Milestones Music

Former Flute Player

2012-01-15T16:55:00.000-08:00

When I was a girl I played the flute. It was one of the more popular choices for girls back then. I really wanted to play the drums, but NO girl at our school did percussion. We rented at first, then my Dad bought the flute for me. And of course I quit playing as soon as it was purchased because it was a choice of chorus or band in middle school, no room in the schedule for both, and I love to sing.
So my sister inherited my flute. She played longer than I did, and my Dad traded it in for a nice silver flute instead of the student model I started on. I wish I could say that I love flute music, but it really isn't my favorite instrument anymore. The French horn is. But I wish all the flute players out there the very best!

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What Has Happened To All The Piano Players?

2012-01-14T03:43:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, it seemed that every kid I knew took piano lessons. Some dropped out pretty fast, but most of us stuck with it for years, working our way from method books to classical pieces and if we were fortunate, some popular pieces as 'rewards' for sticking out the daily finger building exercises and classical music assignments.
My children had a wonderful piano teacher who trained at Peabody School Of Music and who taught at least some of them to become accomplished pianists who play regularly in their adult years. But as a child, my piano teacher lived just around the corner in our neighborhood, a stay at home Mom making a few extra dollars for her family by teaching the neighbor kids how to tickle the ivories. That was the norm where I grew up and there seemed to be a piano teacher in every neighborhood. None of us learned to play very well in the end perhaps, but in addition to learning to play the piano itself, a piano student learns important things like:

Music Appreciation. Getting an exposure to the great Classical Composers like Beethoven, Bach, Mozart and Debussy. Who didn't learn to play at least a simplified version of Moonlight Sonata?

The importance of daily practice. Filling in that little practice notebook to take to your piano teacher at next week's lesson was tantamount to avoiding a scolding for not taking practicing seriously enough.

Memorization. Years ago kids did a lot of memorizing and oral recitation in school but that seems to be a thing of the past. But a piano student works to memorize their musical selection for the spring recital. Memorizing is an important mental task in my opinion.

The importance of Perfection. In a world where parents are encouraged to tell kids they are great at everything they do to build their self-confidence, working on a piece of music to perfect it can be a rare skill. Our children's piano teacher used to put a little check mark on a piece if they had not practiced it well enough, indicating it needed repeating for another week. Sometimes, they might have 4 or 5 check marks on it before finally passing it off to her satisfaction. And finally they would receive a star for a job well done in perfecting it. Of course it isn't necessary to be perfect at everything in life, but I believe there is value in working to perfect some things.
So let me ask, where are all the piano players these days? I do know some children who still take piano lessons but is it becoming a thing of the past? I hope not!

The Sing Off

2012-01-07T04:39:00.000-08:00

This past fall, our family really got turned on to a show called The Sing Off! Some of the groups were absolutely fantastic, others not so much. But what a wonderful thing to watch talented performers singing their hearts out hoping to win an album contract and some money. The harmonies and dynamics were magic, and one performer with the Dartmouth Aires, Michael I think his name was, made the show worth watching every week. I expect we'll hear more from him in future years on Broadway or touring as a solo performer. Some groups were as small as quartets while others were large college show choir ensembles. The group we were rooting for were Vocal Point from Brigham Young University, where our kids all go to college. They were super, but didn't make it to the top 3 in the end. I'm looking forward to next season's show!

Music Talent Competitions

2011-05-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

Due to the recent success of vocal talent shows on TV I have wondered if there might be a market for additional musical talent competitions on TV. Granted there is something special about singers and singing groups but what about a show which features other instruments. Could there be one that focused on a certain instrument like the piano or guitar. I wondered if they have thrown around the idea of having a rock band competition with America voting for their favorite new band in the end. These type of shows enable new performers to have instant access to a large crowd and I would bet that there are enough garage bands out there to find enough talent for a show.

