The Holiday Season is fast approaching.

Believe it or not, I’m already planning new music for Christmas.

The season always seems to sneak up so quickly. Last year, I felt like I got whiplash doing last minute preparations, so I’m moving a little further ahead.

I had a lot of fun performing at a wide range of festive events in 2010. There were corporate functions and personal parties everywhere from downtown Toronto to Oakville. I also had the unique experience of being the inaugural performer at The Venue in Peterborough as part of the annual Chamber of Commerce Christmas party.

The perfect blend of music — Christmas without too much Christmas.

One of the most common requests I get from event planners and personal hosts is to avoid making the playlist too “Christmasy.” My experience is that people quickly get overwhelmed with festive themes. There are countless parties, many of them with a similar circle of guests, and the same soundtrack each time.

It’s a unique challenge to find the right balance.

In putting together Holiday playlists, I like to draw on deeper themes. Romance. Innocence. Love. Celebration. It’s a season with everything rolled into one.

Live acoustic guitar music provides tremendous versatility in setting the backdrop for a party or event. Musically, I work to create a smooth flow, punctuated with a lot of contrast and style.  For example, the romance of a song like Neil Young’s Harvest Moon unexpectedly blends into a song like Silent Night. Jack Johnson’s Better Together has a great symmetry with a “beachy” take on Frosty the Snowman. The Rolling Stone’s Wild Horses finds a unique home alongside White Christmas.

You’ll find endless ways to creatively blend popular music with Christmas songs; giving you a soundtrack that makes your party really stand out.

If you’d like to learn more and get a copy of my full Holiday playlist, don’t hesitate to contact me at any time.

Jake Dudas, Guitarist

All photography by Sue Morley Photography.

Thompson Landry Gallery, Cooperage Building - Distillery District, Toronto, ON - August 2011