Now that the holiday season is well underway, Christmas music is playing everywhere you go. You can't escape it. It's at the mall... It's at the grocery store... It's at the restaurant... It's in the elevator... It's on all radio channels. Even your kids come home singing about Santa Claus and Jesus the Messiah!
The truth is, whether we want to admit it or not, singers LOVE Christmas and especially its music! How does Christmas music make you feel? Do you get an incredible urge to sing along? What about that fuzzy feeling when your favorite Christmas carol plays on the radio? What childhood memories come to mind as songs unfold in an endless hypnotizing serenade?
There are many reasons why we love Christmas songs so much.
For one, many of us discovered singing through church. If I can speak for myself, it was after joining my community Christmas choir that my gift for singing was first acknowledged. I must have been 7 or 8 years old. The director encouraged my twin sister and I to harmonize specific sections and sing solos. If you're like me, deep down in your subconscious your core passion for singing is reignited every time Christmas comes around. The magic of Christmas even connects you to your inner child. You allow yourself to be playful and even silly, free of inhibitions; two qualities that are needed for successful singing.
You wanna get your family and friends' attention to wish them a Holly Jolly Season? It's the perfect excuse to post a video of yourself singing on your Facebook page and Instagram! Whether self-initiated or not, opportunities to perform increase all around. The Holiday Season is a busy time for professional musicians. Since getting in the spirit spikes generosity, it creates a great incentive to spend more money. It's therefore not surprising to see an increased demand for live Christmas music at the shopping center, in restaurants and in clubs. Many families also have traditions to attend Christmas concerts at this time too.
If you are feeling particularly festive, you might even be inspired to record a full album of Christmas songs. By the way, did you know that the most famous Christmas songs were written by Jewish composers? Thanks so much to all of our non-Christian friends who want to join in the fun and get a piece of the action!
And there we have it. Christmas music unites us all. Families, friends, colleagues... It's that one time of the year where we put our differences aside to show each other appreciation. We get together and party until the wee hours of the night! We eat, we drink, and (for some of us) we sing!
We love Christmas songs because they are catchy. The melody and lyrics are familiar from years of exposure. Sharing that common bond makes it easier to draw your audience in. Uplifting lyrics, faith, and hope are renewed with the peaceful joy of a “White Christmas” and comfort from the warmth of good tidings.
Do you have a dedicated song binder for the occasion? Awesome! It's the first step to preparing yourself for some serious Christmas singing. When December kicks in, you must be ready to sing these songs on command. There is no time to practice unless you intend on overloading your senses with a month ahead of Christmas music rehearsal!
How are you doing so far singing Christmas songs? Are you feeling rusty? Did you need to revisit how to approach some of the songs technically or were they easy to sing from the get go?
How was your pitch? And the high notes? Did your voice crack? Did you experience any soreness or fatigue afterwards? If so, that's frustrating. I get it. It's NOT cool.
Wouldn't it be nice to be able to sing any song you want any time you want? Without much PRACTICING? To be able to sing even the HIGHEST notes on the spot? To avoid over-saturating your brain with hours of singing the same song to get it RIGHT? To have the CONFIDENCE to just go for it? How wonderful would it be not to care about messing up because you KNOW that no song is beyond your reach?
Wouldn't it make you actually want to practice more so that you can learn more songs and have more fun with your voice? Join a band? Perform more regularly? Record some songs? Film some videos? Post your work on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube? Grow an audience and finally make some money out of your voice?
The truth is, no one likes to spend an eternity learning something. And especially not re-learning it every year. What I'm suggesting instead, is to get your voice in the best shape ever now so that you can identify what technical issues are holding you back and fix them all. Be ready every year for Christmas. As well as in the eventuality of any other life altering opportunities! I want to help you maximize your vocal skills. Experience the freedom of spontaneous and confident singing: any time of the year! I have put together an amazing masterclass that explains the 5 shifts you need to uncover your best voice. This Holiday Season celebrate your singing, your divine gift by treating yourself to higher learning. Follow the link to register:
See you there and Happy Holidays!
Val