Christmas music is the perfect tool to teach interpretive range.
In some genres of music, interpretive range is pretty narrow: “Caro Mio Ben” is generally going to sound the same regardless of the interpretive soloist. Major works that have been recorded hundreds of times, such as Beethoven symphonies, have some interpretive range, but it’s still pretty narrow.
Contrast that with jazz interpretation. “My Romance” by Rodgers and Hart has been doubtlessly been performed in every key, in countless different feels, at tempos across a wide range. Indeed, the individual imprint on an interpretation is an essential component of a mature artist’s performance.
But that interpretation is contingent on the listener and performer both knowing the song’s DNA. And more and more jazz songs don’t have anything close to widespread fame anymore.
But Christmas music does.
Listen to 10 different recordings of “Silent Night” or “The Christmas Song.” Hear “Jingle Bells” in an odd meter or as a bossa nova.
The near-universality of this music in American culture means that now we can have a deep conversation about interpretation and the creativity a performer can bring to a song.