KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Christmas music is a holiday staple, and one local woman is making sure Kansas City at Christmas is well represented.
Melissa Hickman finds the keyboard is her happy place.
"From about age four or five, I started playing the piano," Hickman said.
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She's written jingles and music for church and for friends getting married, but now she's written something that makes her happy.
"I love Christmas; I just love Christmas," Hickman said. "I just don’t think there’s a better place in the world than Christmas time in Kansas City; I just don’t."
Hickman released four new Christmas songs dedicated to Kansas City — Feels like Christmas Day, When I Wish You Merry Christmas, This Christmas I'll be Thinking of You and Merry Christmas Kansas City.
Her goal is to capture that Kansas City Christmas spirit, mentioning all of the spots and moments that make the holiday feel so special.
"The Plaza, good heavens, I mean it’s like, you’re just not gonna find that anywhere else," Hickman said.
She used local singers, a local recording studio, and even incorporated authentic KC jazz into some songs.
"We’re always kinda wanting something new," Hickman said. "We’re wanting something different that we haven’t heard, and that’s what I tried to do."
Hickman said it's a gift to be able to create music every day, and these songs were a gift to her city.
"I want everybody to be able to relate to my music," she said. "I want there to be a little something for everybody."
So no matter where you are, when you hear these songs, you think of home, and your happy place.
"If I could write one piece of music or anything that would impact people in a positive way, what more could you ask for?" Hickman said.
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