Climbing My Family Tree » Music

Advent Calendar: Christmas Music

Jenn — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 17:11:27 +0000

December 21 – Christmas Music
What songs did your family listen to during Christmas? Did you ever go caroling? Did you have a favorite song?

When I was a kid, I remember listening to Elvis Presley’s Blue Christmas Album and Alvin and the Chipmunks. Didn’t most kids in the 1980′s listen to the Chipmunks at Christmas? I shudder to think of how many times I listened to that cassette tape.

I know that we caroled once or twice as a kid. I can’t seem to recall what for though – maybe with Girl Scouts or youth group? I do remember caroling with my German and French classes in high school. They went together – and I just happened to be in both of them. I always loved languages. We sang “Stille Nacht”, “O Tannenbaum” and “Ode an die Freude”, amongst others.

I posted some of my favorite Christmas songs on my Blog Caroling post, last week.

Here are a few more from Enya, which I think are absolutely enchanting. They aren’t what I listened to as a kid, but maybe I will start a new tradition.

Blog Caroling: My Favorites

Jenn — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:50:40 +0000

It’s so hard for me to pick a “favorite” Christmas Carol, because I like so many. So, I’m going to cheat and post a bunch of my favorites.

Here are a few of them, in no particular order:
The entire “Rat Pack Christmas” Album. You can NEVER, I repeat NEVER, go wrong with Frank Sinatra.
If I had to pick one favorite Christmas song (traditional), I think that I would go with “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”

Elvis’ Blue Christmas always reminds me of my childhood. I guess because my mom played the record so often.

I personally love Enya. I think her music is magical.

Chuck Berry’s “Run, Rudolph, Run” is another favorite. I like all of Chuck Berry’s music though.

I also love Michael Buble’s version of “Let it Snow”

And Trans-Siberian Orchestra is so cool! Especially “Wizards in Winter”

And for something completly different, I give you Relient K. My whole family LOVES their Christmas Album. It’s very upbeat and fun and punk.

Like I said, I have MANY, MANY other favorites, but I’ll save them for next year!

Today is the last day to join in the Blog Caroling over at footnoteMaven!!

Treasure Chest Thursday: Harmonicas

Jenn — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:59:36 +0000

My step-grandpa, Edward Thompson was a great harmonica player.

My mom remembers family get-togethers where he and others would pull out their harmonicas and just play. What happened to those days?

I recall him playing it for us when I was a kid also. I was always impressed that he could make music with it. I only made noise.

My mom now has his harmonicas. I thought that it was funny that one of them was an “Echo Harp” harmonica. Isn’t that what Alvin wanted?