Favorites – Christina Whitlock

The following links are among my most-recommended resources for studio music teachers

Please note: this page contains affiliate links. That’s just smart business, but the recommendations are fully my own and given without icky sales motives.

Dry Erase Staff Boards

I use these in nearly every lesson I teach, and I give them away to every pedagogy student I work with. They are essential to how I teach students to read notation... not to mention aural skills, rhythmic relationships, and so much more. This board is sturdy and stands up to heavy use from my group classes.

Lollipop Drum

I have a lot of supplementary percussion instruments, but this one is a favorite. Its timbre is pleasant and the slim profile allows for easy storage. If a student is having a challenging moment, I can hold the handle myself (which means I remain in control and can take it away anytime I need). My students sometimes use it in place of the key cover for "tabletop practice" because of the helpful resonance.

Bongo Drums

...speaking of percussion instruments... this is a sturdy set that works on your lap, on the table, or under your arm. I like having two sizes; perfect for drilling rhythms in each hand, or letting the larger drum represent the macrobeat (while the smaller allows for the microbeat).

Foil Sticky Tabs

Listen, friends: NOT ALL STICKY TABS ARE CREATED EQUAL. I don't pay more for vanity often, but these make me happy enough to justify spending a bit more. I find Post-It brand sticky tabs to be THE best, and the attractive colors and sheen of these make me happy to pop them in my students' books so they know just where to practice.

Automatic Three-Hole Punch

My manual three-hole punch was one of those things that caused me an irrational amount of frustration. My mother-in-law gifted me this for Christmas and I can't imagine going back. Now, I smile every time I pop worksheets or printed music into my students' binders.

Hand-Shaped Sticky Notes

A studio family gifted me these and I am obessed with the possibilities. They are small and sure to be a conversation starter with each student.

More sticky notes!

I appreciate how this set contains lined post-its but also different sizes of blank notes. (Can you tell I may be post-it obsessed?)

And - again - I love dollar store finds and all, but NOTHING beats the stickiness of actual Post-It brand sticky notes. They stand the test of time in a way the others just don't.