<p>My D is starting at a performing arts high school in 2 weeks and will no longer be taking her piano and voice lessons outside of school (although she will still work with her voice teacher from time to time). She's been with her piano teacher since 2nd grade (9 years) and voice for the last three.</p>
<p>I want to give them something special at her last recital next weekend (it's a performing arts center). I've given them enough Dunkin Donut gift cards (both of their favorites) over the years to last a lifetime and I'd really love to come up with something more creative - but - I'm just coming up blank :)</p>
<p>I know all of you wonderful people have been through this before and will have some ideas for me.</p>
<p>We gave D’s long time voice teacher a Vera Bradley bag after the recital
( already knew she was a fan). If you’d rather stick with a gift card, try a nice local boutique, bookstore, Target or Amazon or a gift card for an area mall.</p>
<p>Mezzo’sMama - Thank you for replying! I wish I could do a Vera Bradley bag (I would think my D would think she should get one for herself too while we were there LOL) but both of the teacher’s are men. I was trying to avoid the gift card route - since I do those for them a few times a year.</p>
<p>I once got her voice teacher a wonderful travel ceramic mug for tea that he always carries with him. Perhaps I’ll go into Teavana and look for something different for him. We love their all in one steeper that when it sits on the mug it releases into it. That could work.</p>
<p>As for her piano teacher - that’s a bit more difficult and she’s been with him for so long. That’s who I’m really struggling with.</p>
<p>I am a private music teacher myself. The best concrete gifts I have gotten are a lap size hand made quilt from a long term student. Her mother made the quilt. The same family also gave me a gift certificate for a one hour massage at a spa another year and another year a lovely Irish sweater but this family was very generous. And that young lady was my student forever. I also treasure a beautiful art glass bowl from a girl I had taught since she was 8 and she presented it to me as she began her freshman year at Harvard. I think I like the bowl so much because it makes me think of that student. But I often get smaller gifts with very meaningful letters. This is what I think would really mean a lot to a teacher. I have made my children write a letter of thanks being very specific about how the teacher has helped them to all of the teachers they have had over the years when we changed teachers. Both of my sons now have a couple of male teachers and that has been a hard one. I have given one a couple of gift certificates to interesting restaurants especially since these teachers have been so wonderful during this college application process. But we thought about gift certificates for to Itunes and music stores specific to their instruments. During the holidays I always make homemade biscotti and send a meaningful note of thanks.</p>