1976

I’m continuing my shows featuring songs from a certain number of decades ago by featuring songs from 1976 - 50 years ago - this Wednesday. 1976 was an interesting year. Going through the year I see all kinds of events that shaped where we are today. The Eagles released their first greatest hits that would go on to be the best-selling album of all time. The Cray-1 became the  first commercially available supercomputer. Patty Hearst was found guilty of armed robbery. “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” won big at the Oscars. Apple Computer was formed in California. President Gerald Ford defeated Ronald Reagan in presidential primaries. The US celebrated the bicentennial. I remember the bicentennial especially because my school class flew on specially-painted patriotic jets to Washington, DC, to tour the capitol that spring. Viking 1 and Viking 2 landed on Mars. Bruce Jenner (who will later be Caitlyn Jenner) won at the Olympics. The Big Thompson River in northern Colorado flooded and destroyed more than 400 cars and houses. I heard Chuck Pyle’s song about this just a few years later when I met and befriended Chuck. His guitar style would influence my music for over 30 years. Stevie Wonder released “Songs in the Key of Life”, one of my favorite albums that year. Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford in the presidential election, switching the country back to Democratic rule. I remember this year especially because I was the art person for our school newspaper, and I got to design a crazy collage of patriotic images that were printed on our mimeograph printer in patriotic colors. I was pretty proud of that. I also got my first good guitar that Christmas that would launch my dreams of being a musician. I had played soprano and baritone ukulele before that for a couple years after taking piano lessons in grade school and also playing the clarinet. It’s fair to say that the country was feeling some of the same angst over money and race then although it was much more tame than where we are today. For the most part I was a happy kid just learning to function in the world and with my friends. How about you? What things do you remember that had an effect on you that year - assuming you were born by then.

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What have I been up to?

Last week was a tough one for me. I was fighting laryngitis, and I was lucky to have my voice actually improve over the week with some care like drinking hot water with honey and lemon and gargling with salt water. At the start of the week I thought I would have to call off several gigs and seriously consider retiring before the month was out. I’m still toying with retiring, but at least I made it through the week and am mostly back to normal. I’m continuing the vocal care though.

Last week I had 14 senior facilities. I did a lot of patriotic songs for Memorial Day, and folks were mostly forgiving of me for having a rough voice. I love these folks.

My Wednesday online show was playing songs about mountains. It was a really fine show with lots of songs that took me right up among the peaks. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Saturday I played a special concert in Jess Price Park in Westcliffe, Colorado, that went really well. The weather was perfect, and the park has a very nice stage with good acoustics. I had several folks I know come to listen. Special shout out to Ed and Diana who drove up from Pueblo to hear me.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and there were some great songs shared. Even though it was a holiday weekend I had a good number of people out to support each other and enjoy the music.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities this week, and I’m sure I’ll be playing summer songs and looking forward to all the joys that summer brings. A couple of my places will probably want to start doing outdoor shows. Being in the outdoors is so good for everyone.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be songs from 1976 as I wrote above. There are so many great songs from that year. At first I thought there would be a lot of dance disco-type songs, but I was amazed how many other songs I knew from that year. I’ve listed 66 so far. It should be a lot of fun. Come on out if you’d like to reminisce and hear some songs from that year.

Saturday 7-9 mountain time I’m doing an online show of Philmont songs for Philmont alumni to celebrate the start of another season at the scout ranch. This is what they call “Scatter” when the staff goes out to the backcountry to set up for the summer. It’s an exciting time for the staff and for us old alumni who remember our time there fondly. If you’re Philmont alumni and would like to relive some of those times you are welcome to join me at my Tom Munch Philmont Songs Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1176893032692370/ or on my website

tommunch.com/online-concerts. 

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and I’m sure we’ll have some memorable moments with the fine folks who come to see me. I’d love to have your requests too if you’d like to come out.

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That’s it for this week. I hope you have a good Memorial Day, and I hope you’re healthy and happy.

