Local musician Nate Gross singing and playing guitar in his music video for "Run Run Rudolph." The song also features bandmates Patrick Corbet on bass and Bo Matheson on drums, as well as Gross' local music students. (Captured image from the "Run Run Rudolph" music video)

CHENANGO COUNTY — Local musician Nate Gross has released his first ever Christmas song along with the help of his music students from all over the county.

The song, "Run Run Rudolph," features Nate Gross on lead vocals, guitar, and piano; Patrick Corbet on bass; Bo Matheson on drums; and kids from Chenango County singing backup vocals.

"It was something I always wanted to do, and I thought it would be fun for the kids to be involved in something different as well," said Gross.

He said the kids got to experience recording individually in a studio after their weekly music lessons.

"They had their headphones on and had a studio mic in front of them," said Gross. "All the kids that participated were under ten years old, so it was a treat for them to learn the whole process. It was really cool. Now they’re just ecstatic that they can ask Alexa to play their song."

"I do these things hoping it inspires the kids to do their own projects or want to do more here," he added. "We don’t all need to be Taylor Swift; you can actually do those things right here in Norwich."

In addition to recording the song, Gross also produced a music video including himself and bandmates Corbet and Matheson, as well as some festive animations.

He said releasing a Christmas song is something he's always wanted to do, and he was finally able to make it happen this year. The song has received a great reception from the community, and Gross said he'll probably be recording more Christmas tunes in future years.

When he's not performing on stage or recording, Gross provides music lessons to Chenango County youth and adults, which he's done for 17 years. He offers lessons on guitar, drums, ukulele, and banjo.

"I’ve got a lot of kids through the area come through me, and I’m always doing different things in my lessons," said Gross. "Everything is really interactive and I use technology a ton, so this type of recording project is actually something we do a lot in my lessons, even if it’s just for ourselves to listen back to one another. So it's pretty cool. The kids love it."

"Run Run Rudolph" has been released globally and is available on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more. To watch the music video, visit the Nate Gross Band YouTube channel.

For more information on the Nate Gross Band, visit MusicByNateGross.com.