Once Thanksgiving rolls around, I know I need to get to work on our family's annual Christmas Song. This tradition started in 1999, and we've only missed one year since (while I was in grad school and working one full-time job and one part-time unpaid internship with finals looming).
Rewind - back story - When my mom died in 1996, the first Christmas was very difficult. As the holiday drew near, I realized that it wasn't just mom that I missed at that time, but also the Christmas music that was always playing at mom's house during the season. It had subconsciously become the soundtrack to my childhood holidays, and I never even realized it! The next year, Lisa got me a sheet music book of the best Christmas songs, and I sought out to learn some of my favorites. I thought it would be a good idea to record a Christmas song every year and to give it out to my friends and relatives as our family "Christmas card,' so to speak.
The project took on a life of its own and has grown exponentially over the years. I originally just recorded instrumentals, but as the kids grew, they became more interested in the project and we added the "Johnson Four" kid chorus. Unfortunately, Kevin's voice began to change once he was 12 or 13, and his vocal range has been roughly the same as mine for years now. So much for the cute kiddo choir!
Travis and Ryan have showed the least amount of interest in the project (and music in general), so they just get in to the studio and record their required parts, and then it's back to the Xbox for them. Lisa is always "too busy with more important things" to participate. Humbug!
That brings us to Miss Abigail, my 9 year old sweetie. She has shown more and more interest in traditions every year, and the Christmas Song is always one of her holiday priorities. She started bugging me around Halloween to get started on this year's song. I couldn't think of any fresh ideas -- we had already covered most of the traditionals, as well a Van Halen parody and turned 'Twas the Night Before Christmas into a heavy blues jam. What else is left?
"Let's write our own song this year, Dad," Abby said. -- She's a genius! "It could go like this -- It's Christmas, it's Christmas, and blah de blah bla bla bla..."
In the words of the immortal Barney Stinson - "Challenge Accepted!"
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