Best,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of 1976 songs

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

When:  Wednesday, May 27, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing an online concert of Philmont songs

Where:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/1176893032692370

When:  Saturday, May 30, 7-9 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, May 31, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

I Keep Forgettin'

Last week was a weird one for me. I know I wasn’t getting the best sleep in the world, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that I forgot several things during the week. The worst, I think, was on Thursday. I was gassing up my car, and when I finished washing my windshield and putting in my mileage and gas receipt in my phone I forgot to put away the nozzle and grab my receipt and drove off without taking the gas nozzle out of my tank. Thank goodness for quick-release gas hoses now that disconnect without any damage. Of course I heard a loud clunk and realized what I had done immediately. Luckily the gas folks weren’t too upset - I guess it happens pretty frequently. They were able to reconnect it without any trouble. I did drive off before the gas charge had registered on my credit card since I didn’t put the nozzle back in the pump, but it showed up once the attendant put the nozzle back. The other forgetful thing (as of writing this on Friday - hopefully I won’t forget anything else) was on Friday morning when I got to my my morning senior facility to play and realized that I had forgotten to load up my equipment. Ya, I opened the back of my car and was surprised to not see my guitar and gear. I have done that before, but it’s been a while. The folks were very understanding, and I rescheduled for later this month. I’m glad it wasn’t a birthday party or some other special event that the folks had prepared for with cake and goodies or special decorations. None of us like to pull bonehead stunts like this, but I guess it keeps us humble and makes us realize that life takes a little understanding from time to time. I’ve been blessed to have people who can read my heart and know that I am always sincere and dedicated to them. Anyway, that’s my story so far this week. And yes, that’s a line from a Michael McDonald song in the title of my blog. I’m listening to it as I write.

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What have I been up to?

I had 8 senior facilities last week, and you already know I had to reschedule 1 for my forgetfulness. The others were a lot of fun. I played a wide variety of songs and requests that weren’t on any one theme since we’re kind of between holidays. I love these folks. My voice was pretty raspy for all of my shows, but I persevered.

My Wednesday online show was songs from 1966 again, and I’m always amazed how the spirit of a time can possess us and send us right back there in so many ways. Everyone really got into it, and I’m going to miss the songs from that year. The next group of songs from an anniversary decade will be from 1976. That’s a good year in a whole different kind of way.

My Sunday online show was a good one with some great requests and fine chatting. I love this group so much!

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What am I up to this week?

I have 14 senior facilities this week, and I know it’ll be a marathon of sorts with so much going on. I’ll probably try to work in some songs for Memorial Day even though there aren’t a lot of songs that fit that holiday well.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be mountain songs since I’ll be coming off a weekend in the mountains opening summer cabins with my siblings. These are some of my very favorite songs, and I know it’ll be a fine night of songs and friendship. Come on out if you can!

Saturday 1:15-3:15 mountain time I’ll be playing in Westcliffe, Colorado, for their kickoff weekend of summer entertainment in Jess Price Park on Main Street after the Memorial Day parade. I’ve played in Westcliffe many times, but this is the first time I’ve played this venue. It sounds like a great performance space, and I’m looking forward to getting up into the beautiful Westlcliffe Valley with its amazing views to play some music for the folks. I’d love to have you there if you’d like to get out and about in Colorado to one of the most beautiful places in all of southern Colorado on your Memorial Day weekend.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and since it’s Memorial Day weekend I think we’ll probably have a great turnout with most folks not having to work on Monday. I’d love to play your requests and have your friendship if you’d like to tune in too!

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That’s it for this week. I still can’t believe how forgetful I’ve been this past week. I’m going to double-check myself from now on to make sure I don’t forget such easy things - hopefully!

