What does Christmas mean to you?

1. You’ve just come out with a new Christmas album, “This is Christmas”. Has music always been an important part of celebrating the holidays for you?
Yes, it started at church with my family. That’s where I learned all the carols and it continued through the years. I’m the kind of person that loves everything about Christmas. My family is very musical…every year we’d have a songbook (that still exists today) that we’d always sing and play instruments to. Christmas was very musical in my house.
Picking the songs for this album was challenging not only because I love so many carols but I had to try and make them my own.

 
 
2. What is the most meaningful holiday gift you’ve ever received?
My family always exchanged small gifts and then one big gift. This big gift was always homemade….like an old windowsill that we’d fix up and make into a decorative mirror. Really creative stuff. I’d always start a chant on Christmas morning, “Big gifts! Big gifts!”. It was truly the most meaningful gift I could have received.
 
3. How does nature inspire your music?
Nature affects my life in a specific way. This is a hard business. Whenever I’m frustrated, nature is the only thing that makes me stop and completely calms me down. It’s bigger than me which gives me the perspective I need to realize what counts in life. It wipes always the hard parts. I tend to try and write songs at my cottage. It allows me to clear my mind and be creative. Nature is the only thing that does that for me.
4. What is your favorite Christmas gift for friends and family this year?
I am adopting the Orca this year. It helps to protect this beautiful species and the stuffed animal is so cute. I’ve always been fascinated by whales and had over 20 books on it as a kid.

 
Suzie McNeil is supporting WWF through the symbolic adoption of the Orca. You can adopt this and 23 other species at risk through the WWF Wildlife Adoptions Program.