Happy Holidays

It’s Holiday Time Again!

(Aka - 2022 has flown by in a flash)

I don’t really know how many holiday celebrations are on the calendar during the next 30 days. I believe that there are probably more religious and secular festivities and observances in December than in any other month of the year.

Am I right in saying this?

Regardless of when and where they were established, this is a deeply spiritual time of the year - a time where family and friends are foremost in our minds. My hope is that we all will have an opportunity to spend quality time with our loved ones and celebrate in whatever way touches our heart and soul.

It Doesn’t Feel Like Christmas

The Story behind the song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1kGo04G5As

One hot July afternoon not so long ago, friend and co-songwriter, Randy Lewis Brown, and I sat down at our kitchen table and decided to write a Christmas song. Not an easy task when it’s 100 degrees outside. How a song comes to life is always a mystery to me and this song was not different.

We started by just throwing out ideas:

- We wanted to have some “time signature” changes

- We wanted to mention other Christmas songs in some way

- Not sure who said it or why we landed on becoming a person living in some sort of institutional care

- We tried to tell a story and to paint a picture that is, in some way, a part of all our lives now or in the future

Each idea we explored led to others, and we eventually became the person in the song. As each year passes, I find that I can relate to this situation.

We got about halfway thru the song with lots of loose ends. I presented the song to Linda to get her feedback (she is the artist who designs the pictures for the upcoming lyric video). It was then she told me that she wouldn’t do the video unless we came up with a positive ending.

The lyrics we had so far weren’t necessarily sad, at least in my mind. They represented a condition that we were surely present in many facilities especially during the holiday season and at other times during the year.

I took Linda’s feedback to heart and boldly continued working on the song. I am afraid that I didn’t get back to Randy as often as I should of – from this point on, how the song was finished has become a blur.

At any rate, the song was completed, and I took it over to Chris Gage’s Moon House Studio to record. This recording was finished in a few hours. Special thanks to my good friend, Phil Greer, for shaking the sleigh bells on the recording.

Please let me know how this song affects you and, if you think it touches on the spirit of the holiday, pass it on to your friends. HAPPY HOLIDAYS ONE & ALL!

In case you missed the earlier newsletters, here is a link to the ones we have completed so far this year.

https://richardpaulthomas.com/newsletters

Activity On The Music Front

What’s Happening at RpT’s Library

It has been an interesting month as always. We had a fun time last night (11/29) with Phil Borrero adding his Trumpet and Trombone parts to “You’re Mine”. The next step in the recording process is to add James Fenner on percussion. It’s been fun working with Roberto Ramos (bass) putting this song together. I love hearing his production ideas taking this song “where no song has gone before”. I look forward to adding the finished recording and video to an RpT’s Downbeat sometime in 2023.

Emma Jane Conley’s recording of John Lennon’s, “Imagine” and Mary Chapin Carpenter’s, “This is Love” are currently in the hands of Jerry Tubb at Terra Nova Mastering. Linda Griffith (my love for over 4 decades) is designing the video artwork for both songs. I will include the links as soon as they are completed. We are starting to work on “I Love You” and Greg Giacona is currently working on an arrangement for the song featuring biblical verses throughout.

As Chair of Salado’s Music Friendly Community Advisory Board, I have been spending a fair amount of time working on Porch Fest, a music festival we are planning for Saturday, April 22^nd. Please mark your calendar – it would be great to have you visit Salado for this city-wide event. I will include more details as plans progress. If you want to learn more, please check out https://www.saladotx.gov/music-friendly-community and it would be great if you would “LIKE” our Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/SaladoMusicFriendly.

I am heading down to Houston in two weeks to attend the Recording Academy Texas Chapter’s Christmas Party being held at the House of Blues. Later that week, I will be performing with my friend Brian Kalinec at EQ Heights on Saturday, December 17^th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Here is a link for the event, please join us if you are in the area. https://www.facebook.com/events/661754242276110/

See you next month!

RpT available LIVE!

I would love the opportunity to play for you. I can bring my guitar to your home and perform for your family and friends. I can even bring along the “My Life in Song” multi-media show so we can have a real party on our hands. House concert/parties are fun and easy, and I will be happy to help you set one up.

Please give me a call if you are interested in my coming to your home one day soon.

My number is (254) 493-7729 or write me at RpT@tbc-group.com

Patreon

Each project I create involves many steps in the creative process. If you would like to join me and be a part of the process, please take a moment to check out my Patreon site and consider subscribing. Click on the link below.

https://www.patreon.com/RichardPaulThomas

Thank you for spending your time with me. RpT

Richard Paul Thomas

www.RichardPaulThomas.com

https://www.patreon.com/RichardPaulThomas

www.reverbnation.com/RichardPaulThomas

“There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life – Music & Cats”

Albert Schweitzer

RpT's Library