I am not embarrassed to  admit that I listen to Christmas music ALL year round...mostly instrumental, but I have been know to listen to Nat King Cole in July.  But like most, the music is an integral part of our holiday; it's been that way since I was a little boy in Kentucky.  I still have many of the original albums that Mom and Dad played on a very modest stereo.  And while I have wonderful music systems in my office and home, I will, undoubtedly, find a night between now and Christmas to sit in my favorite chair in my office with a nice glass of wine and listen to the scratchy 33's on my turntable; it's just a part of my holiday.  This year, however, I promised myself that I would delve a bit more into the history of the music that I so enjoy, and with that, share my thoughts with my family.  Just for fun, I'm going to include videos of most of these songs.  It is 30 days until Christmas and I expect to discuss ~ 35 songs that are important to me and my family (I've asked everyone to include their favorites.  One of the purposes of this website was to have an ongoing chronicle of family stories, traditions, and miscellaneous musings.  While I haven't been too productive with this thus far; this will represent a sustained new attempt at doing better.

What better song to start the holiday season off with than "It's beginning to Look a lot like Christmas."  Composed by Meredith Wilson in 1951, this song has been a staple of Christmas music.  Like many of the songs, there are competing versions of the origin; one claims it is based on the Park Inn Hotel in the composers home town of Mason City Iowa (the last remaining hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright); my personal favorite is that it was based on a stay at the Yarmouth, Nova Scotia "Grand Hotel."  I choose this version for the simple reason that my wife is from Nova Scotia so that settles it!  We can all wax nostalgic for the simple longings and simple times just a generation ago.  

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Johnny Mathis)

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas (Michael Buble)

It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas (The Chipmunks)