Retirement gift for a hobbyist composer?
March 22, 2017 12:44 PM Subscribe
What would be a good retirement gift for a work colleague who will soon have significantly more time to compose music and enjoy his acreage in the mountains?
Difficulty level: I am his quasi-replacement and have spent the last 5 months working closely with him and trying to absorb as much of his knowledge as possible. So this needs to be more than a card, I think. It would have to be shipped to him as we are in different locations within the US.
He composes music in his free time including choral arrangements for his church. He has a Windows Surface for composing his music on, so he may appreciate any doohickey that can help facilitate or add-on to that.
Difficulty level: I am his quasi-replacement and have spent the last 5 months working closely with him and trying to absorb as much of his knowledge as possible. So this needs to be more than a card, I think. It would have to be shipped to him as we are in different locations within the US.
He composes music in his free time including choral arrangements for his church. He has a Windows Surface for composing his music on, so he may appreciate any doohickey that can help facilitate or add-on to that.
It's hard to imagine that an accomplished musician would not have all the gizmos he wants that are in a realistic price range. I have a couple of things that are unnecessary/extravagant as a woodwind player. One is a really nice music stand. Mine is a quasi-antique, but I'm thinking something with furniture quality to it, not just utilitarian metal. He doesn't need that if he is primarily a keyboard musician. The other thing I have is a music quality sound recorder. The price range is $100-$750, but even the low end is a lot better than recording on a phone. Lots of people would use a video cam plus a mike.
Thinking of mountains and acres, maybe a pair of binoculars. Maybe one of those brass telescopes on a tripod to put on his piano and look out the elk grazing.
Tickets to a concert might work, if you can figure who/what he likes best.
posted by SemiSalt at 1:50 PM on March 22, 2017 [2 favorites]
Thinking of mountains and acres, maybe a pair of binoculars. Maybe one of those brass telescopes on a tripod to put on his piano and look out the elk grazing.
Tickets to a concert might work, if you can figure who/what he likes best.
posted by SemiSalt at 1:50 PM on March 22, 2017 [2 favorites]
Best answer: If you want to do something outdoorsy, a True Nord compass is an elegant and practical gift, especially as a play on the classic gold watch for retirement.
I agree that it will be tough to pick something that he needs for composing but doesn't already have. If you are stumped, would also suggest that a donation to his church would probably go over well.
posted by veery at 1:57 PM on March 22, 2017 [2 favorites]
I agree that it will be tough to pick something that he needs for composing but doesn't already have. If you are stumped, would also suggest that a donation to his church would probably go over well.
posted by veery at 1:57 PM on March 22, 2017 [2 favorites]
Is he in a legal weed state? That could help him get into the zone too.
posted by matildaben at 2:38 PM on March 22, 2017
posted by matildaben at 2:38 PM on March 22, 2017
I've personally had my eyes on the Zoom Q2n. It's a portable video recorder, made foremost with attention to audio. The company that makes it is renowned for their audio recording devices with good X/Y microphones. It would be pretty neat if he recorded himself playing out on the mountainside. Something like this comes to mind.
posted by naju at 4:18 PM on March 22, 2017
posted by naju at 4:18 PM on March 22, 2017
A couple of thoughts, both inspired by Hans Zimmer:
1. Google on 'hans zimmer studio' and surf on what pops up. In addition to all of the drool-worthy electronic and audio equipment (most of which I'm going to guess is probably outside of your budget)(and mine, too!), the place appears to be full of exotic knick-knacks and artwork and so on. You may find yourself inspired.
2. The Hans Zimmer teaches film scoring offering from masterclass.com. I don't know if it's available yet, but you can give it as a gift for $90US. The Usual Disclaimers: I'm not shilling for either HZ or these Masterclass people - but the Hans Zimmer thing looks like pure fun and I'm sure they'll have my $90 in the near future.
posted by doctor tough love at 6:28 PM on March 22, 2017 [1 favorite]
1. Google on 'hans zimmer studio' and surf on what pops up. In addition to all of the drool-worthy electronic and audio equipment (most of which I'm going to guess is probably outside of your budget)(and mine, too!), the place appears to be full of exotic knick-knacks and artwork and so on. You may find yourself inspired.
2. The Hans Zimmer teaches film scoring offering from masterclass.com. I don't know if it's available yet, but you can give it as a gift for $90US. The Usual Disclaimers: I'm not shilling for either HZ or these Masterclass people - but the Hans Zimmer thing looks like pure fun and I'm sure they'll have my $90 in the near future.
posted by doctor tough love at 6:28 PM on March 22, 2017 [1 favorite]
I don't know that there's any more to this equipment-wise than a nice recorder itself, but if he happens to be a Messiaen fan who might be inspired to start notating bird song himself, a presentation geared towards that would be a really nice nod to his hobby. Maybe a starter kit-style presentation, with the recorder, an app store gift certificate for a spectogram app, an adapter for smartphone/tablet, and a pocket sheet music notebook? Still general purpose, but as a composer and Messiaen/birdsong fan I'd still appreciate the reference even if I didn't end up doing that. Obviously depends on whether he'd find that remotely worthwhile.
posted by invitapriore at 6:34 PM on March 22, 2017
posted by invitapriore at 6:34 PM on March 22, 2017
What's your budget? How long has he been composing for? I have known several composers, and a lot of the software end of things is personal to the composer's chosen workflow, so that can be hard to add to unless you know what they're missing.
