Wow, what a gut punch!

[EmmienLightFan]

WiW is Wizards in Winter, by the Trans-siberian Orchestra,

 

I can understand why so many people on here don't like Wizards in Winter.

 

I still quite like it, even after sequencing it twice (Three times including a pixel test) this year.

 

I do really hate Let it Go now though. It will not be in my show.

 

 

Just do whatever you want to do. People visiting don't mind. I think that most hate on any display would come if it gets popular on YouTube, like tbetgeorge's display has. In the comments of some popular displays there is often a lot of negative stuff.

[zvacman]

Thank you to everyone that commented and posted words of encouragement. I just had a "what an ugly baby moment". I actually am not a fan of a couple of songs I chose, but I was told by users that they are crowd favorites, so I did them. I have many nieces and great nieces that will lose their minds over Let it Go. I sequence totally by ear and have heard that song so many times I want to drive ice picks into my ears, but I did it for the children. WiW is always a crowd pleaser from what I've heard so I did that one too. Although Gangnam Style has nothing to do with Christmas it is a great show off song that has spots that are seizure inducing, it had to make the show. I just want to put on a show that the kids will enjoy, leaving my personal taste in music out of the equation.

Z

[1983ss454]

Personably its your money that bought the controllers, it's your time that sequenced the songs and put up the display, it's your house. If you like it and your family likes it then there isn't a single other Persons opinions that matter. Everyone has an opinion yours is the one that's matters.

Theres those of us that have been around here for a long time that are opinionated, it happens, can't be too sensitive about it. Me I would never put party rock, what does the fox say, or that Korean guys song in my Christmas show. I like George's pink Floyd sequences, but wouldn't have them in it show. Just like I know he's strongly against frozen songs in his lol.

Make yourself happy, don't worry about the rest of us lol

[indi]

Thank you to everyone that commented and posted words of encouragement. I just had a "what an ugly baby moment". I actually am not a fan of a couple of songs I chose, but I was told by users that they are crowd favorites, so I did them. I have many nieces and great nieces that will lose their minds over Let it Go. I sequence totally by ear and have heard that song so many times I want to drive ice picks into my ears, but I did it for the children. WiW is always a crowd pleaser from what I've heard so I did that one too. Although Gangnam Style has nothing to do with Christmas it is a great show off song that has spots that are seizure inducing, it had to make the show. I just want to put on a show that the kids will enjoy, leaving my personal taste in music out of the equation.

Z

You do realize that DevMike was joking about the help ticket thing.

[jrock_at_rons]

Its simple.  Sequence what you like.  I'm afraid/embarrassed to even mention how many Taylor Swift/Megan Trainor songs I'll be showing this year (damn you girls!).  

 

I'm excited to hear the reactions to my dubstep Feliz Navidad sequence this year. 

 

FYI, I'll be rocking some WiW this year too. 

Edited October 2, 2015 by jrock_at_rons

[PhilMassey]

I rarely retire a song. So much time invested in each that I update all my previous songs and add a few more. I use MIIP so any less popular titles can stay in the "vote in" section and get played if anyone (including me) wants to hear them.

[Jaynee]

I'm a first year LOR and yes, I'll have WIW in my very short track list.  And only 16 channels, so I don't have ANY bells and whistles. *lol*  But I'm having a blast doing it, and I know my visitors will enjoy it since we normally just have a static display.

[Orville]

Wizards in Winter has been in my show since I started in 2010.  I tried taking it out one year to see what would happen, and everyone kept asking whay isn't THAT song in your show this year?    So after that, I put it back in and it's been there ever since.

 

Believe me, I KNOW EXACTLY how you felt when you got raked for your music and/or your sequencing, been there too.

 

Don't recall which song it was I did for Halloween and a couple for Christmas, but my first year I thought I was doing great, looked back on them after my 3rd year and they were downright horrid, the lights would have given an epiletic seizures, yes, THOSE sequences were that bad, but too me, I thought they looked great.

 

Now when I load those original sequences in {they've been tweaked many times over now} and watch them, not so bad on the monitor, but if I actually watch them control my lights, they now make me nauseous!  No joke, they will even give me severe headaches watching those now.   I have been seriously considering just deleting them.  But kind of interesting to actually be able to go back to my first year and see how terrible I really was at sequencing. LOL

 

But as others have already stated, Do what YOU and YOUR FAMILY likes in music, even get your neighbors involved and ask if they have a song they'd like to see the lights dancing too.   Many of my Halloween songs actually came from the neighborhood kids asking me if I ever heard of a specific song, and if so, can I make the lights dance to it.   Also helps keep neighbor complaints down when you get them involved in choosing songs they like.

 

Believe me, I've done quite a lot of songs I don't like very much or downright just detest, but they're in my show because a request was made for it.

