Free Caroling Music

Most of us in the Findlay, Ohio area have our own special Christmas traditions. Specials foods, events, decorations and music are a part of our yearly fun. For those of you who, like me, are especially fond of Christmas music, please enjoy this link for http://www.christmascarolmusic.org/. This is a website which gives you free access to carols in PDF form, so there is no need to purchase special software. The carols are all free and include four parts for voices, information on buying CDs featuring the carols, midi-files to listen to your favorites or practice, sheet music for guitar and other instruments, lyrics for your favorite carols and credit information on the authors of these classic carols. The website is easy to navigate and fun to use. It doesn't have pop-ups or solicitations. This website is a great way to find your favorite holiday songs and share them with family and friends.

With such easy access to all this music, you may want to consider putting a group of friends and family together to go caroling. Here are some ideas to work into you caroling plans:

1. Plan your route. It is best to go out with a plan, that way you can avoid high traffic areas and dangerous intersections. You can also make sure you go past your neighbor's houses and don't miss anyone important. You may also want to plan a stop along the way, allowing everyone to warm up and make a pit stop. Perhaps you can even arrange to have coffee, tea and hot cocoa at your stop.

2. Involve everyone. People of all ages love to carol. Invite your whole family. Invite friends and their families. Pets love to go caroling too. Just remember that children and pets require special supervision and often get cold easier. You may need to shorten your route or have an early shortcut home for youngsters.

3. Organize your music. Make it easy on your fellow carolers by putting sheet music in a folder for them, perhaps arranged alphabetically. This will not only impress your friends, but it will make your little choir look sharp and organized when out caroling. This also prevents excess shuffling or music and lost or damaged pieces. Folders can be stored and reused for many years- a quick investment in years of caroling adventures. Perhaps you can even make folder preparation a quick chore everyone can share in before heading out. It can even be a craft or folder decorating competition.

4. Share a treat. It can be fun to bake holiday cookies or make candy and other holiday treats (Chex-mix anyone?!?!). It is also a lot of fun to spread cheer with tasty treats. Take a bag of candy or snacks, or a platter of cookies with you to share with those along your route, or for a handy snack.

5. Remember your feet. Cold, wet feet are unhappy feet. Be sure to wear shoes that are waterproof to keep your feet dry and warm enough to bear the cold. A second pair of socks is a great insulator. Don't forget that any time you are walking long distances you should wear supportive shoes which are appropriate for the task at hand. This small choice in footwear won't cost you much preparation time, but it will pay off when it comes to your comfort.

6. Have a party! The successful completion of a caroling route is cause to celebrate. Integrate your carol outing into your annual Christmas party, or schedule it right before. Invite your fellow carolers back to your house for seasonal refreshments like eggnog, hot cocoa, pies, cookies and candy. And singing can continue at the party, especially since everyone is now in the spirit. Invite friends to bring favorite songs or arrangements and their own instruments. This allows everyone to continue to festive singing while enjoying the comforts of heat and treats.