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of mountain songs

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

When:  Wednesday, May 20, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch

What:  playing and singing a concert in Jess Park

Where:  315 West Main Street, Westcliffe, Colorado

When:  Saturday, May 23, 1:15-3:15 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, May 24, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Longing for Mountains

It’s the weekend in May where my siblings and I head to New Mexico to open our family cabins for the summer. I look forward to this every year although it’s hard work removing chimney covers, turning on and setting up water systems, putting away rat poison, taking down high shutters with block and tackle, putting away furniture coverings and hanging curtains, chopping wood, and fixing any water and other problems that have occurred over the winter. Sometimes there’s road maintenance and trees needed to be removed although we got in on a grant that is currently paying for thinning all of the property with heavy machinery. This is great because hundreds of trees have grown up over the past 50+ years that have made for very high fire danger. My grandfolks put together this property since 1930 by working hard even when they had no money to be able to spend time in the mountains which they loved dearly. It’s a legacy that my siblings and I have tried hard to maintain and an honor to leave for future generations to cherish. And the best part is that it gave us a love of mountains and wild spaces which we share to this day. Hopefully when the hard work of opening the cabins is done we can sneak into the mountains for a short hike and some wonderful views. At least I can walk for sunrise on the two mornings I’ll be there. My heart aches for the mountains in the summer. I spent many of my high school and college summers working in the mountains after going to them on family vacations since I was born. There is just something about the forbidding peaks, towering pine, fir and aspen trees, and colorful wildflowers that gets inside you and enchants you. I don’t spend much time in the mountains other than brief visits and these weekends opening and closing cabins, so I treasure every moment I can get. I know you may get the same thrill from seeing these wild places that I do.

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What have I been up to?

I had 10 senior facilities last week, and I enjoyed them all - especially the one I played outdoors on Mother’s Day. I played many songs for mothers during the week, and it was an honor to celebrate them.

My Wednesday online show was songs from 1966, and it was so much fun. There were just some wonderful songs from that year. We’ll do it again this week since there are so many we still haven’t gotten to.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and it was another good night of requests and favorites with many mother songs sung to honor mothers there too. Unfortunately my voice was really raspy and still is today. I don’t know if that’s an allergy from doing outside work over the weekend or if it’s just wear and tear. My voice is steadily getting rougher though, and that may ultimately be what gets me to slow down my performing so often.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 8 senior facilities this week, and I’ll probably start singing summer songs and even songs for Memorial Day. Although I like doing topical songs, I also like being able to range freely over lots of different genres and themes. These in-between weeks let me do that more.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be songs from 1966 one more time to feature some more songs from that memorable time. It was such a good era for music. Come on out if you enjoy some good energy and great tunes.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests, and since I’ll be coming back from the mountains I’ll have some deep energy and peace to make the songs that more vibrant. I’m sure I’ll be sore and somewhat exhausted, but the energy will bring me to life in a cool way. Come on out and join in the fun!

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What’s coming up?

I have several exciting gigs as the summer swings into gear. 

Next weekend on Saturday, the 23rd I’ll be playing in Westcliffe, Colorado, for their opening summer weekend of entertainment over Memorial Day weekend. I’m playing along Main Street in Jess Price Park from 1:15 to 3:15 after the parade. It should be a beautiful time in the mountains. The Sangre de Cristo Mountains above Westcliffe are some of the most beautiful ranges in all of Colorado, so you don’t want to miss this beautiful location with my music.

On the 30th 7-9 I’ll be playing an online Philmont concert on Facebook and my website to celebrate the return of staff to Philmont Scout Ranch for the summer season. If you’re Philmont alumni you’ll enjoy this show. It will air on my Tom Munch Philmont Songs Concert page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DbfDqjKHn/ and also on my online concert page on my website https://tommunch.com/online-concerts.

Then in June I start the weekly summer barbecue series at the Yellow Pine Guest Ranch on the 11th that goes through August 7th this year. I’ll post more as this approaches. 

I’ll also be at the Pueblo Riverwalk July 31st and playing dances at the Cuchara Recreation Building with my friend Dennis Mills July 18th and August 7th.

There’ll be more, I’m sure, so stay tuned!

