(KCEN) -- The Salvation Army's bell ringers have become as recognizable as Christmas Carols.
But one volunteer is changing his tune just a bit.
You know the sound, coming from the steady hand of the red kettle bell ringer.
But this holiday season there's one volunteer who's jazzing it up.
Salvation Army Volunteer Carl Smoot says, "I set up my music and my stand and just start playing. Come rain or shine."
Does it look like it's working? People smiling, snapping their fingers, tapping their feet, stopping to take pictures.
"You'd be surprised how many people come up to me and say sir, you have put me in the Christmas spirit, thank you very much."
"I like it. I think it brings a lot more people out and gets a lot more people in the season."
Salvation Army Corps Officer Lt. W. Patrick Jones says, "It just draws people into the kettle. We love the bell and it sounds great but when you hear the Christmas music, there's something special about that."
"My favorite song is the Christmas song. But if we took a vote from the public I think they'd say either Frosty the Snow Man or Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer," Smoot says.
Carl Smoot says people seem to appreciate his approach to the Red Kettle.
"A lot of times they cant believe it's a live person standing here playing saxophone. It's absolutely cool and very unexpected. It kind of shifted us to the atmosphere of the holiday."
Marla Mosey enjoyed the sounds so much she offered Smoot a gig.
A holiday gala she's throwing this season.
But for now, he's booked.