Concert Choir Robes

2011-05-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

It is traditional for many choirs to wear choir robes when they perform. This tradition is rather interesting. Having worn quite a few myself I find them usually to be uncomfortable and rather silly looking. I'm not sure where the tradition started but I am guessing it is from the religious tradition of robes in church. I would be happy to see this tradition replaced with another. Wouldn't it be simpler for shirt and ties for guys and skirts and blouses for girls? Or for more casual performances even personalized choir t-shirts . I think it would save a lot of the hassle of dry cleaning the robes, matching sizes and keeping a constant inventory of robes and making sure that you get them back from the students or choir performers.

Live Music Festivals

2011-05-04T08:40:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than live music. True one can sit back and listen to volumes of music and performances on CD, but there is still something enlivening about hearing a live performance. Maybe its being able to not only hear but feel the crash of the cymbals or see the emotion on the faces of the performers. Across the country there has been an increase in music festivals, everything from bluegrass and country to Mozart Festivals. These festivals bring to a community added exposure and a chance for residents of these communities to embrace and host visitors from outside of their community. If you are wondering if there is a music festival you are missing out on check out this music festival finder to find local music festivals. For example we live in Pennsylvania, and I recently found out that Gettysburg hosts a bluegrass festival in May and August. What a fun weekend excursion to hear live music and visit historic Gettysburg and of course dine out at the local establishments. So if you are looking for a great weekend out or looking for a great gift idea for a musician , look for a local music festival and explore a new part of your community while at the same time experiencing live music.

Broadway Spectacles

2011-04-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

The much anticipated Broadwayshow "Spiderman The Musical" is supposed to premiere this summer. Much of the publicity surrounding this such has been on its extravagance as well as the injuries involved with the stunts performed. Broadway shows and musicals in general have to find ways to compete and draw viewers to see them. In my opinion ,not matter how amazing the spectacle musicals are driven by the story they tell and music which helps tell that story.
Looking at recent successes like "Wicked" or even classics like "The Phantom of the Opera" they both have tremendous scores and compelling stories and characters. True there are breath-taking and memorable scenes performed on stage an (like seeing the Wicked Witch "defy gravity")which add to the splendor of the event. However Broadway musicals which become "classics" generally have solid characters and sweeping and memorable lyrics and scores.
Now don't get me wrong, the creative and ingenious minds which have continually recreated and pushed the bounds of what can be done on stage should be encouraged and applauded. I love to see the creativity involved in sets, lighting, special effects as well as the other technical aspects which help shows come alive.
However strong shows also help support local theater companies and high school music programs. These less technically dependent musicals can be performed on a local level and enjoyed by both amateurs and professionals.

Metropolitan Opera Live Broadcasts

2011-04-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

Over the last year the New York Metropolitan Opera has been showing live HD broadcasts of their opera productions in various movie theaters around the country. Their recent production of Rossini's Le Comte Ory was seen on April 9, 2011 in theaters around the US. This year they have slated several more live broadcasts of their productions. This new venue should be applauded by opera fans and music lovers as it makes Live Opera performances available to people who might not be able to attend the opera in person. There are few opera companies around the country and most are centered in large metropolitan areas. However there are many opera fans all over the country. These type of productions allow many smaller locations to see opera live. This could be seen as a great gift idea for music teachers around the country who are now able to take their students to see opera live as opposed to being limited by resources. True there probably is no substitute for the beauty and majesty of being at the Met. to see these performances; however this is one way for us to experience such tremendous talent and productions in our own communities. So check out the rest of the 2011 schedule and find a theater near you who is streaming these live performances. Could we start to see other venues such as Broadway or Music Festivals use this model to reach a wider audience?

Music and Technology

2011-04-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

My son serves in the US Army and is part of the US Army bands. He performs on a constant basis for military ceremonies or concerts for the public and community. There is a continual struggle to make sure they have all the right music for the right ceremony or performance. Instead of carrying around fat and cluttered binders and music tote bags filled with music, many musicians are taking a digital approach to organize their music and schedule for the performances. There are plenty of options for hand held displays. You could look at the IPAD or MusicPad pro as potential devices to use. There are also companies which offer electronic stands which display digital sheet music though a little expensive. It is fairly easy to scan sheet music into a digital format and plenty of websites are now offering sheet music in a PDF or other digital format. You can organize your music all in one place and have access to other music in case there is a need for a longer performance. So look at these items as a potential musical gifts for your musicians family members or friends.

