Celtic Christmases & Merry Minstrels | Episode 19

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On this special Christmas edition of Hear Ye, Hear Ye!, we welcome Jim Hancock, the Burly Minstrel of the Texas Renaissance Festival, to the show! With years of experience in music and his own Christmas band, Jim delights us with stories and songs that are sure to spread some holiday cheer to our listeners. </span></p> <p><strong>Continuing to do multiple festivals each year</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As a traveling musician, Jim spends his normal festival season delighting crowds at 5 different renaissance festivals. Since the ‘80s, Jim has heard the call to strike up the band and to spread his love of renaissance music and centuries-old songs to thousands of people across the country every single year. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“There are great musicians at every festival I do, and that’s why I keep doing it.”</span></p> <p><strong>Cherishing all forms of music and musicians</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although Jim has been a musician since childhood and has studied music in school, his primary love for performing comes from the imperfect, improvisational aspects. Instead of emphasizing perfection and professional training, Jim believes that musicians should be caring more about the environments and emotions they create with the music they perform. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being expressive and communicating.”</span></p> <p><strong>Capitalizing on his recording abilities</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Affected by the pandemic as a musician, Jim had a lot of time on his hands this year and was able to embark on creating his own recording studio in his house. With experience in location recording and a passion for elevating the sounds of his fellow musicians, Jim is excited with this new opportunity to make music an even bigger part of his life. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ve had a great time making them sound as good