Last Christmas, I shared The Ultimate Songwriter Christmas Gift list – It was some of my favorite products and gifts with y’all so you could pamper the musician in your life. Or, sneakily leave the list lying around for your husband or boyfriend to find!
Did you get everything you waned last year? If so, here are some more of my favorite products and recommendations from 2018 to put on your list this year.
Books
Shelly Peiken, Confessions of a Serial Songwriter
For career-minded songwriters who want to know what a day-in-the-life of a hit songwriter was (and is) like. Shelly Peiken is the writer behind so many songs it’s hard to keep track of them all: “What a Girl Wants” by Christina Aguilera, “Come on Over Baby” also by Christina, “Bitch” by Meredith Brooks, and many other songs from the 2000’s that you grew up bopping to.
Peter M. Thrall, What They’ll Never Tell you About the Music Business
This book is fully of tricky little tactics you’ll want to know about. It’s a deeper dive than the typical Music Industry 101 books in our last Christmas post. When it comes to everything from record deals and royalties to copyrights and technology, there’s so much to know, and you can consider this book your secret weapon against getting scammed.
Sarah Sheppard, The Beautiful Book of Songwriting Prompts: Vol 1
This is my book of songwriting prompts, designed with SongFancy writers in mind! A great song stimulates all the senses and pulls an emotional experience out of your listener. So why shouldn’t songwriting prompts be just as inspiring? “The Beautiful Book of Songwriting Prompts” is designed to be visually enchanting, with a variety of different songwriting prompts to invigorate your muse. Grab a copy for yourself and your songwriter friend!
This is the trifecta right here. These three books work in tandem: Katherine Forbes of Designing the row has created three books and workbooks that help indie performing artists get out on the road, sell their music, and grow their followings. Th workbook portion of this series helps you keep track of that growth so you can see how far you’ve come, and where you need to focus your efforts. Grab all three for the performing songwriter in your life and you’ll be giving her the gift of career guidance.
Gear
Ernie Ball Musician’s Tool Kit
Let’s be honest – one day, you will be playing a show and you will break a guitar string. It happens to the best of us. And when it does, you’ll want to be prepared and have all the tools necessary to fix it quickly! This slim little toolkit will save your butt on stage, and fits nicely in your gig bag. Keep one at home and one in your guitar case so you’re never caught off guard by a broken string!
Shure SRH840 Professional Monitoring Headphones
My husband and I each have a pair of these headphones in our home studio. They’re fabulous – they cover my full ears and sound great. The cord is nice and long and it’s coiled, which keeps it from getting tangled and knotted and gross. One thing is that they cups aren’t that comfortable, so I wound up ordering a pair of memory foam cups to replace them with, and my head loves me for it. I actually use these in daily life as well, just to listen to music!
Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone – Whiteout
If you’re looking for an easy to use, plug-n-play usb microphone to get stared recording, Blue makes some fantastic mics to get you started. Their Yeti condenser mic is a great first mic for songwriters who want to record their own demos, or make clearer worktapes. It couldn’t be simpler – plug it into your computer and you’re good to go! You can start recording into any of your favorite programs. Even Skype!
Creative Tools
Danelectro Electric Guitar Mini Amplifier, Aqua (N10A)
How adorable is this little guy? If you’re traveling for the holidays and you want to practice with your electric, but really don’t want to tote around your gig amp, this Honeytone aqua pocket amplifier is a great little tool. All it requires is a 9 volt battery and you’re live! Walk down the street and play, if you want to. The world is your stage. (To be perfectly transparent here – this little guy is not going to give you amazing sound. It’s just for fun!)
These beautiful guitar stands not only store your guitars, they show them off. They’re made in the USA from real wood and are truly works of art that don’t get in the way of your guitar or your furniture. Not more flimsy metal pipe stands that fall over if you look at them the wrong way. This guitar stand elevates a room like a sculpture.
I. LOVE. My. BESTIE BOX.
This cute little pink box comes packed to the brim with all sorts of fabulous goodies to keep your music career going strong. And its customizable – pick your koozie and music workbook or planner! I have the Social Media planner and Music Marketing book, and they’re both so critical. Treat yourself or a musician Bestie and gift her a Bestie Box surprise delivery! P.s. You also get 5 exclusive song prompts from SongFancy when you order this box ;)
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