Why Music Is A Valueable Part of Public Education?

2011-03-15T08:02:00.000-07:00

Local school districts are trying to make tough decisions regarding funding of various programs within their schools. Unfortunately, there is not a limitless amount of funding for such a vital part of our nation's future which is our children's education. Many times when I was in school we would challenge the teacher with this question "Will I ever use this again in "real life"?". Now my ability to effectively diagram a sentence or to solve for x may not have been used post high school but there is great value in a broad range of subjects or general education.
This being said general education can very expensive...the more subjects you have the greater the amount of teachers, staff and material that are required. This brings us to our original dilemma of facing tough economic decisions regarding funding and potentially cutting of programs.
It is not my endeavor in this post to give some type of breakdown in the cost and benefits of each and every subject that a school can teach nor to give a list of most important to least important. It is my goal to show that music education should be considered as a vital part of public education.
Music has been referred to as the "Universal Language". It is inspiring to see how across many cultures music can be appreciated and arouse similar feelings with the tones and sounds which they hear. Music transcends both culture and generations. New listeners each day are learning to appreciate everything from Mozart to Aerosmith to Johnny Cash. This medium speaks to our hearts which is a place that few other subjects are as effective at reaching. Education is not only about reaching the minds of students but reaching their hearts as well.
Music education provides the ground work for teamwork and creativity. Within these classrooms students work on interpretation of music, and expression. Choirs learn to harmonize with individuals around them and to think objectively about how their individual performance affects the whole. These type of lessons or education are invaluable experiences to learn while in school. In a time where there is a great focus on the individual performance on a system of standardized tests where there is always a "right" answer, there also needs to be a balance of learning how to participate in a group setting, and how to learn judgment when there really is no "right" answer to fill in the bubble. The "real world" is filled with uncertainty and ambiguity, and it is important to foster challenges that can lead students to face this "what do you think we should do?" scenarios. By allowing them to participate in music, there is a real sense of creation and creativity. They are allowed to take an idea and explore it and polish it in their own way.
Music requires discipline. Few individuals can sit down with an instrument or sing perfectly right away. It requires ardent practice and diligence to perfect or improve the students performance.
There is also multiple studies which have linked achievement in school with participation in music education. Though there is never conclusive proof, these studies do paint a picture of how music education adds development in other important aspects of education.

I have talked about 4 reasons why music education should be part of a public school curriculum:
1.Music is the Universal Language
2.Music fosters teamwork and creativity
3.Music speaks to the heart not only the head
4.Music helps improve other academic achievements

Show you support for your local school district's school music program.

If you have a student involved in music check out these great musical t shirts, school marching band t shirts, and orchestra t shirts.

March To The Beat In Fun Music Keds Shoes

2010-10-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

These ultra cool Keds shoes have custom music designs that will make your marching band practice extra snappy. Or get a pair for your favorite music student!
*Custom Keds are not returnable, so our suggestion is to stop in at a local shoe store and try on a pair of similar Keds to see what size fits you best.

notes_wb by VioDeBlack
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Antique Music by bandgeektees
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Music Keys Keds Shoe by buddhan_unique_shoes
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College Marching Bands

2010-09-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

My daughter is in her first year of college marching band this year, performing in the Brigham Young University marching band. She loves it! After choosing not to march in high school, we were very surprised when she decided as a college sophomore to give marching band a try. She was hoping to see more of the football games, but she said she is too busy as a band member at each game to get to see much of the playing on the field. It is still a lot of fun, and she has made great friends already.
If you've never seen a college marching band perform, check out some of the great videos on YouTube. Wow, some of those bands can really rock. Or go see a college game if you have a school close by. You'll love it!

