I’ve had an exciting couple of weeks up here on Mackinac Island, MI! Being here is, in itself, a total treat. I get to perform every night with a skilled and supportive group of musicians. I’m gaining amazing experience and a good bit of confidence along the way. Plus, I have the chance to work on my running and I’ve already gotten my mileage to a place I’m really proud of.

But beyond the simple blessing of having this amazing job, there’s been even more to celebrate. Here are some highlights:

• Last week, I reached 1,000 subscribers on YouTube! This has been a goal of mine for a while and I’m really grateful to everyone who helped me achieve it!

• On August 25th, I received the Nashville Industry Music Award for “Best Jazz Vocalist”. There were several amazing women nominated in this category and I was honored to be nominated. I’m so grateful to everyone who voted and has reached out with encouragement since the awards were announced!

• I did my first instagram giveaway this past week! I love sharing about ideas and products that improve my life, so I decided to start doing occasional giveaways to share some of my favorite things. The winner has opted for a Walker & Williams guitar/ukulele strap like the one I use on gigs. I’m looking forward to doing another giveaway, hopefully in October!

• I’ve been growing my community on Patreon. Patreon is a website that allows ‘creators’ like me to connect with ‘patrons’, or folks who have opted to financially back me in exchange for exclusive content. Right now, I’m using Patreon to handle tutorial requests. I give my patrons access to live performance videos, my baritone ukulele chord diagram library, and other exclusive content. For $5 a month, patrons get priority when it comes to online lessons/tutorials. I’d love for you to check out my site at patreon.com/abigailflowersmusic.

• I’ve been booking new shows! I have a handful of performances in Nashville in September, but I also have performances in Chattanooga, Huntsville, and Hamtramck, MI! I just updated my “shows” page so you can see a list of upcoming performances. Please share with friends if you know anyone in the cities listed!

• I was accepted to a house concert network! It’s a really fantastic private community of musicians and listeners that I applied to 2 years ago, though I wasn’t accepted then. I remember feeling very discouraged at that time, so I’m proud that I worked up the courage to try again. I’m very excited for the possibilities that this network will bring.

That’s the news for now. I’m always planning and hoping and dreaming, so I hope to have more news to share very soon. Thank you so much for following along and supporting me on my way!