Technology has helped link a Walnut Grove man who works in post-secondary administration with the makers of a family movie that wants to use his original Christmas song.

Rich Chambers didn't get much notice for his tune Santa's Rockin' Band back in 1994 when he wrote it. But with the advent of CDbaby, OKMusic.fm, iTunes and Facebook, allowed him to connect with filmmakers who are using his song in the movie Chilly Christmas.

Chambers can't wait for Christmas. Sure he loves the holiday but this year's Christmas will see his original song, Santa's Rockin' Band, used in a movie about a boy and his dog, Chilly.

While he enjoys other kinds of music, the Simon Fraser University accreditation officer keeps returning to his favourite genre.

"I keep coming back to Christmas songs," he said.

Chambers is a self-professed Christmas nut.

"My wife always bugs me because every year I add more stuff to the outdoor display," he chuckled.

Chambers, who has lived in Langley for 15 years, comes by his musicality naturally. His father was musical and an uncle sang opera.

"I took up guitar at 10," he said. By 14 he had a band but when it came time for post secondary school, he went with an English degree.

Music became a hobby, and since 2000, he has been in the band Half Hour Late.

He first recorded Santa's Rockin' Band back around 1994.

"I wrote the whole thing on a 30minute jog," Chambers said. "It was mid-July."

He shopped it around and performed it but the music business was very different back then. About 14 years later, he dusted off the song and re-recorded it at home. That version was entered into a song contest on Facebook and the version caught the attention of the movie producers who were looking for an original Christmas song, not a known song revamped with Christmas lyrics, like many other entries. There were hundreds of entries from all over.

Chambers is thrilled that Santa's Rockin' Band will be used in the movie but won't know until the final editing how much of it will be heard. Still, he's not expecting it will become the next Jingle Bells. "I'm not holding my breath," he said.

Success for him would be defined as his song being known by many people who play it each holiday season. Huge success would be for a known singer to record a version.

He's gained some notoriety for a cover tune. His version of Snow Miser and Heat Miser has sold more than 13,000 copies via iTunes in five years.

hcolpitts@langleyadvance.com