Episode 040: Rockefeller Center
In which we discuss ice skating, crystals, and trombones
Happy Holidays one and all. Hope you are having a great time celebrating whatever, however, and with whomever you celebrate!
If you live in or around NYC, the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting is an inescapable part of the holiday season, no matter what or how you celebrate.
I myself have some conflicted thoughts about the whole Rockefeller Center tree stuff. I mean it's fantastic, lots of fun, and super New Yorkie. However, when I was about 10 years old and staying with my aunt in Manhattan for a few days, she decided to take my younger sister and me ice skating. We’d never ice skated before…and our aunt took us on a December Saturday afternoon to the ice rink at Rockefeller Center.
To this day I still have nightmares about sitting on the ice, with security guards yelling at me for not moving. Um…I wasn't moving because I didn't know how to ice skate! At all! And at least 8 million people were skating around. Flying by me. Knocking me down.
Enough about skating—let's get back to trees.
Each year, the Rockefeller Center tree is truly immense. TV and photos just can’t capture the enormity of it all. I mean, there have been years when the tree was over a hundred feet tall!
But even if you're there and see how big the tree is in person, you may wonder: is it really that big? You know, compared to other big trees? Or is it just big for a city boy like me?
Well, think of this: the star that they put on the top of the tree has been made by Swarovski since 2004. There have been a few different incarnations, but the current star measures 9’4” in diameter, has 3 million Swarovski crystals, and weighs 900 pounds.
So, yes. The tree is that big.
For the reduction on this one, I didn’t try to reduce any specific photo [the one above is from 2022]. Since it’s a different tree each December, I just tried to make something that looked Christmas tree-ish and captured the vibe of Rockefeller Center during this time of the year. I hope you can feel the holiday energy.
I think this beat sounds a bit like a holiday song you might hear on TV. Why not…there are lots of bells, right?
There are no words of course…and it's in several different keys at the same time…and there is a trombone.
But bells are bells!
I did start with the idea of recording a holiday beat that you might hear on the city streets. A trombone, a simple stand-up drum kit, an upright bass, some sleigh bells… maybe it sounds like some buskers making some holiday music and [hopefully] some cash at the foot of that giant tree.
And all those revelers clamoring in the background. That's probably the thing that sounds the most like Rockefeller Center on December 22nd.
Finally, the harmony in this beat is one of those things I love to do. Here, the bass and piano foundation is in G major but the melody is in E major. They don't truly go together, yet there are lots of notes in common. If you just played an E major scale over a G major chord it probably wouldn't sound that palatable. But if you land on the right notes, it sounds fine—just the in-between notes are a bit off!
To me, the more dissonant the better of course, but there have been angry emails. Hahaha (or should I say hohoho).
Keeping in the vein of scary horrible holiday-related traditions, have you heard of Krampus?
For centuries, the good folks of Austria (and some Germans) have been telling kids that, if they’re bad, they may get a visit from a devil of sorts named Krampus. You know, to eat them. Or take them away to hell.
In either case, those kids will not be getting presents.
When does this happen you ask? Well, there’s a whole day dedicated to this demonic activity: December 5 is Krampusnacht. And it’s a whole celebration, with adults dressing up as Krampus to scare kids and make other adults laugh.
Hohoho indeed.
Looking for a new holiday flick to watch while baking cookies? Check out the 2015 movie Krampus.
Happy Holidays!
Until next week, thanks for reading Polyester City. If you have any thoughts, please leave a comment by clicking the link above. If you know anyone who likes Music and Art and Stories [and terrorizing youngsters into behaving], which is pretty much everyone, please consider sharing by clicking the link below.
Yeah, this is spot on. Wonderful work — funky, fun, and FESTIVE. Dig the reduction. And great use of human voices throughout!
And sometimes Krampus takes them ice skating.