One week from today, October 12, we will get the new album from Elizabeth Chan, the reigning Queen of Christmas. We don't yet have a playlist. We don't yet have a purchase link. But we do have a title--"Best Gift Ever"--and some cover art.
Elizabeth Chan gave up a successful career to pursue her dream of writing a Christmas song that would endure through the ages. But she tells the story better than I could. BTW, I never do this. There's a thing called "Fair Use" where you're not supposed to quote things in their entirety. This is Liz's recent statement on her own web site. I know she's a reader of ours (so you know she loves Christmas music, because who would endure my blather...oh...no.... I didn't mean you, dear reader. No, that's... I meant... I... I'd better shut up before I get in more trouble.) and I hope she will forgive me for quoting her in toto (we're not in kansas anymore). So here is Liz's story, in her own words.
Elizabeth Chan gave up a successful career to pursue her dream of writing a Christmas song that would endure through the ages. But she tells the story better than I could. BTW, I never do this. There's a thing called "Fair Use" where you're not supposed to quote things in their entirety. This is Liz's recent statement on her own web site. I know she's a reader of ours (so you know she loves Christmas music, because who would endure my blather...oh...no.... I didn't mean you, dear reader. No, that's... I meant... I... I'd better shut up before I get in more trouble.) and I hope she will forgive me for quoting her in toto (we're not in kansas anymore). So here is Liz's story, in her own words.
I embarked on a crazy journey 7 years ago.
It started with a simple question: “What is the one thing you always wanted to do, if you knew you couldn’t fail? What would it be?”
For me since I was a little girl it was to write a Christmas song.
A song so great that it would become a Christmas standard. The type of song people wanted to hear every season until the end of time.
The funny thing about life and getting older, is that we don’t necessarily get smarter about the things we want in life, we just get more practiced in making ourselves believe we can’t have the things we truly want. When I would share my dream with others, they would scoff and say it was impossible. There was no future to be had in my dream.
So I tried life outside of my dream. After 3 decades on the planet, I realized that no matter how successful I looked to others on my resume, to my family and friends - I was still a failure in my heart. I always felt like no matter what I accomplished in life, I was always missing something.
By not trying to go after my dream, I would always be a failure.
Trying is the true path of success. You learn more from failure than you do from success. Not giving up is the true path of success.
So I quit my day job, and reported to my dream everyday. Everyday I would walk into my living room, sit at my keyboard and started writing Christmas songs everyday.
What started as one song, multiplied to hundreds. What started as one album, became many. From one song on the radio to several Billboard hits later – my songs went from being listened to by my husband and my dog to millions across the globe.
Every year for the past 7 seasons I have had the distinct privilege and have made it my life’s work to put out Christmas music from nothing more than my heart. I don’t think about whether a song is going to be a “hit.” I really just take where I am in my own life and try to share the best musical glimpse of where life has taken me, all through the lens of Christmas music.
I was lamenting about how I would never be sure if I would ever have that standard. When someone quickly pointed out, “but Elizabeth – you are the Christmas standard.”
I’m humbled for you to have joined me here and I promise as long as there is a Christmas to celebrate – I will be here to write and share these songs. For they are not mine anymore – they belong to everyone who loves Christmas as much as I do.
It started with a simple question: “What is the one thing you always wanted to do, if you knew you couldn’t fail? What would it be?”
For me since I was a little girl it was to write a Christmas song.
A song so great that it would become a Christmas standard. The type of song people wanted to hear every season until the end of time.
The funny thing about life and getting older, is that we don’t necessarily get smarter about the things we want in life, we just get more practiced in making ourselves believe we can’t have the things we truly want. When I would share my dream with others, they would scoff and say it was impossible. There was no future to be had in my dream.
So I tried life outside of my dream. After 3 decades on the planet, I realized that no matter how successful I looked to others on my resume, to my family and friends - I was still a failure in my heart. I always felt like no matter what I accomplished in life, I was always missing something.
By not trying to go after my dream, I would always be a failure.
Trying is the true path of success. You learn more from failure than you do from success. Not giving up is the true path of success.
So I quit my day job, and reported to my dream everyday. Everyday I would walk into my living room, sit at my keyboard and started writing Christmas songs everyday.
What started as one song, multiplied to hundreds. What started as one album, became many. From one song on the radio to several Billboard hits later – my songs went from being listened to by my husband and my dog to millions across the globe.
Every year for the past 7 seasons I have had the distinct privilege and have made it my life’s work to put out Christmas music from nothing more than my heart. I don’t think about whether a song is going to be a “hit.” I really just take where I am in my own life and try to share the best musical glimpse of where life has taken me, all through the lens of Christmas music.
I was lamenting about how I would never be sure if I would ever have that standard. When someone quickly pointed out, “but Elizabeth – you are the Christmas standard.”
I’m humbled for you to have joined me here and I promise as long as there is a Christmas to celebrate – I will be here to write and share these songs. For they are not mine anymore – they belong to everyone who loves Christmas as much as I do.
Elizabeth, I can't top "you are the Christmas standard", but I can assure you that, very possibly, you have exceeded your dream. Every generation needs it's Bing Crosby and you are ours. Every year, you enter the homes and hearts of millions of people across the country and around the world...with a twinkle in your eye and a sack of fresh Christmas cheer on your back. We look forward to your annual presents and your annual presence. Even when everything else has not gone to plan in the year gone by, we know it's all going to be alright because you are there with a smile and a song. You are the star atop millions of Christmas trees. You have become a grand tradition, as much a part of our Christmas celebration as brightly colored lights and ornaments. Your music will endure because you will endure. You are family. It just wouldn't be Christmas without you. YOU are the Best Gift Ever. And we thank you. Still wish I'd said "you are the Christmas standard"; damn, that's good.
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