Embroidered Trombone Music Hoodie

2010-09-06T04:57:00.000-07:00

Fall weather is coming soon, and our embroidered trombone hoodies are a great way to stay warm when you head out for marching band activities, football games or bus trips. Add a name to personalize them for each member of your trombone section.

Embroidered Trombone Hoodie by madconductor
Design your own embroidered t-shirts online with zazzle.com

Funny Embroidered Music Caps

2010-08-21T16:27:00.000-07:00

Caps are great gifts for musicians, especially for marching band students who need something to shield their face from the sun. We have lots of funny marching band slogans on hats for guys and gals. Get matching embroidered music caps for your band section or buy a funny band hat to strut your musical stuff at band rehearsals or trips. Here are some examples from our embroidered band apparel section of our music store!

Embroidered Pink Piccolo Marching Band Hat by madconductor
Design an embroidered hat online with zazzle

Embroidered Trombonist Extraordinaire Music Cap by madconductor
Shop for embroidered baseball caps at Zazzle

Funny Embroidered Baritone Music Hat by madconductor
See other Baritone Embroidered Hats

Cute Kids Trombone T-shirt For Back To School

2010-08-16T06:18:00.001-07:00

Cute Ladybug Trombonist Gift by madconductor
See more Trombone T-Shirts

Marching Band Stuff For Back To School

2010-08-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

There's a cool store on Zazzle called Marching Band Stuff that has a wonderful selection of marching band designs for high school students who play and compete on the field. Great for building section pride or order a few tees to wear to rehearsals and on marching band trips.

Here are a few of their band shirts and hoodies!

Mellophone - Band Geek for Life by marchingbandstuff
See more Mellophone T-Shirts

Retro Tuba Colors by marchingbandstuff
See more Tuba Keds Shoes

Visit Milestones Music For Great Back To School Stuff

2010-08-11T06:06:00.000-07:00

Here is an easy way to browse all the great products we have at Milestones Music. From music water bottles to personalized music ornaments, band shirts to composer collectibles, we have fun music stuff for you.

For the love of music

2010-06-26T03:35:00.000-07:00

Why is it that we all love music? What does it touch in our souls? Granted, we don't all love the same KIND of music, but most everyone I know finds a way to make music a part of their lives, from listening to a classical station to singing in the shower, downloading their latest favorite hit to their iPod, to playing an instrument in marching band or singing in the choir. It seems impossible to go through a day without music at all!

Have you ever stopped to think about the first music in your life? Was it a lullaby sung by your mother, or your Dad humming along to the radio? When did you sing your first song? Music is such a wonderful way to teach things, too. Just set something to a catchy tune, and our brains seem to absorb and hold on that information so much easier. Isn't that why children sing the "A B C Song"? I helped our youngest child memorize his school lunch password by setting it to a simple tune!

What about your first love as a teenager? Is their a certain love song that was "your song"? Or the music you danced to at your wedding; do you still remember it all these years later? Music and love just seem to go together.

Cute Music Lover Ladybug Design Gift by madconductor

Whatever your personal experiences with music have been, I think we can all agree that it is an integral part of our lives.

Kids And Music - When To Call It Quits

2009-08-28T08:48:00.000-07:00

Every parent with a young music student has been through the following:

"Mom, can I play the _______?" Please? I'll practice every day, I promise! Then before too long, the practicing slows or stops and the student says they don't want to play that instrument anymore. Sometimes they want to switch instruments. Sometimes they want to quit altogether.
If you're lucky, you can find incentives to keep them practicing and motivated through the ups and downs, until finally the need to succeed among their peers is enough to carry them forward. After that, if you're really fortunate, you end up with a music student that stays with their instrument because they love playing it, and have fallen in love with music itself.

But what do you do if a child simply doesn't follow that path? What if you have spent several years encouraging, cajoling, pleading with a student to "just keep trying", but the results don't follow? Is there a way to tell when enough is enough?

