🎻 Last Sunday check in of the year! (And some gig invites for local and further afield readers alike)

Hi, Reader!

How is your December looking? Does it feel more frenzied like you're trying to get everything done before the end of the year, or are you starting to relax and wind down for the holidays?

For me, this year feels like a little bit of both. I've started taking the last two weeks of the year off in conjunction with my customer support job (conveniently through the company where I host my Tune Library and other fiddle courses -- don't you love how multiple interests can tie together?).

That means no lessons, no new Tune Library videos. Just time to reset and take a breather before ramping back up in the new year.

I do have two gigs during that time, which promise to be both fun and fairly laid back as well. Bear and I will be back at The Ark in Ann Arbor on December 27th for Mick Gavin's annual Crossroads Ceili. It's a night of tunes, stories, dancing and just general good fun!

Bear and I actually met for the first time at one of these Crossroads Ceilis. And what a crossroads it was, though neither of us had any idea of it at the time! Now here we are both musical and life partners two years later. This will be our third Crossroads Ceili.

Then on New Year's Eve, we'll be over in Lansing to ring in the new year for a Contra Dance with our good friend, Marty Somberg. Marty has been a staple in the Ann Arbor music scene for many years, and I soak up any chance I get to play with him!

Here's another set of Bear's and mine from our gig at the Gaelic League last month: the first tune is one Bear composed (you'll get to hear his fingerstyle guitar side here), and we named it Helia. Helia means sun goddess, and it's referencing my cat Rose stretched out in her favorite morning sun spot on my apartment window ledge. 🥰

​

While I know there are a few Michiganders reading these weekly newsletters, I know not all of y'all are from around here. 😉 So if A) you'd like to see Bear and I in concert this month and B) you live in a part of the world where 7pm EST isn't considered an ungodly hour to be awake for you, I invite you to join us for a 100% virtual concert happening tomorrow, December 15th!

As you can see, we have quite the lineup and you can get two days worth of concerts (one starts this afternoon at 3pm EST). QuaranTUNES is also providing a complimentary carol book with every ticket purchase that many of these performers contributed to.

Having shared an Airbnb with Mark Wade, Karen Ashbrook and Paul Oorts, I can vouch that their sets are going to be a lot of fun to tune into. I'm also excited to see Katie Moritz again after having joined her onstage at Evart FunFest a couple years ago. While I don't know many of the rest of the performers, I trust Mark to put together a stellar show -- all to be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home!

You can register for tickets here!

I got a couple more suggestions for tune tutorials over in the Library, so here is a final list of 2025 tutorials (some are available now, and the rest I'll film and post this week):

• Dr. O'Neill's (jig)
• Bill the Waiver (polka)
• How to be more flexible with variations in Bill the Waiver (bonus vid)
• Video for Morrison's (jig) -- audio is currently available
• The Red Crow (reel)

You can absolutely continue suggesting tunes, and I'll have a list for January tutorials next month. Thank you SO much for being a part of the Tune Library! You can expect even more focus on this in 2026!

This may be a season where you feel you finally have time to sit down and get your instrument out for some more intentional practice. Or it may be a time that's filled with holiday obligations and it's trickier to find time to play. Wherever you find yourself this season, I'm wishing you a lot of joy and peace in the coming weeks!

This will be my last Sunday newsletter of this year, and I look forward to reconnecting with you in 2026 (or perhaps at a virtual/in person gig in between)!

Happy playing!

~Hannah