Photo courtesy of younceguitarduo.net Jerry Younce and his son Ryan will be performing this Sunday at the Keweenaw Storytelling Center. The duo perform improvisational music heavily influenced by jazz, gypsy guitar, flamenco and world music.

CALUMET — The Keweenaw Storytelling Center presents “The Twelve Strings of Christmas,” an acoustic guitar concert with Michigan’s acclaimed guitar virtuosos, the Younce Guitar Duo, on Sunday, December 12 at 2 p.m.

Rebecca Glotfelty, executive director of Real People Media, which owns the Keweenaw Storytelling Center, is excited for the concert. This will be, by no means, the first time she has heard the father-son duo perform. She had published a review of the guitar virtuosos after they performed at the Cycling Salamander Art Gallery and Concert Venue, which she owned.

“A Younce Guitar Duo performance takes listeners on a musical journey colored by influences of Jazz, Gypsy Guitar, Flamenco, Latin and other World Music,” Glotfelty wrote. “This father and son collaboration creates music that both moves and exhilarates!”

Since 2009, this unique father and son collaboration has been entertaining audiences with their exquisite original compositions and superb musicianship. Before joining forces in 2009, both Ryan and Jerry had been active in the Michigan music scene. Jerry was born in Detroit in 1960, and as a teenager had become an active player in Detroit’s burgeoning jazz scene. Enthralled with the music, he pursued Jazz Studies at Wayne State University, and guitar under the direction of jazz guitarist William Leavitt at the Berklee College of Music. Well versed in a variety of musical genres, including, jazz, country, big band and rock, Jerry performed with dozens of midwestern bands and singers before embarking on a career in business. Now focused solely on music, Jerry is delighted to perform with his youngest son, “I have a great time playing with Ryan. Our ability to read each other and understand where we are going with a piece of music and interact and play with each other is really special.” The Duo schedules approximately 150 performance dates per year.

On Sunday, the duo will be performing selections from their Christmas CD, “Gentle and Mild” as well as original compositions, said Glotfelty. At intervals during the concert, Storyteller Charli Mills will share Christmas stories and reflections. The holiday celebration is suitable for all ages. Masks are required for all attendees.

For ticket information, please visit www.realpeoplemedia.org or call 906-934-2346 (please leave a message) Seating is limited and tickets may or may not be available at the door. All attendees are required to wear masks.

Real People Media (RPM) is a non-profit organization with the mission to help people share their stories through the literary, visual, performing and media arts. The organization owns and operates the Keweenaw Storytelling Center, located at 215 Fifth Street, Calumet, Michigan. Since 2010, RPM has helped individuals and organizations share stories which educate, entertain, and inspire.

RPM hosts storytelling events and classes, provides visual artists with exhibit space, and performance opportunities for storytellers.

“We provide storytelling activities for all ages,” said Glotfelty, “from puppet shows for children, animation and media classes for teens and theatrical events for adults.”