Christmas carolers. They have skills straight from Santa.They walk among us, disguised. They could be someone you know, someone like your teacher.

This is exactly the case at SJHHS with science teacher Emily Price.

“When I tell people I Christmas carol I have to usually stop and reiterate to them, ‘No I’m a professional Christmas caroler.’”

Price got into caroling in high school when she attended Dana Hills and learned from the same choir teacher who is still teaching at Dana today, Ray Woods. At that point she wasn’t employed by an official company, just singing locally with Woods and other choir students.

“It just sort of went from there. I worked for Knott’s Berry Farm for one of their seasons. I worked with a couple of different caroling companies, this company I’ve been with the longest.”

The company Price refers to is Lil’ Dickens Carolers, an Orange County based group that you might have seen if you’ve ever gone to the Winter Sawdust Festival as the Lil’ Dickens Carolers have been performing there since the very first time that Sawdust hosted a Winter Festival.

“I think something that jars most people is that I teach science. I don’t teach english or drama or choir.”

She has seen many students and staff during performances, but her favorite was when she saw Jindra.

“I was in Mercantile West Plaza, and we were singing in one of the restaurants there and I looked over and I thought, ‘I know that person.’ I look very different when I’m in costume, but I’m looking over and I’m waving and he has no idea who I am. So I went up to him and I said ‘You don’t recognize me, do you?’”

As fun as confusing students and staff can be, there are also moments where Price feels that the most important part of her work is the emotions she brings people.

They have a concert at St. Joseph’s each year for families with loved ones in hospice or that have recently passed from hospice, which Price thinks is their most emotionally charged event.

“If you haven’t made somebody cry with your singing then you haven’t done your job because we want to be able to sing something that someone has a very fond memory of and you never know what it’s going to be for people.”

And when she’s not a professional Christmas caroler?

“For the rest of the year, the other three who are in my quartet and I, are all musical theater performers, sometimes paid ones,” Price adds with a laugh.

If you didn’t get to see the SJHHS caroler this year don’t worry, she hopes to be at it again next year.

“I’d like to keep doing this for a long time. I love it and it’s really become a big part of my life.”