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That’s it for this week. Other than voice getting rough this week and feeling the need for more time as yard work increases, life is going pretty well. I hope yours is too.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of songs from 1966

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

When:  Wednesday, May 13, 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, May 17, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Tools

I have been updating my tools lately for general maintenance around the house and our property. This is partially just general preparedness, but it’s also a promise to myself to be useful and to accomplish things into my retirement. I tend to think like this often in my life. I like to take deep dives into whatever my current interest is. I think of it as preparing for possibilities. If you never dream of what could be, then you never take a step outside of your surroundings and yourself. Having the tools is just part of this. I also have to blame it on the fact that I’m an Eagle Scout. That motto of “Be Prepared” stays with you throughout your life, let me tell you. Sometimes I do have to admit that on the mental side I’m not as prepared as I’d like to be. I feel this more as I age and can’t think as quickly on my feet as I used to. I’m contemplating the tools it takes to cure that. I guess it’s just taking the time to prepare. I don’t usually have that kind of time. Oh, well. We keep on keeping on! Having the tools to envision the things we want to get done is an important part of life.

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What have I been up to?

I had 7 senior facilities last week, and it was so good to be back to performing after having a week off being sick. I started playing Mother’s Day songs and also Spanish songs for Cinco de Mayo. One place even had a Kentucky Derby theme. Wasn’t the Derby race exciting this year? The winner came all the way from last place. I love playing for my seniors. 

My Wednesday online show was playing earth songs for Earth Day a week late. There are so many good songs for our Mother Earth. It was a wonderful show with lots of good vibes. 

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and it was a really good time with lots of great songs and camaraderie. I love these Sunday evenings!

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities this week, and I’m sure I’ll be singing more mother songs for Mother’s Day as well as Spanish songs for Cinco de Mayo. I even have a special outdoor Mother’s Day performance that I hope won’t be hampered by inclement weather.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be songs from 1966 again. This was such a good year for music, and I have a bunch more songs I can’t wait to play. Come on out if you love the Stones, the Beatles, Motown, Neil Diamond, Simon and Garfunkel, or so many others from that year. It’s going to be a blast!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and I’m sure there’ll be some new tunes as well as many old gems. Tune in and request anything you’d like to hear as well as joining in to the conversation in the comments. You know there’ll be some songs for Mather’s Day as well.

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That’s it for this week. It’s so nice to feel well again. I hope you are healthy and happy too. Happy Mother’s Day!

Best,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of songs from 1966

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

When:  Wednesday, May 6, 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, May 10, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Being Sick

Last week didn’t go as I had planned. Sunday I got progressively more symptoms of a cold - blowing my nose quite a bit and realizing that the sore throat I had for the previous few mornings was indeed leading to something. I slept okay Sunday night and walked Beau on Monday morning early, but when we got home from the walk I started to feel a little woozy like I did the last time I had Covid. So I cancelled my gigs and took a Covid test which was negative, and then I spent the day sleeping in hopes that I could head off whatever illness I was having. I’m sure that helped, but each day until Saturday I went through the progression of a cold with added wooziness and cancelling my gigs and morning walks. I was feeling much better on Friday, and Saturday I finally felt up to walking and doing normal things with some lingering congestion. That day was my 65th birthday, so I hated to miss taking a trip to the mountains for some yummy food and a little walk around our family cabins where we’re having some extensive tree thinning done for fire mitigation. So I experienced a week at home similar to the times of isolation during the pandemic except that I was laid up resting and trying to recover. That kind of slow pace is and reflection is not always a bad thing, but it does make you appreciate being healthy and able to do things at will. It also gave me a chance to look around the house and property to realize how much spring cleaning and maintenance I need to do. I have been seriously considering retirement - although for someone who works for himself it is more of a slowing down because I don’t think I could ever fully give up playing music. I’ll tell you that not playing for 6 days did soften my playing callouses on my fingertips though. When I do retire I’ll have to play almost every day to keep up my callouses and my chops. There is so much to do just to keep up the property and life in general. But being sick makes you contemplate a lot of things, and even though it wasn’t fun being down for a week, I’m better for it.

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What have I been up to?

