In following with the December theme of Christmas and the arrival of winter (yeah, it's here unfortunately), I have been searching around for Creative Masterminds that spark a sense of unique talent during this time of year. It has occurred to me that I haven't talked a whole lot about audio production with you folks, so I'm going to share with you one of my favorite Christmas musicians and their audio production techniques- Mannheim Steamroller.
This band is definitely one of the most unique and influential bands to hit the music industry for the last few decades. Mannheim Steamroller's music is unlike anything you've heard before, taking a twist on many classic holiday favorites and giving the tunes a modern upgrade. The arrangement of music varies between many instruments and sounds. One of the key pieces in the audio and music production of their work is the use of electronic keyboards and synthesizers. The electronic music doesn't make the pieces sound any less genuine, but it does help to put a creative edge to the music compared to other renditions.
Starting from the beginning is the man behind the creation of Mannheim Steamroller- Mr. Chip Davis. He created Mannheim Steamroller along with Jackson Berkey in the mid-1970s. Taking the group a step further, Davis developed his own music label for Steamroller since other labels would not pick up the group's work. Through the first several years of establishment, Mannheim Steamroller performed music for television broadcasts and specials on stations such as PBS. Then in 1984, Mannheim Steamroller was introduced into the genre of Christmas and Traditional Holiday music which became a hit for them! Many people were impressed with the unique modern style the group offered and quickly became a holiday favorite for radio stations across the country. Even today, Mannheim Steamroller is still one of the most requested holiday groups among tons of performers and other bands. In fact, if you watched this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, then you probably caught a glance of the group playing their hit "Deck the Halls" to welcome in Santa Claus at the finale of the parade. 
Personally, I find myself very attractive to the music and audio style of their songs because they managed to maintain the festive ambiance of the music, but also giving it a modern sound design to bring it into the 21st century. I mean think about it, anyone can redo "Joy to the World" and it sounds just like any other traditional version. BUT, if you listen to Mannheim Steamroller's "Joy to the World" it sounds totally different while still keeping the basic foundation of melody and tune. Actually, when I heard their rendition of "Joy to the World" it made me think of a newscast or something! Still though, very cool techniques are used to deliver a new twist on an original classic. Normally, I tend to feel synthesizers can be a little "annoying" in terms of audio production, because they can be hard to control and maintain for quality sound and editing. Instead, for Mannheim Steamroller, as well as some of my other favorite 80s groups, I think the synthesizer serves well for the purpose.
Probably my two favorite songs of theirs would have to be the "Faeries" from "The Nutcracker" and their version of "Silent Night". I like "Faeries" because, as the spelling suggests, it is very different. This particular track plays off the classic tune "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies" and inserts of variety of pauses with percussion playing, as well as additional electronic influence within the beat. It's hard to say exactly why I'm so fond of this song other than the fact that it's just different. It makes me laugh a little bit at how each section of this piece is broken down with the drum beat and other breaks between measures. But don't take my word for it, have a listen for yourself:
*Side note, I just love watching these house that have the synced lights with the music! Hope you enjoyed that too!
The other song of Mannheim Steamroller's that I am truly fond of is their version of "Silent Night". Unlike many of their other popular tunes, Mannheim Steamroller's rendition is very soft and sweet in melody and doesn't present a lot of non-traditional instrumentation, except for the keyboarding. The odd thing is that I didn't actually hear this song from their album. I heard it for the first time back in December 2001. It was played on the radio and the moment I heard it I started to cry. The song I'm referring to is known as the "9/11 Silent Night". The music in the background is that of Mannheim Steamroller, but there is also lyrics along with it performed by an adult man. The man is portraying the voice of God on Sept. 11 2001. If you haven't heard this or the "Solider's Silent Night" (which is the same concept, except the voice is that of Santa visiting an U.S solider overseas), then I highly encourage you to listen to both songs. The original "Silent Night" can be heard here along with the music video provided by VH1-Classics:
All of Mannheim Steamroller's music is powerful, aw-inspiring, and unique if nothing else! I chose Mannheim Steamroller as a Creative Mastermind because their talent through music and audio production is completely out of this world and also brings in a unique perspective to the holiday season. I encourage all of you, if you haven't done so already, to take a few moments between now and Christmas to enjoy the melodies this extremely talented group has to offer because it's a whole new experience for each generation!
Remember, if you have a great idea for a Creative Mastermind, just a leave a comment on this post with your suggestions! I'd love to hear more feedback from you and don't forget to follow The Creative Cabana on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Enjoy the rest of your Monday everyone and stay tuned for more exciting and creative holiday ideas!
*All images used in this post were gathered from Google Images and I give full credit to the respective photographers and owners of each picture used. Also, the videos provided for "Silent Night" and "Faeries" were from YouTube and I acknowledge that these songs belong to Mannheim Steamroller, and the videos belong to their respective owners. I do not own Mannheim Steamroller, or any of their songs. I also do not own VH1-Classic, PBS, or Macy's. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
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