 

And I've been shot down by fellow decorators for using songs they say they'd never be caught dead with in their show, like a rap song I have in my show called "Santa and I Know It", however the version I use I cleaned up, and cleaned it up quite a bit, it's a cute, humourous song, I liked it, but the original would be nowhere suitable for young children or even some adults.    So I always try to clean up songs, and if it can't be cleaned up and still make sense, it gets tossed into my Adult Songs Only folder so I know NEVER to use it in my public displays.  However, private late night shows are another ball game entirely!  ROFL

 

So do what you like, make it your show as others have said.  But most of all make it FUN, not work or a chore, when it becomes such, then you'll get really flustered and frustrated with it all and just want to give it up.    And many have because they just couldn't make it fun, although some just couldn't grasp how to make things work as fast as they wanted.

 

Those folks would have been better off with a Mr. Christmas, because as you know from your own experiences, doing what we do is nothing that;s going to work right out of the box, it takes time, a little talent and a lot of patience at times to get a song done.

 

Welcome to the Hobby, again, have and make it fun and you'll be doing this for years to come.

[Ebuechner]

Boy can I relate to this discussion. For a short time in the late seventies I was a DJ at a skating rink. (Talk about disco trauma) I tried playing one Pink Floyd song and almost got fired. So if somebody is not paying you do what makes you happy. Put your left foot then take your left foot out do the hokey pokey and shake it all about. Sorry about that, nasty flashback.

[mpageler]

I wonder how many habbyist do WIW, jsut becaause most everyone else does? I wonder if that is the cause for the majority of TransSibOrch songs?

In a recednt Planet Christmas newletter, they had a survey of the most popular xmas light disply songs. 1/2 the lsit were TSO songs.  I don't have a single TSO song, mainly because I have singing faces and secondly, don't really care for them.  

With hundreds of popular xmas songs to choose from, why is TSO so dominating?  Could it partially be the sheeple mentaality...people like sheep.

[George Simmons]

I think it's because their music is exciting and offers a great opportunity for dynamic sequencing, regardless of channel count.

Talk about sheep mentality ... from the perspective of someone on the musical fringes of this hobby, doesn't sheep mentality perfectly describe all the people who use the same tired old Christmas songs that others have used for decades?

[Ebuechner]

It's not how long your song is or how old. It's how you sequence it that gives others enjoyment.

[zvacman]

I think it's because their music is exciting and offers a great opportunity for dynamic sequencing, regardless of channel count.Talk about sheep mentality ... from the perspective of someone on the musical fringes of this hobby, doesn't sheep mentality perfectly describe all the people who use the same tired old Christmas songs that others have used for decades?

Amen brother. They have a beat and rhythm that just begs the lights to dance.

Z

[Jeff Messer]

Wizards in Winter, by TSO has been in my show for 9 years. Each year it gets better and better. This years WIW will top all I have ever done. New props and lights along with zero lag will make that happen.. 

[PhilMassey]

I have seen every tour of TSO since 2007 and they have always been packed houses, some venues with two performances. They somehow manage to up the ante every year.

It is without doubt the most intensive 2 hours of Christmas lighting you will ever see and is basically what inspired me to start my own show, to try in some very small way to emulate  them. ( Wish I had fraction of their budget)

[arw01]

It can be really tough to get "real" fedback from friends and relatives.  Until you have a brutally honest friend that will tell you what they heck yo were thinking sometimes I look for the critics. Some are personal sure, but we all have people we just don't like in life and are so biased we cannot overcome it.  Music is like friends, I NEED 10K songs in my music players, (maybe someday iPods won't play the same stuff all the time either) or I just get sick of a song.

After a couple of years I'm retiring the whole old show should I get the rest of the new ones done this season, behind again despite really never stopping from last season.

First year it's a bit tough for feedback as the enthusiasm is high and you feel like you have beaten back the mountain of a learning curve and then the "I would have a seizure" if I saw it in real life comments come.  I over used the blinking way too much.. Probably STILL fall into that trap..

 

That Fox song might find it self in a couple times a night, just because the little kids still tell my wife about the "fox song house", she just smiles and says, yeah I know that place..  not her favorite song in the mix for sure!  But she loves to see the little kids light up when they talk about the light house with the music!

 

Alan

[ItsMeBobO]

WiW is in my show from the first year.   Its fame has been fading very slowly so I just cant drop it from my playlist.   For I while, in my mind anyway,  WiW was like a right of passage.  You had to have this one and do it well to have a 'good' show.     Agreeing with others that good is relative. 

[ericm]

My first year and I have all the popular songs in my playlist. I even have a few of my favorites. However, after hearing every segment of my favorite Christmas songs while sequencing I started to resent them. But when I hear them away from SE or they pop in my head hey are still my favorite... Like everyone says... Do the songs you like and don't worry what everyone says because if you don't like your show you will stop doing it!

[George Simmons]

But if you DO stop doing it, post it here first so we can claim dibs on your stuff.

[dgrant]

To the OP, regardless of what this person or that person thinks, remember that you've become an "artist in lights" and that's not an easy talent to come by. No two shows are the same and no two people will think of any of our shows, the same. You do as you wish. If they don't like it, they don't have to watch! If they do like it or it touches their heart in some way, you've done what you set out to do!