Well, this is easy. Other than last Sunday’s online show I had the entire week off. So I missed 12 senior facilities and my Wednesday online show. There were a lot of faces I didn’t get to see and a lot of songs I didn’t get to do, and I really missed it all. If any of those folks are reading I’m so sorry to have not seen you and played for you. But I was able to play for my Sunday online show, and even though my fingers were sore and my voice was still a little raspy, the show went well with a lot of great songs and so many friends tuning in. It was a blast! We didn’t end up doing the show from Deann and Matt’s house since I was still recovering, so we’ll do a show there sometime soon.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 7 senior facilities this week, and I’ll be glad to be back out and singing. It’s time to start singing songs for moms and Mothers Day, so that’ll be part of the mix. I love these folks!

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be the earth songs I had planned to celebrate Earth Day last week. I hate to miss an opportunity to celebrate our planet and the wonderful lives we can have here. Come on out and celebrate Mother Earth!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and it should be a good one. I have a couple new songs to learn, and there are always great requests. You’re always welcome to join me.

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That’s it for this week. I’m so glad to be recovered and back among the hale and hearty. Never take your health for granted.

Best,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of songs about earth

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

When:  Wednesday, April 29, 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, May 3, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Earth Day

I’m doing songs for Earth Day this Wednesday, and I have thoughts about what this day has been and is today. In 1970 when Earth Day started the US was behind the environmental movement for the most part. President Nixon even signed an executive order to establish the Environmental Protection Agency the same year. The ecology flag was seen often, and in general we had a group understanding that the earth needed care and management to maintain the health of humanity and all the flora and fauna that make it all work together. I can remember when I worked at Philmont Scout Ranch in the late 1970s having what we called the Wilderness Pledge which stressed principles of conservation and respect for the land and water while leaving no trace of our passing. But eventually there was pushback from big money concerns who wanted less regulation and ways of operating more cheaply and with less regard for the environment. So it became less cool to care for the environment. In the late 1980s I helped teach courses on oil spill containment and cleanup where I was often teased for being a “tree hugger” by employees of oil companies who were required to have a certification in oil spill recovery. That was a long time ago now, and things have become very political around environmental concerns in the interim. I still care for the environment and this earth we call home although I’m sure I haven’t done enough to support progress on protecting it. I’m still taken by what Carl Sagan wrote when he saw the picture of earth taken from the Voyager 1 space probe. In the picture the earth is a tiny blue dot in a shaft of light. Carl wrote -

“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

“The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.

“Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.

“The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.

“It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.”

— Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 1994

And we just had a flyby of the moon by 4 astronauts aboard the Artemis 2 spacecraft where astronaut Christina Koch said - 

“The thing that changed for me, looking back at Earth, was that I found myself noticing not only the beauty of Earth, but how much blackness there was around it and how it just made it even more special. It truly emphasized how alike we are, how the same thing keeps every single person on planet Earth alive. We evolved on the same planet, and we have some shared things about how we love and live that are just universal. And the specialness and preciousness of that really is emphasized when you notice how much else there is around it.”

— Christina Koch, 2026

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What have I been up to?

Last week I had 11 senior facilities, but one had to cancel due to some technical difficulties. I played a variety of themes for all these places, and I think it went pretty well overall. I really do love playing for these folks.

My Wednesday online show was playing songs from 1966 - 60 years ago. It was loads of fun, and we will be revisiting more songs from 1966 next week. Everyone enjoyed it.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and there were so many great requests from so many good folks who tuned in. We are truly blessed.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 12 senior facilities this week, and I’m sure I’ll be playing some songs for Earth Day if my folks are up for them. I always go with the flow on these shows - making for requests and working with the audience.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be songs for Earth Day as I wrote above. There are a bunch of good songs about the earth, and I know this will be a really nice show. I’d love to have you in the audience if you want to celebrate the day with me.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be a special show from my good friend Deann and Matt’s house to celebrate birthdays of a couple of our folks. Deann always has some great ideas for the show, and she always does a great job picking favorites and being a marvelous host. Tune in if you can!

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That’s it for this week. I have put up Facebook events for most of my summer shows. If you’re on Facebook you can like the events to be reminded of them or you can always check them on my website calendar - tommunch.com/calendar. Summer is fast approaching! I hope you are healthy and happy.

