The Wizards of Winter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Wizards of Winter
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The Wizards of Winter performing live at the Effingham Performance Center in Effingham, Illinois, December 18, 2015
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| Background information | |
| Genres | Christmas music, progressive rock, symphonic metal |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Breaking Bands, LLC |
| Associated acts | The Kings of Christmas, Trans-Siberian Orchestra |
| Members | Scott Kelly - Music Director, Keyboards Sharon Kelly - Flute, Vocals Fred Gorhau - Guitar Steve Brown - Guitar Greg Smith - Bass John O. Reilly – Drums Alexis Smith - Vocals, Keys Guy LeMonnier – Vocals Vincent Jiovino - Vocals Tony Gaynor – Narration Kornelia Rad - Violin |
The Wizards of Winter is a cool band that plays a mix of progressive rock and Christmas music. They come from the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area. This group of musicians blends classic music styles with rock to create their unique sound.
Contents
How the Band Started
The Wizards of Winter began in 2009. Scott Kelly, Sharon Kelly, and Steve Ratchen formed the band to help their local community. Their first show was a holiday concert to support a food pantry that needed a lot of help.
They kept performing holiday music in 2010 to give back to the community. In 2011, they started writing their very own Christmas rock opera called Tales Beneath a Northern Star.
Albums and Music
The band released their first album in 2014. It was called The Wizards of Winter and featured all original Christmas rock songs.
In 2015, they released their second album, The Magic of Winter. This album included a popular song called "The Spirit of Christmas." The amazing artwork for both albums was created by a rock artist named Ioannis.
In 2019, they released a 10-song album called The Christmas Dream. It had four instrumental songs and six songs with vocals. They also made music videos for "Handel's Torch" and "Secrets of the Snowglobe."
Helping Others
The Wizards of Winter also use their music to help important causes.
- They support research for a rare eye disease called choroideremia through a group called "Angels for Mark."
- They donate money from their song "March Of The Metal Soldiers" to the Wounded Warrior Project. This project helps injured military members.
Band Members and Tours
Over the years, the band has toured with some famous musicians.
- They have performed with five original members of the band Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
- Guy LeMonnier and Tony Gaynor officially joined the band in 2014.
- In 2015, Greg Smith, a bassist who played with Ted Nugent, toured with them. He became an official member in 2016.
- In 2018, John O. Reilly, a long-time drummer for Trans-Siberian Orchestra, joined the band.
- Other talented musicians like Karl Scully and Steve Brown have also joined the band for tours and recordings.
In November 2017, they released a new song called "Salzburg Carol." It mixes parts of "My Favorite Things" and "Carol Of The Bells."
The band did not tour in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic. In 2021, Guy LeMonnier returned to the band, and Manny Cabo, a singer from The Voice, joined them.
Albums You Can Listen To
Here are the albums released by The Wizards of Winter:
- Tales Beneath a Northern Star (2011)
- The Wizards of Winter (2014)
- The Magic of Winter (2015)
- The Christmas Dream (2019)
