Although it’s been a tough year for me personally, it has been a dream come true to record my own personal holiday song, an original composition called The First Snowfall. With its release scheduled for Friday Nov. 4th I’m just about bursting with anticipation and my fingers are crossed it manages to capture just a little of the excitement we feel this time of year as autumn turns to winter and as our thoughts turn to the holidays.
As a Canadian who’s been living in LA these past five years I always feel a pang of envy when I hear it’s snowing up north, and this became the inspiration for my song. In talking with others I’ve learned I’m not alone, there’s something special about the first snowfall that makes us feel like a kid again, that gives us a rush of excitement when we realize that the holidays are just around the corner; and whether we live where it snows or can only dream of it from afar this feeling seems to be pretty universal.
With a lyric and melody written I just needed the right team to bring my vision to life, my heart set on a lush, big band arrangement that would feel classic and timeless, a loving nod to so many of my favorite holiday recordings from Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra to Nat King Cole and Michael Bublé. This was ambitious to be sure and never could I imagine that the final recording would end up exceeding my expectations, and this in no small part owing to the shear talent of the team assembled, including the brilliant Carey Frank who not only co-wrote and produced the music, but added just the perfect touch of magic at the piano; and composer/performing artist Teryn Ré who created a beautifully emotive and festive orchestration that somehow feels both fresh yet nostalgic, original yet familiar; and the Grammy/Emmy award winning Clark Germain who brought all of the song’s dynamics together into a cohesive master that manages to be even greater than the sum of its parts.
I’d also like to extend a big thanks to Talley Sherwood and Harriet Tam at Tritone studios for their hospitality and expertise, and for accommodating our session with little advance notice. They made me feel right at home and it was such a pleasure recording there… and damn that mic! Will be back.
Lastly, a huge thanks to the musicians too. I’m in awe of such skill and talent in the studio, and I just cannot explain how thrilling it is to finally hear an original composition come to life. Goosebumps! With the digital instruments too there is such artistry and it contributes enormously to a vision that might never be realized without it. A heartfelt thanks to all of you: Patrick Hart, Jesse McGinty, Jose Perez, Shane Savala and Brian Ward.
So here I am now, anxiously waiting for my song to be released into the universe, feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve and grateful that I’ve been blessed by a little holiday magic these past few weeks as it all came together. Having lost my mother to ALS during this same time it only makes the blessing of this new song sweeter. She got to hear the final master too!
Post update: Dear readers, The First Snowfall is now available everywhere, you can find all streaming links on the home page (Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, Deezer, Amazon).
If you like the song please save it (click ‘like’ or ‘heart’) and even share it with your friends and family or add it to one of your holiday playlists. Let’s get this new song out there! Happy Holidays!! B#
Grateful for your support, you know what to do 😊:
Also sharing some Spotify playlists for this time of year when you’re starting to get in the mood for the holidays (see below).
