Birthdays

My 62nd birthday is this week, and I’m doing my show Sunday from my friend Deann and Matt’s house to celebrate our birthdays (Deann’s is in early May). That has me thinking about birthdays and how we celebrate and about time passing. I don’t usually make a big deal about birthdays. I’ve worked almost all of mine as an adult. I do remember one birthday where the bar where I was playing that night decorated the bar with birthday decorations and a big banner that said “Happy Birthday, Tom!” on it. That would seem to be a nice thing to do, but it kind of backfired in that everybody, drunk or sober, who entered the bar for the whole night made a big todo about it. That got a little old by the end of the night as the crowd got more inebriated. They all wanted to buy me drinks and get me drunk too, and I had learned early on that I don’t play well at all if I drink. But most of my birthdays Jen and I have tried to take a day trip or go to a nice restaurant. We don’t exchange gifts since we saw what expectations and disappointments did to other couples we know. But besides that, what does a birthday really represent? It’s always just been a marker for me that makes me take stock a little bit in my health and accomplishments, and for the most part I don’t feel my age. I don’t think anyone does. My health is relatively good since we work hard at staying in shape and eating right. A little luck and decent genetics don’t hurt either. I guess we really should make more of birthdays - at least in that it’s an excuse to something fun and maybe frivolous. What is life without some goofy enjoyment sometimes? I play for a lot of monthly birthday parties at my senior facilities, and I always tell my residents who don’t really want to be reminded that they’re a year older that it’s just a reason to have a party. So here’s to being a year older, being hopefully a little wiser, and being able to enjoy our lives and a good time.

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What have I been up to?

I had 11 senior facilities this past week, and they were all really enjoyable. Several are still requiring masks although one of them was also a celebration of one of their residents coming out of isolation, and they also announced at the party that the county mask mandate had been lifted. So removing masks was a real cause for celebration. Hopefully they won’t have to go back to masks too soon so they can enjoy a little freedom for a while.

My Wednesday online show was doing a second night of Lying, Cheating, and Leaving songs, and we really had a good time once again. It’s amazing how you can take a dark subject and have fun with it.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and I also debuted a new howling song that I wrote on Saturday. I know you might be wondering why we’re still howling at 8:00 since the pandemic is more-or-less over, but we still do it as a matter of course to try to spread good energy and to be thankful for all we’ve been through. It’s funny how traditions can be so strong and so reassuring.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities this week, and I’m looking forward to all of them. We’re doing Spring songs and starting to do Mother’s Day songs, so there’s lot of joyful stuff to sing and share.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be doing ‘60s rock and roll tunes at the request of one of our group. I really like doing these fun tunes, and I’m sure it’ll be a banner night for good songs and good memories. Come on out!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests done remotely at Deann and Matt’s as I wrote above to celebrate our birthdays. I’m sure we’ll have lots of camaraderie and sweet moments of friendship and song. You’re always welcome!

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That’s it for this week. I hope you can enjoy your birthday whenever it comes this year. It’s so easy to not let ourselves enjoy the simple things of our lives.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of ‘60s Rock songs

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Wednesday, April 26, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests 

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Sunday, April 30, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Real and Artificial

I’m thinking about what is real and what is artificial in our lives with with all the talk of Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT lately. I have to admit that I have had a penchant for what is real throughout my life - preferring glass and wood and metal over plastic and man-made materials even though I marvel at what science and ingenuity have created. I feel the same about sound - I’d rather hear acoustic or even electric instruments over synthesized ones. As I think about whether I will use ChatGPT to come up with song ideas or help me write blogs or promotional materials, I think I’m wanting to create these things out of my own brain although I see the value in using them to spur the creative process. I’ve even thought of using AI image tools to create backgrounds for my videos, but I find I’m better off just using a picture I’ve taken. I’m aware that my phone camera now uses algorithms and AI of-sorts to create a photograph, but if it represents what I saw with my own eyes then I’m still accepting of the photo it generates. I realize it’s possible that in a short time these AI tools will dominate our daily lives, but I’m still enjoying the reliance on my own ideas and brain power for the moment. I know that some of that attitude is due to my age and my slowness to understand some new things in our world. Some of you who know me well may be surprised to hear me say this since I have kind of a techy reputation. I think that most of my attitude comes from a desire to maintain a solid link to everyday life and the realities of a physical existence in my environment. That’s why I walk and sing and marvel at the sky - I want to be completely aware of the tactile experience of being in this world. 

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What have I been up to?

I had 9 senior facilities last week. Many have had to go back to wearing masks from small COVID outbreaks and other diseases. It’s sure tough on these folks, and there are many singers who won’t perform in a mask, so they don’t have as many folks coming out to entertain them as before the pandemic. It wasn’t easy to sing in a mask at first, but I’ve adjusted now and am fine with or without.

My Wednesday online show doing Lying, Cheating, and Leaving songs was so much fun that we’re going to do it again this week. Yes, there were a few dark and slow songs that brought down the energy, but there were so many that were upbeat and even funny that we didn’t stay down for long. I think it’s kind of the old cathartic model that everyone relates to a song of this type.

My Sunday online show doing Favorites and Requests was also lots of fun with good folks and good songs. This community that my online shows has created has been a blessing to all involved - especially me.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 11 senior facilities this week, and I know they will all be wonderful. It’s so good to see all these good people and share a little music and joy with them.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be Lying, Cheating, and Leaving songs again as I said above. There are just too many good songs of this type to not do another show. Come on out and enjoy the camaraderie and tunes.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and I know it will be a sweet and poignant night. I’d love to have you in the audience if you’re up for it.

