Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Hey, finally purchased my first 16 channel unit last week. Downloaded the software, and so far, no problems (knock on wood!) Can't wait to get the unit in. (geez...it's been 3 days, what's taking so long???????) Just wondering...when you decide what songs you're going to play at Christmas and set to lighting, do you just stick to Christmas songs, or do you stretch your imagination a little wider and play some other music? Currently, my plans are to play about a minute or so of ten songs (about a verse each), for a 10 minute set, which will play every half hour. The other 20 minutes will be either very soft music not set to lights, with about 60% of the lights remaining on (due to ampage issues) or gently fading between different lights.As mentioned, I have some cool ideas for Cotton Eye Joe, but that would sound real silly admist 9 other Christmas songs. Should I add in another non-Christmas song or two to avoid the one song being out of place, or should I just nix all non-Christmas songs and just stick to what's in season? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 I thought about the same thing. I was thinking most of the people will see my display only once so I might as well treat them all to Christmas Music.I plan on doing a few other songs mixed in with Christmas Songs starting the 27th of Dec and going until New Years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Play your song after Christmas! I have seen "You Can't Touch This!" It fit right in. Same goes with "Dueling' Banjos". Go for it.If you don't like the feeling you can always take it out of you show.You'll never know until you give it a try.Michael B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 It might seem like not a bad idea, but...I figure, the people that come to see the lights in action while listening to the music in their car, they won't be there the full show and might miss out on the Christmas sequence/show as they pass by.I can undertsand changing things up a bit but keep in mind that those folks checking out YOUR Christmas lights might miss YOUR meaning of Christmas if they pass by while listening to something off season. Now, I'm trying to think that I'm a driver with a full load of family checking out Christmas lights. I'm not going to block traffic to insure I get the whole show under my belt. I'm going to slowly pass by and maybe even stop for a short period, but I'll have to move on very soon to see other lights thru out the night.Now if you had a parking lot out front, that might be different.Just my thoughts. I plan to stay Christmas all the way :waycool:.Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Thanks...you do bring up some good points. As much as I would like people to stop and see the whole show, chances are they will be slowly driving by...although it will make for some interesting comments as they tell their friends that some house they saw had line-dancing penguins!!!:laughing: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 If it makes YOU happy, then do the song - because you want to. Not because you worry about what others may think... JMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 And I was going to add,It's not a bad idea, just concider what reaction you really want from your viewers (during the season you plan to do). Either way, I'm sure it will be a great show.Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Dale W wrote: If it makes YOU happy, then do the song - because you want to. Not because you worry about what others may think...This the way I feel also. That's the same reason that I make my own controllers; it makes me happy. If what I do make others happy then it makes me happier.:}I also plan on experimenting with some other non-Christmas music that I may use after Christmas only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 I've been toying with the idea of mixing musical genres. Maybe mostly Christmas with a non-Christmas or two thrown in. I've just found too many non-Christmas tunes that beg to be synch'd to not do them.One of them I found the other day while looking for sound clips of fiddle tunes. I hit it, listened, and I'm seriously considering sending off for their CD, and using one of the songs on it in my display. And I really need to get up into New England so I can dance to them sometime.Now the funny part...the name of the band is:WAKE THE NEIGHBORS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 ErnieHorning wrote: Dale W wrote: If it makes YOU happy, then do the song - because you want to. Not because you worry about what others may think... If what I do make others happy then it makes me happier.:}OK, now I have to ask.How are you going to do something that makes YOU happy and OTHERS too (which both are used in the above quotes)?I think, Stick with the season.Again, just my thoughts.TomEdited: rethinking the question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 There are lots of great Dance/Techno christmas songs out there where you can do some fancy stuff if you really want that kind of sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I was just thinking… Typically you can only have your Christmas display up 60 days or so. So what if, after the first week in January, I take down everything except the lights. Change all of the sequences to use non-Christmas music. Now it’s a winter display. February it’s a Valentines display. March it’s a St. Patrick’s Day display. April it’s a spring display. Wow, technically I should be able to keep it going most of the year.:laughing: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 I use a lot of non Christmas music in my show, but most of my songs are very short. I like to go more towards animated skits because I feel they entertain the kids more. I remember a few year's ago when Bethoven's 5th was the hottest thing on PC. I used it in my show for a couple of year's, and everybody loved it. To me, it's not the type of music, it's the way you present it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Certainly making others happy is a goal. However, I am somewhat warped and my level of humor is often missed because it is sometimes very subtle. Therefore, I will make a display that makes others happy and I may include a song that will make me happy.For instance: Arrogant Worms - Song Stuck Inside My Head - because I sequence this stuff for so long, there are many songs stuck in my head. To the point that if I were to hear one on the radio, my brain automatically goes to the next song in the sequence regardless of what is playing on the radio.Nobody in the general public would appreciate that song but me (and my family). So, it is a non-seasonal song that I find amusing. And if during the course of the display, others "get it", then so much so. And for the ones that do not, they will walk away going, "huh?". But, I will understand what was meant and will be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 14, 2006 Share Posted September 14, 2006 im thinking about useing some george strait songs and some christmas songs what do u think of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 Sequence the genres of songs you want! I have seen many different genres of songs sequenced well. I will have Christmas, Oldies, Classic Rock, Techno, and Classical music in my show this year. I suggest having at least some serious (and Christmas songs) in your show, but I also like to have fun, as others have echoed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 I'm doing Disney's Main Street Electrical Parade, and also the old EPCOT Illuminations orchestration that they used at night in the laser show on the lagoon in the early 90's called Festival of Festivals. I'll do a few Mannheim Steamroller and one or 2 Trans Siberian Orchestra (TSO).For Halloween, I just completed an awesome 16 channel sequence for Wizards Of Winter, which I feel is better suited to Halloween than Christmas. Also doing Monster Mash, and This Is Halloween from Nightmare Before Christmas. My friend keeps telling me to do Michael Jackson's Thriller, but I don't know, not after all the headlines recently. Plus that one is over 6 minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 I keep seeing people mention Monster Mash. Do you have a link to the album or more info about this song? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 http://www.hauntedbay.com/downloads/sounds/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 15, 2006 Share Posted September 15, 2006 I think you can easily do a "non" Christmas song. Heck, Wizards in Winter does not sound like a Christmas song to me at all--but it became one because of its association with Carson's sequence. If you do what is pleasing to you and it works well, why not?I will be using some non Halloween music in my display this year. Sure, we are doing This is Halloween, Monster Mash (my husband insists we do it) but I'm also using part of Night on Bald Mountain and a few other orchestral pieces that inspire a dark/ gloomy/creepy mood. If we can do that kind of thing with Halloween, well, the sky is the limit with Christmas tunes. Using penguins to dance to Cotton Eyed Joe would probably be great, make people laugh, and give them something to smile about--which is one the reasons we do this, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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