December Makes Me Feel This Way

I'm taking a quiet moment this evening to be still.  The Christmas season is coming to its peak, and the hustle and bustle is in full swing.  But tonight I am still. Listening.  Being.

The Christmas season is such a special, magical time, it's hard to put into words. More than any time of the year, the season reminds me of God's wonder, of God In Us.  There's a little known song by jazz artist Dave Koz that captures the simple magic of the season in a way that few other songs do, at least for me.  I hope you enjoy this song and that it reminds you of the Spirit of the season.

Merry Christmas!

Singing About Town

Tonight I had an opportunity to sing with my chorus, the Harbor City Music Company Show Chorus, at the Mormon Temple in Washington DC.  The Visitor Center at the Temple is a beautiful facility, with a lovely amphitheater-style auditorium and beautiful Christmas decorations.  There are 1/2 million LED lights strung in trees around the grounds.  It makes for a magical, beautiful sight.  Thought I'd share some snapshots of the evening...

Sounds of the Season

Last night we had the pleasure of hearing our daughter and her friends play in a trombone quartet at a local bookstore, as part of a fundraising event for our high school music department.  This performance was really special in a number of ways.

Fa la la la la!

Am just settling into a nice evening at home after a weekend full of singing with my quartet and chorus.  Friday night, Saturday morning, and Sunday afternoon were all filled with performances of Christmas music.  What a great way to spend the holidays!

Straight No Chaser - 12 Days of Christmas

In other parts of my life, I sing in a barbershop quartet. I love a cappella music! Here is a top notch example of some awesome a cappella music, though not in the barbershop style. Straight No Chaser is taking the nation by storm, all because of a YouTube video that appeared on the scene a few years ago.

Here Comes Santa Claus

In other parts of my life, I sing barbershop music in Sweet Adelines International. I sing with a chorus of 65 women (Harbor City Music Company), and I sing in a quartet (Lustre). The hobby is wonderful as a creative outlet, and my membership in the chorus and quartet have turned into real, true family experiences.

Along about November, we start to bring out the Christmas music and dust it off. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas we have a flurry of performances all related to Christmas caroling. It's one of the most fun aspects of the holiday season for me!

I don't have any "authorized" recordings of my quartet or chorus doing any Christmas music, so I thought I'd share this. I think it's awesome, hope you do too!