated with jazz music (obviously that's the point) for almost a full week, it's easy for a person to become overwhelmed and for their ears to get 'tired'. But every time Shane plays, it is almost as if the audience is awakened by his tone and style, then entranced and taken on a musical journey of the story he is 'telling'.
Thankfully those of us living in Cape Town are privileged to see him play at venues such as www.thecryptjazz.com and Straight No Chaser Club and occasionally the Nassau Centre.
Check out what Shane had to say about wining the Standard Bank Jazz Young Artist award (2013).
If you are following my blog, then you will already know that I have been trying to get an understanding of what is 'Behind the Music'. I am asking musicians about what they have to say about their career's, especially within the context of the South African music industry.
This is what Shane had to say in answer to my questions:
When and how did you start playing your
instrument/s?
I started playing piano when I was very young, and
eventually switched to guitar. When I
started high school I was asked to play bass in the school jazz band so I
started learning to play bass for fun. I
developed a love for the instrument very quickly and it became my main musical
focus after that.
Did you
have any formal training, and if so where?
I studied jazz performance at UCT.
What
inspired you to take up your art form as a career?
Playing music became my favourite hobby when I was still in
school, so I decided to try make it a career.
What does
your current career entail? (Can you give an idea of a day in your life?)
It's a mixture of practising my instrument and practising
with bands, composing music, recording / producing, playing shows, and doing
lots of boring admin stuff too.
How did
you (and do you) approach being in the music industry in South Africa?
It's very difficult in South Africa because we don't have a
lot of venues to perform in, and we only have a few big cities that we can tour
to. Also travelling within the continent
is very expensive, so we are limited in terms of performance options. As a result we have to work hard at trying to
get international exposure so that we can get gigs abroad and keep performing
as often as possible.
What do
you most enjoy about your career?
I get to make music everyday, it's the best!
If you
could, what would you change about the music industry?
I wish we could still make money from selling records in the
digital age. That money goes back into
making more albums, but it's very difficult to have that cycle running these
days. I'd also like people to be more willing to pay proper cover
charges for live shows. In 2014 I still
see people complaining about paying R40 to watch a live band, which is
crazy. I also wish music equipment was cheaper
in SA, most products are almost double the price they are in Europe and the
USA.
Do you
enjoy what you do now?
I'm loving it.
What are
your plans for your future?
I'm writing new music at the moment, and also producing
tracks for some singers.
Disclaimer: Please note that non of the images in this post belong to me and they have been credited as far as possible.
In December last year, I was finally able to attend one of these fabulous events, where people get free breakfast and true inspiration. A speaker is invited each month and they discuss what it is that they do and how they got to do this. It can be someone who has been successful in their career or someone who has come up with a superb concept that is empowering to others.
The speaker at the event I went to was Sera Holland who owns her own company, 'handmade by me'. She designs and creates beautiful fabrics, as well as making them into gorgeous items. She also makes to order. In her attempt to get her name out there, she organised a pop-up shop, called 'The Shoestring Collective. It was a great space in Gardens for her and a selection of other designers to showcase and sell there work. Although it was not a permanent shop, many connections were made and now Sera has paved a way for herself in the industry. It looks like she has a lot more creative ideas up her sleeve. Do check out her stuff at http://www.handmadebyme.co.za.
We really need entrepreneurs in our country, and if you look around there are amazing free courses you can go on to get you started and help you to connect with like-minded people. Although Creative Mornings is not exactly a course, it opens up a platform for creative people, to share and receive knowledge and connections. Without these, no business or person can succeed. I have been to two other free courses in the last 6 months, both also with free meals, and I have been so encouraged with how much is happening in Cape Town and even the great South Africa. There is good in this fallen world.