We reached that point with my youngest son this year. After raising six successful music students, one of whom has gone on to major in music performance, our youngest child has not responded to playing his instrument even after four years of trying. Practicing has been torture for him and for us. Last year, the band director called and said he needed to talk to me. That our son was just not progressing. It was tempting to quit. In fact, we made that decision. When suddenly, our son decided just before school started this year that he WANTS to play the horn in band and play it well. He has been practicing (on his own) for 45 minutes a day. A minor miracle is occuring. Maybe we have suddenly hit the 'peer pressure' age? I hope so. I really do. So we are not calling it quits yet.

If you'd like to follow some online discussions about this subject, here are a couple of links:

Top 10 Ways To Encourage Your Child To Practice

How do you know when it is ok to let a child give up playing a musical instrument

Personalized Piano And Keyboard Music Gifts

2009-06-26T12:02:00.001-07:00

When my kids were taking piano lessons, it was important to have a good bag to keep their music in or they ended up dropping lesson books in the mud on their way into their piano teacher's home. My son ask me to design a piano bag for him to use and I did. It has become a popular item in my music store and he and I share the income equally from any sales because 'it was his idea', he said.
Recently I decided to expand the personalized music gifts we offer to include t-shirts, keepsake boxes and other music products. They make nice custom presents for any music student or music teacher for that matter. Here are a few samples. They can be personalized with a name by contacting us here:
Request A Personalized Piano Tote bag

Request A Personalized Violin T-shirt
Request A FunnyViolin Master Gift

Fill out my Wufoo form!

School Band Gifts

2009-04-17T04:48:00.000-07:00

Spring band awards night dinners will be here soon! It's time to think about gifts for the director, drum major, section leaders, band parents and more. Milestones Music has fun gifts that make great band awards night handouts.
Here are some examples:

Band T-shirts For Marching Addicts

2009-01-29T04:05:00.000-08:00

Do you find yourself shuffling your feet under your desk to last year's drill chart routine? Maybe you're a marching band addict. Winter or summer, when you gotta march, you gotta march. Keep in practice for the 2009 marching band season, any way you can! And keep sharing the love for band with these fun band t-shirts:

I Love Band! by Anotherfort

Join the Marching Band by marchingbandstuff

Cool Marching Band Buttons Build Section Pride

2009-01-17T12:36:00.000-08:00

Here are lots of fun marching band buttons for all different kinds of instrumentalists in your marching band. Even when it's winter, you can show band spirit and show off your instrument especially if the whole section wear matching buttons.

Milestones Music Holiday T-shirt Sale

2008-11-29T05:57:00.000-08:00

Shop Milestones Music this weekend for the lowest prices of the holiday season. We have lowered prices on our music mugs, womens light t-shirts, music keepsake boxes, music themed caps and instrumentalist magnets. Our music apparel and gift items are perfect for Christmas gift giving. Multiple item shipping discounts apply.
*NEW* - Black hoodies and sweatshirts for men and women! We are adding music hoodies in black and navy to our clothing collection. If your favorite design is not shown yet on black, contact us and we will add it for you. We also carry new zip hoodies for men.
Shop Thanksgiving weekend through the holiday season for great music gift discounts. Here are some examples of music t-shirts and gifts on sale now:

Mad Conductor Music Now Accepts Paypal

2008-11-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

If you love our Mad Conductor Music products but don't like using a credit card, now you can purchase great holiday music gifts and apparel with your paypal account. Zazzle just announced that paypal is a new payment option for all purchases.
Here are some cute music gifts for the musicians on your list:

Cool Grunge Horn Hooded Sweatshirt by madconductor
Design personalized t-shirts With www.zazzle.com
Browse other Party Music Entertainment T-Shirts

Surprise your favorite French Horn player with a warm hoodie on Christmas morning. Hoodies are popular with all ages and this one is so cool with its classy grunge look french horn design.

