BOZEMAN — From the carolers at your doorstep to the jingles we all know and love, music plays a huge part in bringing cheer to the holiday season.

"Us musicians call it 'Gigmas'—gigging during Christmastime. Between that span of time between Thanksgiving and New Year's, there will be 20 performances," says Bozeman musician Meagan Makeever.

Makeever is a professional flutist with the Bozeman Symphony with a long history of musical influence—and she says it’s all thanks to her family.

"From a very, very early age there were always recordings on, various orchestras. We always had the Beatles on. And so, our whole household was filled with dancing and music," she says.

In addition to playing instruments like the flute, piano, and guitar, Meagan sings and writes songs too.

She says, "I call it 'SGM.' Sensitive girl music. So, it’s sort of all across the map, but I would say a lot of it is deeper emotional and philosophical things."

She says this gives her an avenue for more meaningful self-expression and acts as a way to connect deeper with audiences.

"I can’t not make songs. I have a lot of feelings, and I have to put them somewhere in a healthy outlet—so I create songs," Makeever says.

"I love it. I can’t really imagine myself doing anything else. And I love the people that I work with, and I love my community. And I just love to sing and play for my community," she adds.

And Makeever says the holiday season is one of the busiest times to connect with audiences—from playing in the pit orchestra for The Nutcracker to performing at local churches.

"It’s always so nice to add to the cheer. I see that a lot—I mean, we had some sold-out shows for Bozeman Symphony and people were so excited," she says.