Caleb Hawkins is a fifth generation musician who recently described his musical roots. "My Dad played guitar and sang traditional folk music for my whole life. When I was around three years old, I was given a ukulele. My brother plays bass and guitar. My Grandpa played all things stringed as well as my great Grandpa. From what we know, pretty much every generation played something. Guitar is my main instrument with mandolin and fiddle following closely after that with banjo and harmonica trying to all fit in there someplace as well", he explained. His instrumental virtuosity can be heard with the Deep River Roots Band, a collaborative musical venture with his wife, Hannah. She started playing music at age five. Hannah took piano and guitar lessons in her early years and later moved on to play the cello when she was 10 years old. Her older sister, a freelance violist, introduced her to classical music at a very young age. Together, Caleb and Hannah have over 20 years musical experience.

Caleb is a self-taught musician, while Hannah is a classically trained cellist and currently studying at the University of Indianapolis. She also plays ukulele. This has created a unique blend of musical influences to incorporate into their live performances. "Playing a musical instrument is like learning a foreign language. For example, if you know Spanish, you can learn Italian," he explained.

Their group has recorded five CDs and plan to release their new album (yet to be titled) sometime during the first half of 2010. A native of Cincinnati, Hawkins moved to Indianapolis in 2005. In late 2007, he met Hannah. They married in 2008 and regularly perform together.

They play at the Broad Ripple Farmer's Market annually and also performed holiday favorites at the Broad Ripple Lights Up event on Saturday, December 12th.

According to their website www.deepriverrootsband.com, their musical repertoire "draws from a lifelong appreciation of music ranging in styles from classic swing to traditional folk with a dash of blues; Deep River Roots Band, in the most sincere way, hopes to bring listeners a sound that takes them back in time. Both multi-instrumentalists in their own right, Caleb and Hannah write and compose new music with a timeless feel as well as performing their own arrangements of well loved traditional tunes. They hope to give listeners a taste of history with a forward focused glance and that the performance will provide an unforgettable experience for the listening audience."

Caleb and Hannah Hawkins are talented multi-instrumentalists and vocalists whose music can be heard during the holidays and at local venues throughout the year.