Funny Oboe Chocolate T-shirt by madconductor
Create Custom T Shirts At zazzle
Browse other Party Music Entertainment T-Shirts

Any Oboe Player would laugh at this funny oboe t-shirt. The design says Oboist - Will Play For Chocolate! A great tip for using a t-shirt as a stocking stuff is to roll the t-shirt up tightly and tie with a big red ribbon, then tuck in any Christmas stocking.

We Have Musicians Covered For Christmas

2008-11-17T04:10:00.000-08:00

If you have a musician to buy for, don't wait until Thanksgiving has come and gone to start your holiday shopping. Black Friday comes late this year. It's time now to start Christmas shopping for your favorite music lovers, and the best new place online for unique Christmas music gifts is at Union Eight. They offer over 70 unique shops with merchandise including kids t-shirts, music themed gifts, holiday designs on mugs, aprons, t-shirts and tote bags, funny music tee shirts for teens and adults, stick figure designs, embroidered music apparel and much more.

Ludwig Van Beethoven

2008-11-05T09:41:00.000-08:00

Wonderful classical composer Ludwig Van Beethoven brought the world some of its greatest classical music. The Ode To Joy is my favorite of all Beethoven's music. Here are a few facts about Beethoven's life:
Born Dec 1770 and Died March 26, 1827
Composed the beautiful Moonlight Sonata in 1801
Gradually lost his hearing; was completely hearing impaired by 1819
Completed his stunning Symphony No. 9 in 1824
He never married.
If you love Beethoven, share your passion with a t-shirt.

Music Tees offers these cute Beethoven shirts:

Beethoven Rocks Kids Beethoven T s... - Customized by MusicTeesGiftsStyles T-Shirts

Beethoven Rocks Beethoven T shirt by MusicTeesGifts

Beethoven Rocks Beethoven Tie by MusicTeesGifts
Ties created online using Zazzle

You Can Never Have Too Many Horns

2008-10-29T05:17:00.000-07:00

I love french horn. Plain and simple. It's big, bold, beautiful brassy sound is very distinctive in any performance and the wonderful versatility of its range is always a delight to listen to. Our family has produced five horn players so far. My hubby played it and so do four of my kids. In fact, one of them is a french horn performance major right now in college.

Live by the Horn by marchingbandstuff

My daughter who is a high school senior is preparing a tryout right now for a horn concerto competition. She is trying to decide between playing Mozart's 2nd and 4th horn concertos. I think the 4th will win out. Partly because her older brother played Mozart's 2nd Horn Concerto for his senior concert.
From Wikipedia:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat major, K. 417 was completed in 1783. The work is in three movements:

* I. Allegro maestoso
* II. Andante
* III. Rondo Più allegro 6/8

I think my daughter is playing only the allegro and andate movements. I can't wait to hear it at her spring concert!

Horn Grunge Womens T-shirt
by madconductor

Too Often Overlooked - The Marimba Rocks!

2008-10-15T12:52:00.001-07:00

I asked my kids if they knew what a Marimba was and they looked at me with blank faces. Okay, so the Marimba gets overlooked in the musical world. But we all love the way it sounds, right? So I decided to find out a little more about it.
Some Marimba Facts:
A Marimba is made of bars, usually made out of rosewood for concerts or a synthetic for marching bands.
They are struck with mallets to make the sound.
Sometimes two mallets are used, sometimes four, sometimes even six!
The funny metal tubes that hang below each bar are called resonators. They amplify the tonal sounds.

Marimba
by

Zatara2

From Wikipedia, here is a list of notable Marimba performers:
* Keiko Abe
* Amampondo
* Bogdan Bacanu
* Pedro Carneiro
* Vida Chenoweth
* Pius Cheung
* Musekiwa Chingodza
* Dave Danford
* François Du Bois
* Mark Ford
* Evelyn Glennie
* Bobby Hutcherson
* Jack Imel
* Alex Jacobowitz
* Brian Jones
* Reg Kehoe and his Marimba Queens
* Marta Klimasara
* Joe Locke
* Hokoyo Marimba
* Nick Matthews
* Christopher Norton
* Gloria Parker
* Percujove
* Dave Pike
* John Rae
* Ney Rosauro
* Michael Rosen
* Eric Sammut
* Robert van Sice
* David Smith
* Leigh Howard Stevens
* Gordon Stout
* Art Tripp
* Ruth Underwood
* Bo Wagner of Starbuck
* Julius Wechter (with Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass and Baja Marimba Band)
* Jack White of The White Stripes
* Nancy Zeltsman

