Music Major Graduation Gifts – Vocalists Monday, May 01, 2017
The world of a musician or collegiate music major is often foreign and strange to those outside of the profession. Parents, family and friends are often at a loss as to what graduation gifts might be most useful to a high school graduate who plans to major in music, or college graduates pursuing music as a profession. The members of our knowledgeable staff at Stanton’s have all been in their shoes, and we recommend these gifts (in a variety of price ranges) that WE could have used when we graduated!
For HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES pursuing a degree in vocal music:
IPA Made Easy by Anna Wentlent, $12.99
Don’t worry mom and dad – in this case IPA doesn’t stand for a type of beer. It’s the International Phonetic Alphabet, a system of symbols depicting vowel and consonant sounds across all languages. Vocal students spend a lot of time studying IPA, and this handy pocket-sized guide includes online examples of every sound spoken by a professional vocalist.
So You Want To Be a Music Major by Robert Franzblau, $14.99
There’s a famous story about a music professor who looked at his or her entry level theory class of bright-eyed freshman on the first day and said, “Look to your left. Now look to your right. One of these people won’t be here by the end of the semester.” Success as a music major depends greatly on a number of factors, sometimes the least of which is talent or ability. Go in prepared with this book about how to make a successful transition from high school musician to collegiate music student.
Standard Vocal Literature ed. Richard Walters, $22.99
available for Soprano, Mezzo Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, and Bass
All college students complain about the cost of textbooks, but music majors have to spend an amazing amount on the music that they learn and perform. These standard books are used by most vocal majors, contain a variety of art song and arias in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, and include online audio access to recorded accompaniments and diction lessons.
For COLLEGE GRADUATES pursuing a career in vocal music:
When the Fat Lady Sings: Opera History As It Ought To Be Taught by David W. Barber, $17.95
We all need to be able to laugh a little at ourselves. Whether your graduate is an opera specialist or not, they’ll get a kick out of David Barber’s tongue-in-cheek take on this venerable art form.
Pitch Pipe: C-C or F-F, $32.40
Useful to lots of musicians in a variety of situations, pitch pipes are especially important to vocalists needing a starting pitch when there isn’t a keyboard or other instrument around. Due to their diminutive size they are easily lost, so you can never have too many!
Teaching Music Through Performance in Choir series, $25.95-$47.95
These books are the go-to resource for quality choral literature at all levels. The books are a wealth of information, and the accompanying CD sets have high quality recordings of each featured piece. While a worthwhile investment, they can be out of reach for those on a first-year teacher’s salary. Available titles include Teaching Music Through Performance in Choir Vol. 1, 2, 3 & 4 as well as Teaching Music Through Performance in Middle School Choir. Books and CD sets sold separately.
Also, be sure to give your graduate Stanton’s phone number: 1-800-42-MUSIC! Our staff is a great resource with music knowledge and teaching experience, and full of ideas!
