Hitting the Road

I love being on the road. There's something so free and peaceful about gliding over the open road. That's why I wrote the song, "The Road." I just get mesmerized while seeing the great spaces of our country. Someday we hope to spend more time on the road playing house concerts and festivals. That's our long-term plan anyway. The summer is the perfect time to do it! The road is also a spiritual and metaphoric experience. How many books and movies have been written about epic journeys. It just appeals to our psyche - the freedom and the adventure. I love it!

This week I'm playing two gigs in Arizona. Friday evening I'm playing a house concert at the home of Steve and Ann Atkinson in Prescott. I met Steve and Ann last year and got to spend time with them last fall when I played the Sharlot Hall Music Festival. Steve is a wonderful western artist, and Ann has recently committed full time to promoting and managing Steve's art business. I'm blessed to know these two wonderful people. Saturday night I'm playing for a wedding reception in Sedona for two people I met last fall in Prescott while at the same festival I mentioned above. This should be great fun, and I'm really looking forward to hitting the road and playing for some new faces.

That's all for this week. I'll keep it short and sweet.

Best always,

Tom

Excitement and Memories of Summer

It's the last week before Memorial Day, and Memorial Day always signaled the start of summer for me as I was growing up.  Our family would typically spend the weekend somewhere camping and boating.  The weather wasn't always great, but our spirits were always high and full of expectation for an exciting summer.  We were always looking forward to weekends at the lake where we had a trailer and could go sailing or motor boating and skiing.  Or we might be looking forward to spending a week or two in the mountains where we could hike and explore.  It seemed like every week was a new adventure!

That's probably why I still look forward to summer so much.  Not only do those memories hang on, but I've made new memories of fun places where I get to meet new people and experience the joy of life.  I really do cherish the opportunities that are just waiting out there!  And I have a lot of them this summer, and I'm sure there will be many more yet unseen.  I've already shared some of them with you, so I won't go over all of the places I get to be this summer.  But I hope you get as excited as I do.  I know that there will be hot days when we are looking forward to the Fall, and I know there will be times when the tourist traffic and bustle will aggravate us as we try to get to and fro, but in all of this there is the sizzle of something in the air that only summer can bring.  It can be a marathon, but it is so worthwhile!

Before I get to the weekly gigs I have to tell you that we have a new friend to add to our Song of Pueblo roster.  Unfortunately Linda Amman will no longer be playing with us - to everything there is a season, and our season with her has now ended, but we have someone to be a fourth player for us that Linda says is "Poyfect!" - Alan Polivka.  Alan is an accordionist extraordinaire who also plays bass with his left hand as Linda did on the keyboard.  He isn't trying to fill her shoes, but he does a masterful job in his own right with his own take on many of our songs.  I think you'll enjoy him!  Our one public performance (so far - stay tuned) will be on June 25th, 7:00 pm at El Pueblo History Museum when we debut our new song - "Bojon Town."  This is a celebration of the Bojon community in Pueblo.  We'd love to have you come see the show and especially to hear the addition of the new song, so make your plans now and call El Pueblo History Museum for tickets - (719) 583-0453.

Also I got to play a wedding at Philmont Scout Ranch this past weekend, and I wrote a wedding song for the couple that you might enjoy.  Here is a link to an mp3 that you can listen to, and I'll also paste in the lyrics.  There are many references to places at Philmont that are special to the couple - Katy Cox and Jesse McCallon.  It was a beautiful event on the lawn of the Villa Philmonte, and I was honored to be part of it!

http://tommunch.com/ShareMyLife.mp3

Share My Life

It was a magical time at a magical place
Mountains so high, stars in your face
People to meet, from all over the world
One special guy, one special girl

Meeting by chance, lighting a spark
Reaching out, a shot in the dark
I'll be your friend, together we'll grow
Where it will lead, how can we know

So we hiked to Lover's, we two-stepped so light
We saw falling stars, in the deep mountain night
And we fell in love, and I said be mine
as the sun rose, on the Tooth of Time

So I ask you now, will you share my life
We can walk together, husband and wife
We will share our dreams, 'til the end draws nigh
Through the good and bad, as the years go by

As the light descends on this beautiful day
Bless our friends, this we pray
Here with our families, and the mountains above
We start a new journey, in this HOmE we love

So I ask you now, will you share my life
We can walk together, husband and wife
We will share our dreams, 'til the end draws nigh
Through the good and bad, as the years go by
Will you share my life
Come share my life
Come share my life

℗ © 2014 Tom Munch

So where am I this week?