Funny Marimba Cartoon Tee Shirt by madconductor

Great Music Novelty Ties For Christmas Stocking Stuffers

2008-10-13T08:02:00.001-07:00

If you have a musician on your Christmas shopping list, these fun novelty neckties can be a unique music gift especially for stocking stuffers. They are printed on the front side only; the back is white. But the designs are a whole lot of musical fun and will make a hit at holiday time.
Here are a few examples:

Trumpet Tie and Art Noveau Leaves Design by arluz1

Tuba Neck tie and Art Noveau Pattern Design by arluz1

Violin Tie and Art Noveau Pattern Design by arluz1

Mozart Classical Composer Tie by madconductor

Cool Dark Hoodies For Musicians

2008-10-09T05:23:00.001-07:00

Whenever my kids have had evening marching band practices, they have complained of how cold they get as they go through their drills on the foootball field. Well here's the answer.
Everyone loves a hoodie, especially band members during the cool fall marching band season. Instead of freezing their katookers off, music students can pull on a warm, comfy hooded sweatshirt to ward off those cold winds. Here are some of my favorite band sweatshirts. They make great gifts or buy matching hoodies for your whole marching band section.

Tattoo Hear Drumline by TeeShirtsTShirts

Peace Love Drum Majors by TeeShirtsTShirts

New - Get Our Music Designs At Zazzle

2008-09-25T05:43:00.000-07:00

Okay folks, Milestones Music is now offering its great music slogans at Zazzle in our new Mad Conductor Music gallery. We love the selection of cool t-shirts there and think you will too. Same great designs, more shirt styles to choose from. Come on over and take a peek at our tuba t-shirts and more.

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Fall Marching Band Season T-shirts

2008-09-25T05:28:00.000-07:00

Get out the stadium seats and put on a warm coat because fall Marching Band season is upon us. That means a lot of parents want to show support for their kids who play musical instruments in the band. How about wearing a band button or t-shirt? Or the hardy at heart can forgo the coat and wear a warm hoodie with their son or daughter's name on it.
Visit Virtuoso Designer to make a custom band parent shirt and get out there and cheer.

Band Moms Rock

2008-07-23T21:28:00.000-07:00

When summer band camp season begins it is a busy time. Kids need to be shuttled back and forth to practices and equipment needs to be inventoried and cared for. High school band students appreciate the help of Band Parents - moms and dads who volunteer their time to have water bottles ready when needed and who cheer the band to victory at competitions and football games. Here are some nice band mom and band dad t-shirts:

New Marching Band Buttons For Band Camp

2008-07-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

We've just added a collection of section buttons, band director buttons and band mom and dad buttons that are perfect for Band Camp 2008. Designs also available on marching band caps and t-shirts.
More buttons:
Band Director Button
Section Leader Button
Trumpet Section Button

Summer Band Camp T-shirts

2008-07-15T03:59:00.000-07:00

It's Marching Band Camp time for many high schools in July and August. When my boys attended band camp, their band director helped boost section spirit and unity by having each band section come up with a funny musical skit or short music selection to play at the end of each day. Everyone voted and the winning band section got a special prize each day.
Another way to create section unity is by wearing matching section t-shirts or caps. Here are some fun musical instrument t-shirts that make great section tees:

End Of Year Music Parties

2008-05-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

It's time again for all those end of year school music parties to honor teachers, section leaders and parents who worked so hard to have a successful music program in your school. Why not give them a special keepsake gift? After all, what would a Marching Band be with out a Drum Major and how would all those instruments and students get back and forth to rehearsals and band camp without caring band parents to drive them?
Band Director Gifts:
BAND DIRECTOR GIFTS
Drum Major Gifts:
DRUM MAJOR GIFTS
BAND MOM GIFTS
Here are a couple of my favorite picks for gift giving:

