Somewhere in the middle of “I’m officially taking a step back from a Tune a Week” and “I’ll just casually noodle for five minutes,” I accidentally learned two tunes in the last two weeks. I didn’t write about them. I didn’t record them. I didn’t announce them with fanfare or a thumbnail or a clever caption. They just… happened.
The truth is, I’ve been in full gig-prep mode. Our upcoming shows needed some fresh sets, and that meant less “what would be fun to learn?” and more “what absolutely needs to be solid on stage.” That kind of learning feels different. It’s less whimsical, more determined. There were definitely moments where I stared at my fiddle, seriously considered putting it back in the case, and pouring myself a very dramatic cup of tea instead.
But I pushed through. Slowly. Sometimes stubbornly. Sometimes with that half-grin you get when a tune finally stops fighting you and starts making sense.
And out of that very unglamorous, very real practice time came two new friends for the set list: Lady Anne Montgomery and The Holy Land.
So yes, I took a step back from a Tune a Week. I gave myself permission to stop documenting every single note I learn.
And somehow, in the process of not trying to “do the thing,” I still did the thing.
Maybe that’s the real lesson here: sometimes the tunes show up anyway—quietly, between rehearsals, gigs, and cups of tea—whether you’re writing about them or not. 🍵🎻
Session Obsession 