It's An Ian Thing

One of my favorite Christmas stories is about my son Ian during his freshman year at college. My daughter Kaylyn and son Ian are twins, who went to the same college in Philadelphia. It is the University of the Arts and the only four year Fine Art school, totally devoted to the Arts in the country. I remember hearing Ian on the phone, with excitement, telling us how he found out, after asking, there was not a holiday band or concert, and he wanted to start one. So, after a conversation with a professor, he put up a sign looking for band members. The next day he said he had sixteen members, all playing the instruments needed to make the music he had in mind. Next, was finding the charts and places to play. This is all while he is taking his first semester with a full load of credits. He also started working at DeBruno Brothers (an Italian market on Walnut street). The first show was to be at the first ever Christmas Market at City Hall. I believe the Market is now in the park across the way with the "LOVE" sculpture. I had read about the market and wanted to get there. Smells of chestnuts roasting, and Christmas goods from around the world were displayed in little houses, like we had seen at the eiffel tower the year before. It was amazing to see my son up there conducting a band playing beautiful Christmas music. The next thing you know, we hear, they stayed up one night and recorded songs. So, my daughter designed a logo, son made the cd, and I bought cd cards and envelopes. I was working at Paper Source at the time. I bought stickers to print with the logo to put on the cd cards. The next thing you know we had the best, most original Christmas cards we had ever sent out. We were getting calls from who recieved them, of how much they enjoyed listening to his music. He also has the music on You Tube I will share here. This year Ian surprised me again by playing the horns in Kevin Bacon (the actor) of the Bacon Brothers new song : "Philly Thing". I will be sharing that on social media today. But, it is so good to see ten years after graduating from UARTS, he still is connected in some way. And, this new music from Kevin Bacon is a great effort to help with supporting the music scene for young people in Philadelphia. A new good Christmas story for 2022! Quote of the Day: Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you. -- Thomas Jefferson Song of the Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCbE7lmp8QM&t=17s Ian Gray's Big Band Christmas Music The picture of us (Myself, Ian and my best friend ever! Laura McFarland Meschio. We were at the Bruce Springsteen River Tour in Philadelphia in 2016. You can see the city of Philadelphia in the backround. Song of the Day: Bacon Brothers "Philly Thing" He is not in any of the video, but he did confirm he recorded for this and he is playing the trombone. His good friend Jay Davidson is on the list at the end (couldn't see Ian's name because it flashes quickly). Definitely has the philly sound of Ian on the horns, though!!!)