Personalized Music Tote Bags

2008-04-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

My son asked me to make him a piano music tote bag with his name on it recently. From that emerged the idea to offer custom music tote bags for other instruments too. If your son or daughter would like a unique music messenger bag tote to carry accessories and sheet music to rehearsals and lessons, Milestones Music now offers many new designs to choose from. Here are a few examples:

HOW TO ORDER:
Send us an email at milestonesmusicshop@gmail.com . We will prepare your design and send you a link for ordering. DO NOT ORDER THE SAMPLES ABOVE - or that is what you will receive. Visit Milestones Music for other instrument tote bag designs - trombone lesson tote bags, music director totes and more.

Happy Birthday Johann Sebastian Bach!

2008-03-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

March 21st was the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach. Born March 21 1685, he died July 28, 1750. His occupation was Organist but he left the world with some of my favorite classical music. Bach once said:
"I was obliged to work hard. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed just as well."
Aspiring musicians can take that as good advice from a man who certainly did succeed in his music.

From Gear Gems

SPRING IS COMING Sale At Milestones Music

2008-03-08T21:14:00.000-08:00

Spring Is Coming! Easter is in March this year and soon it will be spring. To celebrate, we are offering all our popular Jr. Jersey t-shirts at $22.99, $4.00 off our regular price of $26.99. Designs from flute to viola, soprano to piano teacher and much more. Soft and light for those warmer spring days ahead. Jr. jersey tees are nice for school or work and our colorful music designs are too.
Personal note - my daughter has six of the Jr. Jersey music t-shirts from Milestones Music and loves them all. They have washed well and brought her many compliments at symphony rehearsals and school band festivals.
Here is a preview of some of our music designs on the Jr. Jersey tees:

Funny Music Ties

2008-02-29T02:47:00.000-08:00

I've recently caught the Zazzle bug and tried my hand at making some music novelty neckties with their service. Here are the results:

create & buy custom products at Zazzle
I plan to add a zillion more for just about all musical instruments including trombone, tuba, trumpet, string bass, didgeridoo and more. Also some marching band ties and music ties for directors and music teachers. Cool gifts!

Get Our Designs On Great New Zazzle Products Too

2008-02-08T06:56:00.000-08:00

Love the designs you've seen on Milestones Music? Now you can find them on Zazzle as well with great new products like a variety of tote bag styles and many more t-shirt colors and styles for men, women and kids.
Here's a preview of some of our favorites:

make custom gifts at Zazzle

End Of December Sale!

2007-12-21T04:08:00.000-08:00

Just for our newsletter and blog visitors, here is an End-Of-December special that is not available to regular customers.

2007-12-20T08:43:00.000-08:00

It's cold out there.... and every musician deserves a warm hoodie to cuddle up in during the winter months ahead. Check out these fun music hoodies from our shop with colorful designs for just about any instrumentalist or singer.

Music Calendars for 2008

2007-12-19T22:16:00.000-08:00

Looking for a birthday or Christmas gift for a musical friend, music teacher or student? These fun music calendars fit the bill nicely.
Our Music Quotes and Composers 2008 Calendar contains inspirational photography with quotes from Classical Composers.
Funny Musical Genius 2008 Music Calendar
has music clipart cartoons and very funny music quotes from well known composers that you may never have heard before.
Music Speaks Wall Calendar for 2008
has eclectic music cartoon instrumental musicians with fun music slogans on various months.
All our music calendars are printed by CafePress.com, offering a high quality gift for a favorite friend or teacher.

Join Us To Shop For Fun Music Gear

2007-12-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Milestones Music blog, where you'll find fun ways to shop for music gear for all ages. Browse our links to find t-shirts and matching gifts with music humor, musical instruments and music slogans for men, women and kids.