‘Tis the season to play the Christmas hits. Search long enough, and a person may find Christmas music playing on one (or all) of the Roanoke Valley’s popular radio stations.
If a fan of holiday tunes is looking for something local, look no further than the Morgan Family of Botetourt County, who’ve managed to kick out the holiday jams to the beat of their own drum (and trumpet) for local listeners to enjoy.
Austin and Lindsey Morgan of Cloverdale are educated musicians who recently released their second Christmas music album for everyone to enjoy.
They met while playing trumpet together in Lee University’s orchestra and jazz band, participating in as many ensembles as they could during that time. Since moving back to Botetourt County, Lindsey has been a teacher in Roanoke County. Austin works in information technology.
Their new album, A Morgan Family Christmas, Vol. 2, features five tracks that continue their family’s holiday season celebration.
“White Christmas” appears on their latest release and catalyst to Austin and Lindsey recording a pair of Christmas albums. A couple of years ago, the couple recorded a video playing their trumpets accompanying the tune and published it on YouTube.
“People really liked (the video),” Austin said in a recent interview. “We thought, what if we recorded a whole album? So, the following year, we put out the first album, and it was well-received. We then decided to record a second one, and people are enjoying our Christmas music. It contributes to the holidays, puts people in a brighter mood, and allows us to share our gifts and talents to all of the people in the area.”
The most impressive part about the Morgans’ recording process is that the album’s instrumentation was pieced together separately in their home studio despite sounding like they recorded the songs live to tape as an ensemble. Austin provides his trumpet skills, drums, and other instruments, while Lindsey’s lovely voice is the icing on top of their newest holiday release.
The Morgans’ new album is available on all streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music. Limited physical copies are also currently available and can be purchased on the Morgans’ website: morgan-music.com.