Get ready to jingle your way into the holiday season with a pair of holiday music playlists developed by Music and Dance Librarian Avery Boddie and the student workers at the UNLV Music Library.
“I felt it important to create two playlists to showcase the variety of different music styles available for the holiday season that could be accessed through the Music Library,” said Boddie.
“The UNLV Classical Holiday Playlist” is a 57-song playlist (you must be on campus or logged in using your ACE Account to access Naxos Music) featuring traditional classical, jazz, and vocal songs that are available for UNLV students, faculty, and staff to access through the Naxos Music streaming database.
“We developed the first playlist to promote Naxos Music, a streaming media database and a go-to for classical music,” said Boddie. “By making a holiday playlist on Naxos, I hoped to introduce new listeners to some traditionally arranged holiday classics such as ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ and ‘Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy’ from Tchaikovsky's ‘The Nutcracker Suite.’”
The second playlist, “Holiday Pop,” features a range of country, rock, pop, hip-hop, and other holiday classics available on Apple Music and Spotify. Particular favorites include Aretha Franklin's “Silent Night,” Eartha Kitt's “Santa Baby,” and Pentatonix's “I'll be Home for Christmas.”
Music Library student workers selected songs for each of the playlists. Willow Dyreng, a senior Psychology major, is partial to classic holiday pop songs like “Last Christmas,” by Wham!, which was why she was excited to include Arianna Grande’s modern take on the song.
“It’s danceable, festive, and really, really catchy. It’s the kind of song that you hear once then have stuck in your head for the next week and a half,” Dyreng said. “You don’t have to be heartbroken this holiday season to enjoy this classic tune.”
Another of Dyreng’s favorite tracks is “Santa’s Coming For Us,” by Sia.
“Upbeat and lighthearted, this is a song you’ll want to sing along to in the car or play at your holiday party,” Dyreng said. “It’s pretty recent, so it’s not as well-known as some of the other tracks on this playlist, but if you’re a fan of holiday music, or a fan of Sia, it’s definitely worth checking out.”
Miguel Garcia-Quintero, a senior Electrical Engineering major, picked two of his favorites, “Santa Baby” by Eartha Kitt, and “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Whitney Houston, to include on the playlists.
“Listening to Eartha Kitt’s silky smooth musing on the seasonal mascot is sure to melt away the stresses of Finals Week, if only momentarily,” he said. “As she sings about her wishes for Christmas gifts after a long year of being good, students can find themselves relating to that feeling of finally seeing the fruits of their labor. Plus you get to listen to Eartha Kitt, so win-win.”
Garcia-Quintero picked Houston’s song as a holiday favorite as a way to feel invigorated and ready to tackle Finals Week as well.
“Although a holiday song, Houston’s voice never fails to invoke an empowering nature in its audience,” he said. “Her voice carries a strength and confidence that can be felt in any song she chooses to perform. This is no different, and might be a nice change of pace in these academically trying times.”
In addition to the two holiday playlists, the Music Library offers additional holiday favorites through its collections, such as the Vince Guaraldi jazz trio's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" album. Visit the Music Library in Beam Music Center or search the website to find your favorites.
“We hope to make this an annual tradition, so please feel free to send us your holiday recommendations, said Boddie.