Best,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of songs about earth

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

When:  Wednesday, April 22, 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 26, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

1966

My Wednesday online show this week will be music from 1966, and there are so many good songs I know from that year. I was only 5 years old, but with 4 siblings ranging from 10 to 17 and a wide variety on our local radio I heard most of what was popular. I was very fond of the Beatles and the Monkees as well The Mamas and the Papas and Simon and Garfunkel. There were a lot of one-hit wonders out there that we heard, and my brother was listening to a lot of R&B that gave us the opportunity to dance. I absorbed all of this including the Hit Parade music my dad was playing on the piano from his and my mom’s era. There was also so much going on in the country and the world. As in most eras the music really reflected the culture. Here are some of the events that year that you may remember.

First black student killed in civil rights movement

US troops in Vietnam total 250,000

John Lennon comments, "We're more popular than Jesus now.”

NASA programs accomplish astronauts working in earth orbit as well as unmanned spacecraft orbiting and landing on moon

March 26 Vietnam protests across country

“The Sound of Music” and “Doctor Zhivago” win Oscars

Martin Luther King Jr. makes his first public speech on the Vietnam War

Bob Dylan releases “Blonde on Blonde”

Sniper kills 13 people from University of Texas at Austin tower

Beatles play their last concert

An inventor writes a document that lays out the basic principles for creating a TV video game

Star Trek premieres

Ronald Reagan elected governor of California

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” airs for the first time

That’s quite a list, and I took out several more things that really rocked the world that year. When I went through the top 100 songs of the year I actually play over 50 of them. I don’t know how many years I could say that. That’s how much that year influenced my music. How about you? Do you remember the music of 1966 well?

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What have I been up to?

I had 9 senior facilities last week, and I played a variety of spring songs and songs from 1956 that I was doing for my Wednesday online show. I also did some moon songs to celebrate the Artemis 2 moon mission. It was a lot of fun, and the folks really enjoyed it too.

My Wednesday online show was doing the songs of 1956, and it was one of the more fun shows I’ve done. There was such a variety of tunes, and the audience really got into it.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and there were so many requests. I had a good crew with lots of interaction and good vibes. We did a few moon songs for this as well. 

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities this week, and I’m sure I’ll do some of the 1966 songs I’m doing for my Wednesday online show. I also always try to ask what the folks want to hear, and I go with the flow and make it an interesting and engaging show as much as I can for each place. I love these folks.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be the songs of 1966 as I wrote before. I have 83 songs in total from this year, so I know we’ll be doing at least 2 nights and probably 3  for this 1966 year. Come on out and see how many songs you remember well!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and I know it’ll be a great night with good folks. It always is. I’m blessed to have such kind and supportive people who come out on these evenings to listen and comment. Join us if you can!

——

That’s it for this week. The weather is so nice and it’s giving us lots of opportunity to work on the property and be outside. I love it!

Best always,

Tom

——

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of songs from 1966

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

When:  Wednesday, April 15, 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 19, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

1956

In keeping with my decade shows it’s time to do songs from 50, 60, and 70 years ago, starting with 1956. 1956 was a great year for music. Rock and Roll was in full swing with great hits like “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley, “Blue Suede Shoes” by Carl Perkins, and “Blueberry Hill” by Fats Domino. There were some more mellow songs too like “The Wayward Wind” by Gogi Grant, "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" by Doris Day, and "Memories Are Made of This" by Dean Martin. I know easily 30 songs from this year that I’ve played for years. It was also an interesting year for historical events. Here are a few from Wikipedia.

Southern congressmen reject desegregation

Videotape comes out

Grace Kelly becomes Princess of Monaco

Women become Methodist preachers

The Montgomery bus boycott happens

First snooze alarm clock invented

Marilyn Monroe marries Arthur Miller a week after he appears before the House Un-American Activities Committee

President Eisenhower starts interstate highways

A U-2 spy plane flies over Soviet Union

SS Andrea Doria sinks

“In God We Trust” becomes national motto

Hard disk is invented

Transatlantic cable opens

Cecil B. DeMille’s “Ten Commandments” comes out

The Soviet Union invades Hungary

‘Wizard of Oz’ is broadcast on TV for the first time

Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash) get together at Sun Studio for the first and last time in history

That’s quite a list of events that are still echoing throughout our world. It makes me feel like we’re not in quite as dramatic a time as we think in 2026. I love to dive into history to get a feel for what was going on when so many great tunes were being recorded and released. Nothing happens in a vacuum, and knowing what was going on in the minds of the songwriters and musicians of that year really connects me better to their songs. I’m trying to make an appropriate backdrop for the show and put myself in the right frame of mind to deliver these songs. It should be fun!

