The Christmas season brings us some wonderful, but often repeated, performances. Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker", Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" in all of its incarnations, Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" featuring the glorious "Ode To Joy" at the end, Handel's "Messiah", and many others. There are carols and seasonal music in every store, and movies and specials on television.
This is a joyous time, to be sure. But there are times that I feel like I'm being shouted at from every angle. I find that I need to take time for quiet reflection. To balance "Sleigh Ride" with "Silent Night" performed as simply as possible.
I find it wonderful to be able to teach these songs to students. Not big over-arranged and over-sung versions, but simple "beginner" versions. There is an honesty and purity that doesn't exist in the professional world very often that brings some missing charm to these songs.
I'm often asked if I'm tired of listening to students claw their way through Jingle Bells or some such tune, but I always answer "Nope". I learned them when I was a kid and I get to teach them now. It feels like an honor to be a part of the tradition. Students in their teens are very embarrassed about not playing these songs well. They compare themselves to their favorite artists, which is very unfair. I would rather hear a child gleefully sing "Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh - HEY!" than to a celebrity just using the song as a vehicle to show-off.
After all these years as a solo guitarist I have developed a strong appreciation for the quiet elegance of a small sound. I am reminded that J. S. Bach wrote those wonderful choral pieces and only had a choir of about eight voices. The power and beauty of his music came from the quality of his composition and not from the size of his ensemble.
Although I do still like the big stuff, I need to balance it with the small. For every large orchestra performing the "Nutcracker" I like to hear a handbell choir performing "The Nutcracker Suite". For every singer who uses "Ave Maria" to give a vocal masterclass I want to hear a child quietly playing "Away In A Manger".
Just as we wish that "peace and goodwill to all" would last throughout the year, I try to maintain my attitude about balance always. For every arena pop act that is thrust upon us, I enjoy listening to a local folk artist or classical music recital. And it's a real treat to listen to a student discover the fun of playing a song by their favorite singer.
It's really hard to learn these songs and to develop the strength and coordination to play guitar while singing. It's even harder to perform in front of people you know. It's an act of love in the giving and the receiving. It doesn't get much more "holiday" than that.