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That’s it for this week. I’m still thinking about my topic up top and wondering what life will be like in the coming years. It’s an interesting time to be alive.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Lying, Cheating and Leaving songs 2

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Wednesday, April 19, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests 

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Sunday, April 23, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Why Do People Lie?

Interesting question to ponder this week - why people lie. There are lots of reasons and theories. Some do it to gain something. Some say they do it to protect others. Some are just downright nasty. I had a new friend ask me once why I don’t lie. I told him that it just takes too much work - remembering what lies you told in different situations and then covering those up with other lies. That’s kind of comical, but there is some truth in it. It’s a vicious circle and a house of cards that must fall at some point. Also a lie really hurts the teller more than anyone else. The amount of doubt and angst it creates tarnishes their spirit in ways that damage them - sometimes permanently. The Dutch have a reputation for being blunt and not lying to protect another’s feelings. I don’t necessarily like being blunt, but I think there is a point to just being honest with the other person with love in your heart. I think if you see the other person as yourself it makes it easier in almost every situation. That is really the idea behind not lying to each other. When you understand the need for other people in your life, and when you see that there really is a oneness in that other person’s eyes, then not lying to them makes perfect sense. It seems so simple.

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What have I been up to?

I had 8 senior facilities last week, and one even required N95 masks from a recent COVID outbreak that had them in isolation last month. I thoroughly enjoyed them all, and we sang Easter and Spring songs most of the week.

My Wednesday online show was doing the music of The Monkees, and it was as much fun as I imagined it could be. The surprising thing is that so many of their songs were so well-written and catchy. I’ve been humming them all week.

My Sunday online show was doing favorites and requests, and there were some different ones that were really cool. We have such a great group of folks who come out to these shows.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 9 senior facilities this week, and I’m looking forward to them all! I say it every week, but it is truly a blessing to get to sing for these folks and give them some real friendship and encouragement.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be the Lying, Cheating, and Leaving songs I referred to above. Of course there are lots of maudlin country songs about this which we’ll do, but there are also some fun songs and songs of other genres that will make it a neat exploration. Come on out and join the evening!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. I know I sound like a broken record with my enthusiasm and thankfulness for these evenings among friends, but they are truly magical. You’re always welcome.

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That’s it for this week. Think about my brief message about lying. Weigh it in your mind and see how you deal with it in your life. Peace to you, my friend.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Lying, Cheating and Leaving songs

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Wednesday, April 12, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests 

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Sunday, April 16, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Silliness

I’m doing a show featuring the Monkees music on Wednesday, and we’ve been watching documentaries and interviews as well as some of the episodes of the Monkees TV show to prepare. I’m struck with how silly the TV show was, and it makes me think about the value of just plain silliness in our lives. Of course, the ‘60s was a discordant decade with so much going on in the country, and we needed some silliness to counteract the darkness in society. A similar thing happened after World War II when there were so many silly, nonsense songs. I remember when the movie “Life Is Beautiful” came out, and I was charmed by how the father sheltered his daughter from the darkness of the war with his frivolity. We tend to think that bringing silliness into our day is irresponsible or naive, but there is real merit to forgetting our troubles even if just for a moment to remember that there is joy and wonder in our time on earth. Even Mike Nesmith of the Monkees, who often eschewed his time with the Monkees and shied away from reunions, came around to the sheer fun of being with other Monkees and playing their music at the end of his life. So be silly sometimes, and come out and celebrate the Monkees with me on Wednesday.

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What have I been up to?

I had 8 senior facilities last week, and they all went very well. A couple of them were still up for some Irish tunes, so I played my Irish Lowden guitar through the last day of March. I so enjoy playing for these folks. My Thursday outdoor memorial service went very well too singing “Bristlecone Pine” as people put ashes of the deceased in with a new tree just being planted. It fit the song and the hope of life continuing.

My Wednesday online show was doing the most-played songs from my online shows, and it was a real ‘Greatest Hits’ of favorites. It has been so much fun creating a community of friends and music lovers who have requested and enjoyed these songs over the last 12 years that I’ve been doing online shows - especially the last three years during COVID.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and it was kind of another night of best songs with a few new ones thrown in for good measure. I’m blessed to be able to do these shows. I’ve always wanted to play for people who really want to hear me play and sing, and that’s exactly what theses shows have become.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 8 senior facilities this week, and I am looking forward to every one. With Easter being this week I’m sure I’ll be singing a few hymns and songs about bunnies and Spring. This is such a sweet time of year with lots of memories for all the folks of family times and Spring rituals.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be the music of the Monkees as I mentioned above. My sisters had several of their albums, and so I grew up listening to their songs and watching their TV show. Amazingly the show was only on the air for 2 seasons, but it sure gave me a lot of memories of their music and zany antics. It’ll be fun to sing and play these songs, and many of my regulars are really excited to hear these tunes and reminisce. You’re always welcome to tune in!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. I cherish these evenings among friends and music lovers. Come on out and join in the fun with a couple requests!

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That’s it for this week. I hope you have a lovely Easter, and I hope your life is full and happy.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Monkees songs

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Wednesday, April 5, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests 

Where:  facebook.com/tom.munch and tommunch.com/online-concerts  

When:  Sunday, April 9, 7-8:45 pm mountain time