Friday I'll be back for one more time before the summer at Magpies 7-10.  I have a bunch of family coming into town from all over the country, and the place will be buzzing with excitement, so I expect this will be an outstanding night of fun!  I hope you can make it!

That's it for this week.  I hope your summer starts off with a bang!

Best always,

Tom

Happy Mother's Day / A look ahead at the summer

May is upon us again, and I'm sure some of you are celebrating Cinco de Mayo today.  I've been doing Spanish tunes for the past couple of weeks to help celebrate this with my gringo Spanish, but I've also been singing songs for mom.  I got to spend last weekend with my mother (which was great since it was also my birthday), and it seems that there's never enough time to catch up and really spend quality time together.  My mother keeps reminding me that she may not be here too much longer.  I know that, and I cherish every moment I get to spend with her - especially since my dad's been gone for almost nine years now.  Mom and I spent time reminiscing and eating and visiting some of her favorite places in town.  It was too short as always.  She even arranged for me to sing at church a couple times which was a treat!  So make sure you think of your mom this week - especially on Mothers Day.  If you're fortunate enough to still have her in your life, then give her a call, tell her you love her, and get together with her if you can.  I'm not afraid to say it - I love my mom!

I have a busy summer coming up, and I wanted to give you a heads-up if you're a planner so you can make some of my gigs if you'd like.  You can check my schedule at tommunch.com for any of these gigs with details on locations and times.  I update it continuously.

•La Veta Inn - I'll be playing here many Fridays this summer 6-9, starting the first week in June.
•Magpies - I'll be here May 23, 7-10 for a last blowout evening before the summer kicks in.
•Yellow Pine - I'll be playing the weekly Thursday barbecue June 12 to August 14, 6:30-8:30.
•Arizona - I'm playing a house concert in Prescott May 30 and a wedding in Sedona May 31.
•City Center Eats - I'm playing this lunch event on June 5, 11-2 at El Pueblo History Museum in Pueblo.
•Feed Store Concert - I'll be playing the Summer in the Park series June 8, 2-5.
•8 Mile Bar and Grill - I'll be playing June 21, 29, July 12, 27, and August 3 - times vary.
•Red River - I may be playing a concert on top of the ski area lunchtime July 12.
•Philmont - I'm setting up a concert for July 12, 8-10.
•Westcliffe Stampede Rodeo - I'll be playing the dance July 19, 9-1 with the band Midnight Rain.
•Coyote Creek Concert - I'll be playing a concert July 2, 7-9 at Casey Jones Park in Elizabeth, CO.
•Gold Rush Days - I'll be playing August 9 and 10, 11-3, for this annual festival in Buena Vista, CO.

There will be more, but that's enough to look forward to for now.  I'm excited to have so much to do this summer!

So what does this week bring?

Friday I'll be at the La Veta Inn 6-9 for pre-summer gig.  I know there will be many friends out for this, and I'm looking forward to sharing some great music and laughs as we look forward to the summer.  Come out if you can!

That's probably enough for one week.  Be good to each other, and come see me when you can.

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, May 9, 6-9 pm

Tough Questions

I had some errands to run today, and I came across three separate people on the street asking for help.  This always puts me in a quandary.  I know most of us are not that far removed from needing help ourselves.  One serious illness or injury or misfortune could land any of us on the street in a shorter time than we'd like to believe.  And with this in mind a part of me instantly reaches out to these people - believing that somehow we are all one and that our caring for each other is what makes us human. But then another part of me also realizes that there are those who would use this situation to take advantage of caring people.  And I've seen this happen to good people I know - helping someone who turns out to be a not-so-nice person on the run, and that help aiding that person to escape the law.  But a part of me still believes that things happen for a reason, and that there is goodness that protects those who let themselves be open and caring, so I guess I'll keep on taking each situation as it comes - leaning towards helping whenever I can.  (By the way, I didn't give anything today in these three situations.  The timing and situations just didn't feel right.)  So how do you act in these situations?

