🎻 Unconventional ideas of successful fiddling

Hi Reader,

Last Sunday I was in mid-recovery from one of my favorite but also one of the most intense weekends of my year -- Tune Junkie weekend in Knoxville TN!

So at the usual time that this letter lands in your inbox, I was in a verrry deep sleep and only woke up a couple hours later because we forgot to put the "do not disturb" sign on the door for the hotel housekeeper. Oops 🙈.

I should know by now that nothing non-TJW related gets done the week of, and it takes at least a few days to recover afterwards. So if your Sunday routine includes reading this letter on a weekly basis, I apologize for last week's skip!

If you're not familiar with Tune Junkie weekend, it is basically a full weekend of tunes and catching up with friends I only get to see once or twice a year. I taught the Fiddle Nuts + Bolts workshop for the second year in a row, and then played a set for the instructor concert with Bear, Andy Kruspe and Karl Kersey that evening.

(Side note: watching Bear and Andy play off of each other both onstage and at practices was possibly the highlight of my weekend. If you get a chance to see the two of them in concert, I highly recommend!! It's amazing what bodhran and guitar can do when they are locked in and listening/reacting in the moment off of each other!!)

When I'm not playing fiddle or working my chat support job, I am often consuming content (books, podcasts, email newsletters) from people in the entrepreneurial space. One theme I've seen a lot recently is defining your own version of success.

And I realized at Tune Junkie weekend, that my version of success looks a lot like what I've got right in front of me.

I don't think this weekend would be as special to me if it happened every week. I love to travel and see friends, family and new places. I also love being home in a community I love (and I never say no to an evening of being piled under two cats with a book and mug of tea nearby).

When I say I'm a musician, a common question that comes up is "how many gigs do you have?" or "How many students do you have?"

And a default response is to place value in a number or a frequency. You want to say you're booked out, or you're gigging every week because that busy-ness must mean you're in high demand, and therefore successful.

I've been thinking a lot about that lately. There's a big part of me that wants to push back against "busy."

This month I have two performance gigs: Tune Junkie and our set at Trinity House this Friday (if you live near Livonia MI and are free, come join us!). I'll count our March 1st gig at the Clinton-Macomb Library too since it's coming up!

And honestly, that feels like enough!

It gives me time to breathe and prepare in between each gig, which ultimately means I'm coming to the show with more energy, more advance preparation, and more calm -- which is a win for all involved.

My version of success doesn't look like touring 40 weeks out of the year or teaching Zoom lessons from 9-5 every week day (and that's totally fine if it's yours or your perception of a successful musician).

It looks more like having the space and energy to show up and be more present with family, friends, students and audience members alike.

Another benefit of this type of schedule is it means I get to connect with you in the Tune Library and get you more trainings or tips you're wanting to work with this season!

I've just added Humours of Ballyconnell to the reels section this week, and Drops of Brandy (slip jig) is coming this week. These were both member requests, so keep them coming! I'm also working on some more bonus trainings to release in that section as well.

I see a lot of different versions of success from students I work with, which has also helped me to be open to multiple different perspectives.

Some students want to keep their minds active by working on ear training skills and challenging themselves to slow down and pick up more tunes by listening.

Others want to have a solid repertoire of tunes that they feel comfortable leading or participating with in their local session.

Some are in it for the fun of it, and never intend to make it a career. Others want to gig and teach.

It's a beautiful mix and a testament to having multiple routes and options to achieve connection and a fulfilling life.

Have a think about what success means to you this week, whether that's for your career, your music, or your life in general -- and I do mean you! Not someone else's idea of success!

~Hannah

P.S. I said in my last letter that I'd report back on how Bear liked his first Tune Junkie weekend. Happy to say he LOVED it, and true to TJW form, they welcomed him in with that classic southern hospitality I know and love!