Don't Worry If It's Not Good Enough For Anyone Else To Hear

Yesterday we closed out the official holiday season around here with the appearance of my younger brother. We exchanged gifts, shared a couple of meals, and experienced media of various sorts and flavors. My favorite moments were those we spent playing Guitar Hero together, with me on guitar and him on vocals. He's got the chops, as they say, and I was immediately transported back to the times that he and I have spent making music together over the years.
One of my favorites occurred on a drive back from our cousin's farm after our big family Thanksgiving feast. On a drive across eastern Colorado, it's best to try and keep things interesting, since the relatively straight lines of the highway and the horizon offer little diversion. Luckily, we found of the first album by the Police in the glove box. Much to my mother's chagrin, we turned up the volume and began to sing along. We knew every word. By the time we had finished the last song on side two, we were a little hoarse, but turning into our driveway at home. We had survived.
On another cold winter night, after closing the video store, I met up with my younger brother and a friend of his from way back in elementary school. We had a few beers, and we got to talking about music. As it turned out, my brother's friend was in a Christmas-covers band that played gigs around town. After a few more beers, I began to brag about my ability to sing the blues. In reality, my experience was based almost exclusively on the times I had sung along with my Blues Brothers album. This didn't keep us from finishing up after last call and heading out to the little shack that served as the rehearsal space for the band. My brother took some interest in the guitars, having played with more veracity that I had ever sung the blues. We put on Bruce Springsteen's "Cadillac Ranch," and I did my very best drunken slur-along with the Boss to some mild approval from my shivering cohorts.
In hindsight, it seems a little odd that both of these tales were holiday-themed. Maybe there's something about this time of year that puts a song in our collective hearts. As long as it's not "The Twelve Days of Christmas," I guess that's fine.