My heart is heavy with these questions, but I press on.

A quick note for Song of Pueblo fans: we won't be doing the May 2nd show.  There will be a press release issued soon with details about our summer season.  Stay tuned!

Friday I'll be back at Magpies 7-10.  The season is winding down for Magpies.  We usually only go through April, although this year I think we'll do the first Friday of May as well if this next Friday is well-enough attended.  I'm going with a western theme which I'm really looking forward to.  I had originally planned to do more old country songs, but I think I may throw in some western swing and some cowboy tunes as well, so this will be a lot of fun and something different than what I usually do at Magpies.  I do love a lot of different styles of music, and I like to stretch my legs and air out the songs from these different styles from time to time. So if western is your thang, then come on out and hear some great tunes!  (I'll mix in some other favorites so those who don't like western songs won't suffer too much.:-)

Hope to see you soon,

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, April 18, 7-10 pm

What You Fill Your Head With

I had a realization this evening (Sunday) that was brought home to me while watching something on TV.  When I fill my head with bad thoughts and ideas then I tend to act on those bad thoughts and ideas.  I've found this before, and it may be function of my age and place in life, but I really find that I inhabit a similar space in my head to what I involve myself in the world around me.  I've heard it said before that we create our own reality, and I think this is tied up with what we're reading and talking about and experiencing in our world.  So of late I've tried to fill my time with the music and reading material, entertainment and people that I want represented in my own thoughts and actions.  It works, and it also helps me understand other people better when I see meanness and cruelty. I know this is pretty simple, but I won't argue with success in my own life. Do you see this too?

So what am I up to this week?

Friday I'll be at Magpies 7-10, and I thought it might be fun to do some of my favorite songs from the 1930's. These are tunes that I grew up with, and many are very close to my heart. (I may do a few 1920's and 1940's as well.)  Of course I'll mix in other favorites, so everyone will hear something they like. I may even bring out the old archtop guitar to get the authentic sound of the era. So please come out if you can. 

That's it for this week. Be good to each other, and I hope to see you soon. 

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch

What:  playing & singing

Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522

When:  Friday, April 4, 7-10 pm

Uncertainty of Tomorrow

Life is throwing me some curves again - nothing big, but I'm amazed at how those curves always throw me at first until I get some perspective.  I watch how everyone from friends to big companies and government entities deal with change.  We get this idea that things stay the same more than they change in life, but that really isn't so.  In the past few years we have had so many companies go under or come from nowhere to succeed, and we have had so many friends and loved ones move in and out of our lives or pass on, and somehow we forget these things very quickly.  I guess that's the way we protect ourselves from loss and uncertainty.  The truth is that we really don't know what tomorrow or even the rest of the day will bring.  At first that scares me, but then I see it as a tremendous release just knowing that the world is open to every possibility every single day.  Yes, we seem to live in patterns and habits that we think are set in stone, but the truth is that even these patterns and habits can and do change in very short time.  I actually kind of like the challenge of learning a new pattern or habit and the excitement that the unknown can bring.  I still believe that everything works out in the end - whether in this plane of existence or the next, so I'm never that afraid, and I always have to draw back from my instantaneous fears and remind myself of that.  I hope you do too!

So what does this week bring?

Tonight (Monday) I'm at the La Veta Inn 6-9 for St. Patrick's Day.  It should be a great time!  I'll have my green Fender Strat electric in tow as well as a fine acoustic guitar to accompany all the fun and beautiful Irish songs I know, and I'm wearin' the green, so I'm rarin' to go!  If you're in La Veta tonight please come out!

Friday I'm back at Magpies 7-10, and I'm hankering for John Denver tunes, so I'll be doing a bunch of favorites in my second set - like "Rocky Mountain High," "Country Roads," "Annie's Song," "Back Home Again," "Darcy Farrow," "Lady," "Poems, Prayers, and Promises," and gosh!  That's almost a whole set right there.  I'll sneak in any other favorites you and I might have.  John Denver's music was the first I learned on the guitar and played around the campfire, so I know a bunch!  It should be great fun, and I hope to see you there!

