The holidays always come with a musical connection in my brain. From driving around, looking at Christmas lights while singing the inappropriate version of We Three Kings, to opening presents while Bing Crosby crooned in the background. Our family was big on tradition I think. One of the things which carried on from then was a small box of Whitman's chocolates. My stocking always had one in it when I was little and, up until his death in 2001, my father made sure I got one every year. Since then, I have picked up where he left off. Each year I buy the little, yellow box for everyone in my family and think of him.

One holiday song that has also carried on in my mind as quintessential Christmas was also a favorite of my father's. Snoopy VS The Red Baron by The Royal Guardsmen is certainly considered a novelty song, but I think that the category can sometimes diminish the value for people. It's not just a happy Christmas tune, it's a song about war that prays for peace, if only for one day. I think we could all use a little of that in our lives.

Artist stereotypes do not apply

How many times have parents cringed when their children fell in love with a musician? Let's be honest, the world has looked askance at artists of all stripes (with notable exceptions) for most of our history. Musicians tend to be thought of as people who may be great at their art but who are nonetheless pretty bad at life skills like paying bills, getting to work on time, and sticking with the missus.

Aaron turns all those stereotypes on their head; he is not only a fantastic songwriter and musician, but he also runs his own construction business and is a devoted family man living a stone's throw from where he grew up in the western NC mountains. He is as meticulous and intense about his guitar and ballads as he is about his green built homes and raising his two girls.

As you'll see in our pilot episode, Aaron does both life and art exceptionally well. The folks around him are a big part of that.