It's on the less expensive end of things, but if I were to give a gift to any of the composers I know, it would be a book about music. For example, I'm visiting my old school at some point this summer, and I'm planning on giving one of the faculty a copy of Records Ruin the Landscape, because I know he's interested in 20th century composers. If I didn't know he already had it, I'd get this professor a copy of Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann.
Do you know what style of music this person composes and listens to? It may be that the two books I just mentioned are perfect for him. Or it may be that he would be very interested in a biography of Aaron Copland, or the one that recently came out about Mozart (unless I'm getting that mixed up with another composer). Someone once gave me a copy of John Adams' autobiography Hallelujah Junction, along with a copy of Composers on Music, and I thought those were great gifts.
All I'm saying is, it can be hard to add to someone's work setup, but he might really appreciate an interesting and thoughtful book about music. I'm sorry I can't think of too many off the top of my head, but a very well-reviewed book about someone relevant to his interests might be a nice gift. I'm not saying this is your best or only option, but I just wanted to suggest it as a possibility.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 7:22 PM on March 22, 2017 [2 favorites]
It's on the less expensive end of things, but if I were to give a gift to any of the composers I know, it would be a book about music. For example, I'm visiting my old school at some point this summer, and I'm planning on giving one of the faculty a copy of Records Ruin the Landscape, because I know he's interested in 20th century composers. If I didn't know he already had it, I'd get this professor a copy of Doctor Faustus by Thomas Mann.
Do you know what style of music this person composes and listens to? It may be that the two books I just mentioned are perfect for him. Or it may be that he would be very interested in a biography of Aaron Copland, or the one that recently came out about Mozart (unless I'm getting that mixed up with another composer). Someone once gave me a copy of John Adams' autobiography Hallelujah Junction, along with a copy of Composers on Music, and I thought those were great gifts.
All I'm saying is, it can be hard to add to someone's work setup, but he might really appreciate an interesting and thoughtful book about music. I'm sorry I can't think of too many off the top of my head, but a very well-reviewed book about someone relevant to his interests might be a nice gift. I'm not saying this is your best or only option, but I just wanted to suggest it as a possibility.
posted by shapes that haunt the dusk at 7:22 PM on March 22, 2017 [2 favorites]
This might be over your budget, however: if I were actively composing music something I might not have that I would want would be a laser printer that can print on over-sized paper. So that I could print out nice full scores, chorus books, and parts for instrumentalists. 8.5" x 11" is just not large enough for any of these, although it's often used anyway as the default. (See this guide to good practices, pg 7, for a discussion of appropriate sizes for parts, etc.)
If you decide to go with a book, two extraordinary works on the theory of harmony which I can't imagine any composer not welcoming to his or her library are:
W. A. Mathieu's Harmonic Experience: Tonal Harmony from Its Natural Origins to Its Modern Expression
and
Arnold Schoenberg's Theory of Harmony
(I would guess it's somewhat more unlikely that he'd already have the Mathieu than that he'd have the Schoenberg. The Mathieu comes at the subject from a very unconventional angle, involving a lot of hands-on experiments with harmonic overtones and chanting, and discussions of just intonation and modes, all of which are aimed at being able to hear fundamental harmonic qualities, while the Schoenberg is more a straight and traditional classic.)
posted by bertran at 10:46 PM on March 22, 2017 [5 favorites]
If you decide to go with a book, two extraordinary works on the theory of harmony which I can't imagine any composer not welcoming to his or her library are:
W. A. Mathieu's Harmonic Experience: Tonal Harmony from Its Natural Origins to Its Modern Expression
and
Arnold Schoenberg's Theory of Harmony
(I would guess it's somewhat more unlikely that he'd already have the Mathieu than that he'd have the Schoenberg. The Mathieu comes at the subject from a very unconventional angle, involving a lot of hands-on experiments with harmonic overtones and chanting, and discussions of just intonation and modes, all of which are aimed at being able to hear fundamental harmonic qualities, while the Schoenberg is more a straight and traditional classic.)
posted by bertran at 10:46 PM on March 22, 2017 [5 favorites]
That's a great suggestion, and just to bolster the case for Theory of Harmony if he doesn't already have it: it's less a harmony text than a postmodern novel built on the conceit that it's a harmony text, but is actually a pulpit for a brilliant autodidact with a slightly shaky grasp on music history and a radical theoretical agenda to present tonal harmony in a way that leads inevitably to the conclusion that pantonality is the only possible way forward for music. He's an unreliable narrator and an exuberant writer of prose and basically the whole thing is like Pale Fire for music theory nerds. So in spite of being widely referenced, I'd also call it unconventional, but in a different way.
posted by invitapriore at 11:40 AM on March 23, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by invitapriore at 11:40 AM on March 23, 2017 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: I ended up going with the compass, which he loved. Thank you all very much!
posted by jillithd at 10:44 AM on April 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by jillithd at 10:44 AM on April 24, 2017 [2 favorites]
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The Surface Dial is $100 but has gotten some rave reviews as far as enhancing the Surface experience, and will probably be integrated into whatever app he uses for composition at some point in the nearish future.
If your budget is highish, you might see if there's someone that offers professional location recording that will come out to his church and make a nice recording of his works being performed.
posted by Candleman at 1:14 PM on March 22, 2017