ALT-1 Suggestions for Thanksgiving Dinner Music
As I was growing up, it was sort of the “norm”, to listen to Christmas music at Thanksgiving. After all, it was the next holiday on the agenda and we could watch Santa ride his sleigh through the streets, in parades. However, many people do not celebrate Christmas, but they do celebrate Thanksgiving and over the years, I’ve learned that there’s plenty of music that goes well with Thanksgiving dinner and good conversation.
The old reliable, classical music, is one with which, you can never go wrong. Most people of all ages like it, play it and sometimes even wish they’d been the one to write it.
While Opera is pleasant and entertaining, it does not always allow for good conversation and classical works well in the background to promote relaxation and a calm atmosphere for a get-together with friends, family and good food.
Still, not all classical music will work for the often jovial environment of a Thanksgiving get-together, so, you may want to stick with instrumentals and concertos.
Some of the New Age styles of music will also fit nicely into the background, providing a soothing and relaxing environment for the digestive processes. Music by artists such as, Enya, the Celtic Women, Loreena McKinnett, Yanni, John Tesh, John Mayer, Herbie Hancock, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, appeal to many different age groups and provide the perfect ambiance for a great gathering and meal.
Instrumentals like piano, classical or flamenco guitar, saxophone, French horns, flute, violin, and especially the mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer, are imagination-stimulants that can promote many creative ideas to discuss.
If guests are all about the same age range, you might try music of their era, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, and so on; jazz, blues, Dixieland, big band, show tunes, many of which are fun and happy styles of music are perhaps the thing to lift the spirits.
Younger guests may enjoy pop, soft rock, jazz, blues, mellow country, music from favorite movies or just getting out the old guitar and having a good sit-down at the piano can allow for guests to really enjoy the day with friends.
You want guests to feel at home, while in your home and you can tailor your music to your guests ethnicity or culture; world music can be a very pleasant experience that will bring people of all cultures together and guests from other countries and backgrounds will be impressed that you chose music that is familiar to them for your gathering. It can also spark conversations that would not otherwise come to light, such as conversations about countries, cultures, different livelihoods and customs. After all, Thanksgiving is about being thankful, so friends and acquaintances from elsewhere can bring wonderful memories, stories and ideas to your table to be shared and thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Of course, if you’re engaging the smaller children, songs like: “Over the river and through the woods” and “Turkey in the straw”. Getting children engaged in music during their formative years stimulates creativity and can also promote their interest in learning
Holiday sing-alongs with Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Ed and Aunt Edie and cousin Jo-Jo inspire young minds to experiment with the musical arts and to sing, play and write music and you never know when your, “baby”, may grow up to be a Neil Diamond or Art Garfunkel, so make sure that every holiday has music, laughter and loads of good memories.