That's enough for this week.  I hope you all are well and happy.  I raise my glass and offer a hearty "Slainte!" (To your health!)

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Monday (St. Patrick's Day!), March 17, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, March 21, 7-10 pm

American Music!

I've been doing songs to celebrate Mardi Gras for the last couple of weeks, and it has me thinking about American music, and how much that music was influenced/created by the melting pot of New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta.  What was it about New Orleans that brought about such an exciting creativity?  Was it the mixture of so many cultures - French, Spanish, Indian, English, South American, African?  Undoubtedly, but there must also be something in the water and also the adventure that the river and the sea and the strangeness of that below-sea-level city oozed to make jazz, blues, and eventually country and rock music be either birthed or influenced by that region. Of course European and particularly British music also influenced American music, but you have to know that that fertile delta of the Mississippi made American music what it is today -  especially the African music that favored the blue notes that created blues and jazz.  You can spend a lifetime wrapped up in this music and never get enough of the sultry feeling that music from the region possesses.  It's wonderful!  I hope you can celebrate it too with a little music inspired or created in New Orleans and some cayenne-spiced victuals to round you off.  Laissez les bons temps rouler!  Let the good times roll!

And I'll be celebrating a bunch of wonderful Mardi Gras music at the La Veta Inn 6-9ish on Mardi Gras (Tuesday.)  They're throwing a little party, and I'm going to "bring it" with my best Mardi Gras and party songs.  It's going to be a blast!

Then Friday I'll be at Magpies 7-10 with a few Mardi Gras leftovers and a little Irish music to prime the pump for St. Patrick's Day.  In fact, lets feature Irish tunes for the middle set of the night.  Wow!  I love doing those!  Slainte!  Hope to see you there!

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing for Mardi Gras!
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Tuesday, March 4, 6-9 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, March 7, 7-10 pm

Beatles!

I don't know if you've been following all of the shows celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Beatles coming to America and their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, but they have brought back a lot of memories and a lot of joy for me.  I've been a fan of the Beatles' music since the first time I heard it when I was a kid and my sisters played the music of the Beatles in our house for the first time.  It's hard to say what first drew me to them.  I knew that their sound was different somehow than other music I was hearing.  I didn't know if it was the words or the harmonies or the fact that they were British, but something definitely grabbed me and made me want to hear more.  As I grew up and learned to play guitar and sing myself, the Beatles music was always more of a challenge than other popular music I tried to learn.  What were those chords they were playing?  How did those harmonies combine to sound so unique?  How could they make something so simple sound so sophisticated?  I now know that they were using harmonies and chords that were closer to jazz and great standards than the folk and blues-inspired rock of the day.  They often sang harmonies below the melody which was uncommon as well.  The main thing was that they always surprised the listener with changes in melody and song structure that were really satisfying and original.  Being original and different with excellence is something for anyone to aspire to - whether a songwriter or an engineer or a cook.  Bravo, Beatles!

So this week I'll be playing the music of the Beatles.  I played a lot of Beatles last week as well.  Where will this happen?

Friday I'll be at Magpies from 7-10, and I'll be featuring the Beatles for the middle hour, 8-9.  This promises to be a really fun show!  Come on out if you can.

That's it for this week.  Be good to each other, and remember "All You Need Is Love!"

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, February 21, 7-10 pm

What is Love?

Since Valentine's Day is this week, I have been thinking about love.  I heard a good show about it recently, and I have been reading several things that also made me think about love.  I even think about playing music and even music itself maybe being some form of love abstractly.

I heard a really good show on love on NPR's "To the Best of Our Knowledge" over the weekend.  Actually the show episode was titled "Redefining Romance," (you can listen to it here if you'd like - http://www.ttbook.org/book/redefining-romance) with segments on several topics, but the segments that got me thinking were specifically about love - the segment "Love 2.0" and the segment "Asexuality."

