Project playlist: Christmas edition

Christmas music — some bask in its reminiscent, childlike nature. Others loathe its irritating and vibrant melodies. Many stand indifferent to it, neither embracing nor avoiding its cheerful character. Regardless of your stance on Christmas music, it is an inescapable art form during the holiday season, following us into our houses, the workplace and our automobiles.“Christmas music is what harnesses 90 percent of the beautiful Christmas winter-y vibe,” Natalia Garban (’16) said. “[It’s] necessary for fluidity and gathering and communication, and it allows people to feel the way they should when Christmas comes.”For Garban, one of the best parts of Christmas music is its unique nostalgic quality, which never fails to bring her back to a specific time of the year.“I feel like a big part of Christmastime is a kind of nice nostalgia,” Garban said. “Christmas music is a thing that I can keep returning back to, that I hold near and dear to my heart.”Christmas, however, isn’t only reminiscent of a particular time of the year. It also reminds people of what it was like to listen to music in previous eras, allowing us to track the progression of music throughout history.“To hear music that was produced 60 or 70 years ago that most people have been listening to for so long makes you feel like you’re a part of this big wave,” Garban said. “There’s something about putting on a beautiful old song that makes [me] feel really warm inside.”Holiday music also sets the background for the giving, kind and loving tone of the season. Christmas carols, in particular, often reminds us of our childhood wonderment linked with the holidays.“Christmas music always puts me in the holiday spirit and makes me happy to be celebrating with people I really care about,” Thomas Lin (’15) said.A vast part of the holiday spirit is centered around helping those who are less fortunate. Amy Moton (’16) believes that giving back is the most important part of the holiday season, and Christmas music puts her in a charitable mood.“Holiday music not only makes me feel cheerful, [but] it also reminds me of all that I have to be grateful for this year,” Moton said.In addition to giving back, well-known music unites all people because of its familiarity.“Everybody knows holiday music, and if everybody knows something it brings them together and makes everything cheerful and joyous,” Emma Geisler (’17) said.The different forms that holiday music comes in also makes it very accessible to a wider variety of listeners.“Personally I find a lot of comfort in Venezuelan Christmas music because I celebrate Christmas with a hint of Venezuelan style,” Garban said. “I think there’s different types of music that go with different types of cultures, and the variety makes it a more universal thing to listen to.”According to Caroline Ho (’17),  music is the most powerful form of communication and evokes emotions of joy and gratitude during the holiday season.“I think that universally, music can transcend greater emotions than any other form of communication and holiday music brings people together,” Ho said.snickman@thesamohi.comosherman@thesamohi.com