——

What have I been up to?

I had 10 senior facilities last week, and I played a mix of Easter, Spring, and fool songs for most of my folks. Everyone really seemed to enjoy it. I always say I love playing for this audience, and I really do.

My Wednesday online show was playing fool songs for April Fools’ Day, and it was a lot of fun picking out and singing songs that fit the theme. As I said last week, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being willing to be a fool for love or anything else that’s worthwhile.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and there were some really meaningful and great requests. I love playing these Sunday night shows.

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 9 senior facilities this week, and I’ll be playing spring, April, and 1956 songs for most of them. It’s such a joy to bring music to people that is uplifting and enjoyable.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be songs from 1956 as I wrote above. I expect this to be a night to remember with lots of great songs of the era. Come on out and celebrate the year with me!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and I have a couple new songs to learn as well. It’s always a joy to play and interact with such a great group of folks. I do a Zoom gathering a half hour before the show at 6:30 mountain time if you’d ever like to chat some. Here’s the meeting link - 

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/7759127796?pwd=MZ55WfXnEkOSi3bztfvmMlbe2oCpoN.1

Come on out!

——

That’s it for this week. Spring is really hitting our area now with things starting to bloom and the prairie greening up. I even saw baby great-horned owl known as an owlet yesterday. I hope you are healthy and happy.

Best always,

Tom

——

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of songs from 1956

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

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

Fools

Wednesday is April 1st and so April Fools’ Day, and I am going to do my online show that night with songs about fools. How to choose songs about fools is an interesting proposition, and I’ve had fun looking for songs that mention fools as well as contemplating what makes a song about a fool worthwhile. We tend to think of someone who is a fool as someone who is stupid and easily duped, but I’d like to turn that on its head a little bit. What if a fool is just someone who is wide-eyed and innocent and thus untarnished by the world and its cruelties? I even had one of my favorite fantasy book series by Robin Hobb called the “Realm of the Elderlings” that featured a character known as “The Fool” who was wiser than everyone else and who only played a court jester or fool to monitor and mentor another character who was going to change the world. Many of the songs I’m choosing feature someone who is a “fool for love” because they are so hopelessly in love that they will go to any level of commitment and embarrassment to show their love. Is that so bad? I think this extends to being a fool for other ideas as well. Sometimes being open to what are considered foolish ideas have opened scientists and great thinkers to discovering truths about our existence that have changed our world. My point is just that we may consider that being a fool for worthy pursuits is not necessarily a bad thing. I think that April Fools’ Day has always been about fooling someone with an outlandish idea or statement to see how gullible they are. Maybe being a little gullible is okay sometimes. Maybe we could use a little more of that in our jaundiced world.

—-

What have I been up to?

Last week I had 10 senior facilities, and I mostly sang spring songs or the CCR songs that I was singing for my Wednesday online show. I try to sing songs about whatever is currently going on, but I’m always willing to take a detour for whatever the folks I’m playing for would like to hear. Being flexible and caring is always a good thing. I love these folks!

My Wednesday online show was CCR songs as I mentioned in the previous paragraph, and it was so much fun learning more CCR songs for this show and connecting with the energy that this band put out. The ‘60s affected me in central Nebraska in my childhood in a different way than it affected a lot of people around the country and the world, and I get a real kick out experiencing that time though different eyes and ears. I know the folks in the audience really enjoyed it too.

My Sunday online show was doing favorites and requests, and there were some wonderful requests. I also did several Seals and Crofts songs to honor Dash Crofts at his passing as well as “Wild Thing” by Chip Taylor who also passed this past week. It was a fun show that I think everyone really enjoyed.

