Reconnecting Over The Holidays

Tis the season to…

… sing Christmas carols!

Seems like there are two camps for Christmas carols… the classics and the contemporaries.  Regardless of whether you prefer one or both, this is one of the easiest times to connect and sing together, even if you don’t consider yourself a musician or singer during the whole year.  

Remember, as a species, we’re been singing together for tens of thousands of years.  Just how many, researchers aren’t sure. However, it is believed that as a species, we sang before we spoke. That is how it is developmentally.  Babies sing long before they speak. Sadly, we’ve lost touch with this very organic, very human part of us.  

If you can sigh, you can sing.  From there, it’s just practice. What we label as beauty is cultural, so there is no objective measure for the singing quality of anyone’s voice.  Don’t believe me? Go listen to Chinese opera. You’ll quickly realize that what you think is pretty is literally made up.  

So this holiday season, let it rip more than ever!  Cue up Alexa or whoever/whatever you get your music from and sing along… with your whole family! One thing we do at Christmas dinner is hand out lyrics to Christmas Carols, and we all sing along while I plunk the most basic chords on the guitar.  Don’t have a resident accompanist in the family? Sing along with Alexa!

Sure, put the kids on the spot and have them sing a solo, but don’t deprive yourself the opportunity of unleashing an avalanche of feel good chemicals in your brain by sitting back and just listening.  You don’t have to be the loudest, just get in there and follow along… with your voice!  

Does your family have a routine or tradition around holiday music? What is it?