Create Your Holiday Soundtrack

Both of my parents are music teachers, my grandma a church organist, all of their siblings in choirs, my mother still a church choir director… You could say music is in my blood. When my husband and I were dating long-distance, music tethered our hearts. We’d send song lyrics to each other, sing together (we still do), and make playlists to prep our hearts while on our 8-hour trek to visit each other.

Music speaks louder than silence. It can help us set the tone in our home and often in our hearts. Music is especially important and useful during the holidays! The songs of our childhood have an irreplaceable hold on our hearts; in selecting beautiful music to fill our homes, the lyrics of truth will leave an imprint in the minds of our kids, too. Let’s create a peace-filled, joyful home, and let’s allow music to play its part.

I’ve created {what I think to be} a beautiful Spotify playlist to give you a moment of Christmas. Feel free to let it play on repeat – I know I do! =) Many of the songs on this list have been with me for years, decades of Christmases echoing in my ears. For instance:

  • Stille Nacht, by Mannheim Steamroller: when I was in high school, I saw a ballet number performed to this song and it took my breath away. I’m transported to a red seat in that auditorium whenever I hear it.
  • ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, by Fred Waring: growing up, my siblings and I annually watched a video of Christmas cartoons that my dad had taped off TV 🙂 This song accompanied one of our favorites on that tape, and when I hear it I’m seven again, wide-eyed and dreaming.
  • Christmastime is Here, by Vince Gauraldi: while I of course watched A Charlie Brown Christmas growing up, now I smile wide when hearing this song because of my son’s deep love for all things Snoopy. He’s had this movie memorized for years, a Charlie Brown Christmas themed birthday party, and asks to watch it year round. I never say no. =)

I invited my Facebook friends to share their favorite ‘moment’ songs with me – here’s a sampling from their list:

Naomi S: ‘O Holy Night’ is my “moment”/ reflection song.

Melissa S: my fav is the whole entire Dean Martin Christmas album. On repeat all the time from Nov. 14-Dec. 26!

Tabitha D: Karen Carpenter’s I’ll Be Home For Christmas. A classic!

Lauren D: On repeat – ‘James Taylor at Christmas’… It’s perfection. Also, ‘Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire’ and Ray Charles ‘The Spirit of Christmas’.

Leave your most beloved song(s) in the comments –  I’d love to hear and add your favorites to my own list!

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Let’s create a peace-filled, joyful home, and let’s allow music to play its part. <– tweet this!

Music can help us set the tone in our home and often in our hearts. <– tweet this!

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Create a Holiday SoundtrackThis post is part of my 31 Days to a Less-Stress Holiday Season series. Make sure to subscribe via email and follow this Pinterest board (it will have each post + graphic as they go live) so you don’t miss a single post!

31 Days to a Less-Stress Holiday Season! girlwithblog.com

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