Love 2.0 was a scientific explanation of love that called it a micro moment of connection when we have a momentary mutual concern for another.  This even includes neuro-firings becoming synchronized, and also gestures and biochemical reactions becoming synchronized.  That's a really cool thing, and it thrills me to think that there is so much going on beyond what we can feel and think.  And of course this is not just romantic love, but the love we feel for a good friend or even someone we meet on the street briefly.  I would even extend this to our pets and maybe inanimate objects we have an affection for in some way - things, places, etc.

The Asexuality segment talked about people who feel attraction and love for another and don't feel the need for physical love.  That got my brain reeling as well with all kinds of ideas.  I always wondered what it would be like to be separated from the desires of the body and be purely emotional and intellectual and spiritual with another person.  I do feel like I have been that way with close friends from time to time.

My reading on after-death experiences also mentions an importance of how much we loved in life - not as a judgement of how well we did in life, but a goal to pursue. A great number of people who die and are brought back to life experience a state where they are asked if they loved whenever they had the opportunity, and they are presented with examples of when they did love and when they could have loved more.  That's a pretty practical and exciting thing to consider - that we should love at every opportunity.  I am trying to make this a daily practice in my life.

And this also makes me think about playing music.  I think that musicians experience some kind of connection that is akin to love through our mutual admiration of each other and complete rhythm and soul link to a song we're sharing and playing together.  It's hard to explain the symbiotic relationship that you establish with other musicians when we play together.  It takes a while, but in my life it has been as deep as any other bond I've had with another person.  And maybe that is because music is more than mathematical patterns and beautiful melodies, maybe it is actually love as well.

So I don't know if all of this leaves me with any epiphanies about life and love, but it sure makes my head spin in a good way.  What do you think of all these ideas?

I'd better move on before I come up with more ways to look at love.

What am I up to this week?

I'm doing several Valentine's Day shows for different facilities this week.  I won't tell you about them, but I want you to be aware that I have 2 or 3 gigs every day doing this.

Friday night - Valentine's Day - I'll be playing at the La Veta Inn 6-9ish for the diners and maybe dancers.  This should be a special night, and barring a snowstorm I hope we get a lot of folks out to share in some love songs and yummy food and romance.  Please come out if you can!

I'd better run.  I have lots of thinking to do about love.

Best,

Tom

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta.  719-742-3700
When:  Friday, February 14, 6-9 pm

Physics?

Yeah, physics.  I'm trying to understand physics in my never-ending quest for knowledge.  I really wanted to be a scientist when I was a kid.  I was fascinated by magnets and fire and natural forces, but my math skills were atrocious, and so I didn't follow that path.  But I've still maintained a healthy interest in science, and I try to understand what I can.  Lately I've been I've been reading about physics in trying to understand spirituality and the laws of the universe - weird combination, I know, but they are related somehow I'm just sure.  So I dive into quantum physics and string theory and even biocentrism and find myself overwhelmed in a big hurry.  I'm amazed at how hard these concepts are to grasp, and yet it's possible to have an intuitive understanding on some level.  I think we all have a sense of how things work, and when we're confronted by theories that don't make logical sense then we wrestle with them.  That's how I am at least.  I'm just sure there is an explanation for all of the forces, troubles, joys, and mysteries out there.  When I get it all figured out I'll let you know! ;-)

So what am I up to this week?

Friday evening I start by playing at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center 5:00-6:45 for a public gallery opening reception.  I haven't played at the Arts Center for a year or so, and I really like the ambience there.  If you want to see what's being shown at the Arts Center this winter, then come on down!

Friday night I'm back at Magpies 7-10 (or as quickly as I can make it over from the Arts Center.)  The middle hour I'm thinking of featuring something appropriate for Valentine's Day.  Who did a lot of love songs?  Maybe Bread or The Beatles, or maybe I'll just do '60's and '70's love songs.  I don't want to get too sappy, but I don't mind a good love song or three occasionally.  Either way we'll have fun, so come on downstairs and help make it a great evening!

That's it for this week.  Hope your'e well and happy.

Tom

Details this week:

Who: Tom Munch
What:  playing and singing for the Winter/Spring Exhibition Reception
Where: Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave, Pueblo.  719-295-7200
When: Friday, February 7, 5-6:45 pm

Who:  Tom Munch
What:  playing & singing
Where:  Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo.  719-542-5522
When:  Friday, February 7, 7-10 pm