10 Awesome Gifts for Piano Teachers to Show Your Thanks

We all love music teachers, because they dedicate their time to teach students how to play the piano.  And sometimes, it’s a wise idea to give back to the people that invested in us, in an effort to show our appreciation to them.

To do that, I suggest you take a gander at this collection of gifts for piano teachers I’ve compiled, which will give you some great ideas that’ll surprise the teacher in your life.  

They’ll definitely appreciate the warm gesture.  And it’ll make you feel equally great, as well!

Music Journal

Circling back to the sticky notes idea—this would be for the less chaotic piano teachers. For those teachers who, instead of covering every available surface in sticky notes, would rather have everything in one place, the music journal (or notebook) is a better option for them. 

You can also get it personalized with their name on the front, depending on which website you use. Definitely a great idea for anyone who needs some more writing space!

Giant Floor Piano Keyboard

This is an excellent and unique gift for any piano teacher, especially if they teach piano lessons to kids! Giant floor keyboards are great for kids who prefer learning kinesthetically, because the size allows young students to stand on the different keys and move around before they try to play the songs on the piano. 

This is definitely something on a lot of teachers’ wish lists. They’re also pretty affordable, starting at around $35. 

Piano Ornament

Depending on the season, a piano ornament is also a great option. Most of them are pretty inexpensive, but you also have a lot of freedom with this option. You can get a generic ornament and have their name stenciled on, if you’d like. 

You can also have a short message stenciled on if they’ve had a big impact on you and you’d like to convey that to them. You also have a lot of options with this gift, so you’ll definitely find one that your teacher will like!

Piano Tote Bag

Coming back to teachers who travel or are on the go quite a bit, it can get pretty taxing to lug everything around. If your piano teacher doesn’t have a single studio or classroom, odds are they’re transporting a lot of things back and forth—notebooks, sheet music, personal belongings, piano textbooks, and more, and all of that can get heavy pretty quickly. A very nice tote bag would be the perfect gift for them.

When I first started teaching, one of my birthday gifts was a personalized music bag from my dad, and it’s definitely one of the things I use the most. I use it to cart lesson plans and my computer to and from school, it’s a catch-all for all the things I need to bring in for my students that I would otherwise forget. 

Now, you do have some leeway on this one. There are some cloth bags that you can personalize and that are pretty good quality, but the better quality they are, the more expensive they’ll be. Depending on your teacher’s needs and how much you’re able to spend, you can decide how expensive you want everything to be. But in truth, a piano tote bag can be very inexpensive. Leather bags that are high quality are also a great option, and they tend to last a little longer when taken care of. 

Piano Keychain

This gift is a classic for a reason. Keychains as gifts are simple, small, and thoughtful, and they don’t take up much space. There are hundreds of options, so you can choose something simple, or something more eye-catching. 

You can also have something engraved on the back, if you’d like. It’s up to you and how you want to thank your teacher! Here’s one option:

Digital Picture Frame

You could get your teacher a digital picture frame, one which will easily allow your instructor to store countless of his or her beloved photos. I’ll tell you right now that as a music teacher, memories are some of the most important things we’ll collect over the years, and a framed picture of the teacher and student is always the perfect memento to show gratitude. 

It says so much in a single gift, that you decided to keep a moment of your shared time and share it with them.

Music Note Throw Blanket

I don’t know about you, but I am always cold. It doesn’t matter how many blankets I have, I’m always ready to add one to the collection!

They range in price from about $25 to $100, depending on the quality and the graphics, so they’re mostly affordable. If you want to make the gift more personal, you can always have their name embroidered on it, too!

Music Post It Notes

Another good gift would be sticky notes. Some piano teachers may have their life together and keep organized notes, but I definitely don’t. I have sticky notes everywhere—on my computer, on my desk, on my desktop, even on my microwave. 

I also use them to write down student assignments for practice or notes on pieces to look up for them. I tend to buy the cheap solid-colored ones from the store when I need them, but it’s always nice to have some official ones if I need to give something quick to a parent or student. They’re also a lot more fun to use!

If there’s one thing piano teachers always need, it’s sticky notes. Trust me.

Travel or Portable Piano

Most piano teachers don’t give private lessons full time. A lot of times, those lessons are for supplementary income, and their main job is something else, often teaching music or playing for a church or organization. Something that would be really great, especially if they’re a traveling teacher, is a travel keyboard. 

A portable piano, such as the affordable Alesis Prestige Artist shown above or something like the Yamaha P-45, could change a teacher’s life, and I’m not being dramatic. With the funding for arts in schools right now, a lot of music teachers—piano teachers included—don’t have all the funds they need to purchase or maintain essential equipment. 

I had to give my first lessons on an upright piano that only had about fifty of the eighty-eight keys that still worked. A keyboard, though a temporary fix, would give the teacher some extra time to figure out something more permanent, and it would make traveling to unofficial lessons or gigs much easier. 

Most of these are between $50 and $100, so they’re a bit on the pricier side. However, if your piano teacher has just been that outstanding, and they have another position that requires their piano skills, this is definitely a good idea.

Gift Your Teacher an Apple or Flowers

OK, let’s kick it old school.  We’ve all seen the old movies—or even something like the Little Rascals TV show, where a student walks up and hands his teacher a red or green apple for a gift.

While it’s certainly not the most exciting gift a teacher can receive, it is an inexpensive one for the student to provide.  And it’s a fun throwback to a time where students gave their teachers practical gifts.

Or, you can always go the tried and true route–getting your teacher a bouquet of beautiful flowers.

Conclusion

Now, I’ll be the first to say that this definitely isn’t everything. There are hundreds of options for gifts for piano teachers, and they really depend on the teacher themselves and their needs and wants. Before doing anything, I’d ask if they have any kind of wish list that you could take a look at.

However, in this case, it really is the thought that counts. Just taking the time to research and buy a gift to share your gratitude with your music teacher will show how much you appreciate them. 

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This article is a guest post written by Isabelle.