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 8 senior facilities this week, and I will do mostly spring songs and a few songs about Easter if the folks want to hear them. It should be a good week as we head into April.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be songs about fools as I wrote above. This will be an interesting exploration of songs about fools. There are so many fun and curious songs about fools, and I think the audience will really like these as well as having a few good requests too. Come on out and join in if this sounds good to you.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. These nights turn into a fine time of sharing camaraderie and good music, and I’d love to have you join in.

——

That’s it for this week. I can’t believe it will be April this week already. The year is flying by, and there is so much angst in the world over all the war and troubles that make me really feel for everyone. I hope you are coping in a good way and taking care of yourself and those you love. 

Best always,

Tom

——

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of songs about fools

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

When:  Wednesday, April 1, 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 5, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

I try to make my emails interesting and informative, but if you ever want to be removed from my mailing list, just reply and ask to be removed - no offense.

Be Prepared

In my life I’ve always been told to be prepared. I’m thinking about this now especially with wildfires in our area. I don’t remember if my folks instilled this in me, but I definitely got it from being in the Boy Scouts with their motto of “Be Prepared”.  As a result I’ve often taken this to heart in an obsessive manner. This isn’t all bad in that it’s allowed me get out of trouble and to help others when they’ve needed assistance. I know that obsession can be taken too far, but a little of that along with compartmentalization can also be a good way to cope when you get overwhelmed. At the best it becomes a way to avoid worrying because you’ve already planned ahead and have contingencies for different scenarios. I tend to live my life this way. I really like to be carefree, and thinking ahead and having a few tools at hand makes this easier. Many times my preparedness has been in reaction to a fix I’ve put myself in or have read about. When I read about a family who got in trouble in the mountains of California in the winter several years ago it made me create emergency bags for our vehicles. When I’ve realized I didn’t have a spare cord handy when one failed on me at a gig I made a bag with spare gear. When I realized I was often forgetting things I needed on a trip or on the go I created lists for different occasions that I could keep handy and modify as needed. I even have bags with what I need for different situations ready to go for many. All these things were on that fine line between obsession and normalcy. I must admit I also have kind of a gear fetish where I appreciate things that are useful and well-designed for their purpose. There is also that fidget factor that’s fun in some items. But back to the main topic, being prepared is usually a good thing. Would I love to be in a life where I never had to be prepared? You bet I would! But I’ve learned to have a peaceful life by being prepped as much as I can, and I like that too!

——

What have I been up to?

I had 14 senior facilities last week, and the one that had been isolating their residents with a respiratory breakout was able to have activities again. I mostly played Irish songs with St. Patrick’s Day and beyond. It was a fine week of tunes with a lot of joy and participation.

My Wednesday online show was doing spring songs, and it was a wonderful night celebrating the change of seasons with lots of good folks tuning in. I love playing these online shows.

My Sunday online show was playing favorites and requests, and there were some really good ones. It’s always a mix of old and new, and everyone seemed to have a fine time.

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities this week, and I’ll be mostly playing spring songs to put everyone in the wonder of this season as everything greens up again and the cycle starts once again. It’s an uplifting time of year.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be playing songs from CCR - Creedence Clearwater Revival. I am surprised I haven’t done a night of their songs before. John Fogerty has been touring with his sons in his band lately playing many CCR songs on the road, and he has also recently recorded his own versions of some of these classics. It’s inspiring to see him still playing almost 60 years later, and he sounds great! Come on out and celebrate him and CCR.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as usual, and these show are always exciting with great folks and great tunes. Please tune in if you can.

——

That’s it for this week. I’m always left a little at sea after concluding a season of high-energy songs like St. Patrick’s Day brings with so many great Irish tunes. But spring is so invigorating, so I’ll bounce right back with the same enthusiasm. I hope you are healthy and happy.

Best always,

Tom

——

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of CCR songs

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

When:  Wednesday, March 25, 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, March 29, 7-8:45 pm mountain time