Today I played my final Christmas Show for the year. It has been a very interesting and honestly disappointing season for Christmas gigs. Oh, I had plenty of them - 19 to be exact, but some were hardly what they once use to be. It is sad and disappointing when you show up for a Christmas job to be told you can play ONLY secular Christmas music! At several places I was told to limit Christmas songs to only a few. This was not because the residents were tired of the season but because the Corporate owners of these places did not wish to OFFEND ANYONE! What a bunch of BS! So, next year I WILL SELECT WHERE I PLAY AND WHAT I play for the Christmas shows or they can hire someone else.

I also noticed a big change in our local radio stations and what kind of Christmas music they played as compared to past years. Things a changing folks and in my opinion not in a very good way.

Well, all this said, today I had a 3 hour Christmas show and It was awesome! I played just about every Christmas song I have ever known and much to my enjoyment when I played the traditional Christmas music the audience, about 150 of them, sang and clapped and totally enjoyed the experience! After the show dozens of the audience members took the time to thank me for bringing Christ back to their Christmas show and told me I was the ONLY entertainer this year who played these songs for them.

Well, sorry for the venting here but I thought it might be a good thread for the forum.

Deane

Deanne ... At least you ended on a good note ... (no pun intended)

Fortunately, I did not run into any of that ... Played Carols such "Mary's Boy Child", even ended some gigs with the audience singing"Silent Night" ...
But I hear what you are saying ...

A few years ago, our prior Governor decided that the State would have a "holiday" tree, not a Christmas tree ... The tree grower who donated the tree every year told him that he grew 'Christmas' trees, not holiday trees, so he would not be donating one ... The next Governor went back to a 'Christmas' tree ...
The thing is, the State closes on December 25th, which is CHRISTMAS, so saying Merry Christmas isn't taking anything away from anyone else, it's just wishing them a merry December 25th

Glad it ended well Deane. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Deane:

You are obviously very observant. Christians everywhere are being shoved to the back of the bus... or the ejection seat. Here in a nation founded on Christian principles, the ten commandments (foundation and basis of our laws)... and all the things our nation once stood for, fought for... on multiple fronts all over the world, are slipping away... and we are letting it happen for fear of being called zealots or even worse.

Who was it that said, a well fed public will not man the barricades or picket lines. Instead, we sit stupidly by and allow the damn NFL insult our Anthem and Flag. Watch all the dumbing-down going on each night with our TV offerings. Pure drivel and slime.

When the majority no longer rules, democracy is dead.

Atta boy, Deane

I may play secular also, but would not exclude CHRISTmas carols either. If the atheists don't like, too bad.

Deane, I know it takes a lot for you to vent, but it also shows that you have righteous values.
Enjoy this coming year, and may you have a HEALTHY new year.
John C.

Times are changing for sure. Some of the changes are good. The relatively new phenomenon of the Internet and widespread use of computers and other devices allow this forum to exist and help all of us in the creation (and sharing) of music. But, as Deane points out, the loss of traditional, family and religious values is an unfortunate trend in our society. My optimistic side (which is admittedly small) hopes this trend will reverse at some point.

Deanne: The irony in this situation, is that by denying the playing of religious Christmas songs...their practicing reverse discrimination.

I would find it offensive if Christian based Christmas songs weren’t included in a holiday set.

Good job Deane,
jingleman

That’s weird Deane, I haven’t encountered that at all.... but I only do senior events in the Dallas area, hardly ever north of the Trinity River and only about half the number of gigs you do. Either way , can I say “ Merry Christmas “ to you ?

Seems only appropriate for me to take this opportunity to wish everyone here a
VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and a Happy New Year.

Deane

I never encountered this as well. I think if I would have, I would have told the AD that I do the shows - she just writes the checks. And, if she thinks she can do the shows better than me, then why in the Hell isn't she on stage?

Gary

The world is changing.

My brother, a strong Christian, hung up his 40 some years as a choir director after being directed to play holiday music vs. Christian music.

Thing is. Whether we like it or not, our constitution encourages religious freedom. Maybe that had a different meaning in the colonies like Jamestown in 1619, but it translated to something quite different now.

In my past few years of(fill in)teaching, I have encountered Jewish students, various Muslim factions and more than one Christian faction.

All have their own beliefs.

And, all pay taxes to the local school system and therefore, feel the right, to expect public schools to adhere to religious freedoms that Do Not infringe upon their religious beliefs.

A local school(30 miles away) wanted me to sub. I would have but, but out of 30 students, 10 dialects were spoken...most, some form of Muslim.

And, I do not have problems with students speaking Arabic, but for me it was too much to co-ordinate.

There is no doubting that teachers today face challenges unseen in the past ... A local high school teacher recently reported on trying to teach English to students of 14 different ethnic backgrounds in one class ...
It's the way of the world, now ...

Deane will you use the new SD90 setup for Christmas and all next year....or?

Donny, I always use a Yamaha keyboard for Christmas gigs. I have owned ALL the TOTL keyboards over the last 14 years and none of them have the styles that fit Christmas music like Yamaha. So, I keep a Yamaha keyboard in the house for Christmas and Patriotic gigs. Right now I have the S975. That said, all the rest of my gigs will be with the Ketron.

Deane

Hi all - interesting topic. I have not seen/heard any of this so far ... I still mix in traditional Christmas carols & hymns, with secular and "Santa Clause" and Winter oriented songs. Have not had any complaints or comments so far. . . but yeah, times are changing, and perhaps at some point someone will make those requests you wrote about in the opening note on this topic . . .

Christmas-time seemed to go by fast this year - time to say Happy New Year next!

Jim

Dean if you look around there are some really nice Xmas styles for ketron. or just add some xmas bell pads to existing styles.


I also enjoyed watching you perform with your new rig ketron/controller too...the audience loves it too...congrats!
....thanx