Group Success

Well, I started the Facebook Group last week that I wrote about, and so far I think it has been successful at giving folks a place (a clubhouse as Bob Deskin calls it) to chat and share ideas. I’m not good at tending this kind of garden, but I’ll do my best with the help of the group. So far we’ve shared some great ideas for Thursday-night themes such as this Thursday that Connie Godfrey suggested doing songs with different colors in the name or song. That should be fun. I need to make a good list although Connie already gave me a lot of songs to put on it. We also made a map where you can see most of the members of the group and other regulars who’ve frequented the shows. It’s a pretty wide-spread group of people, although there aren’t as many from the West as I had thought. That may be because my show starts too early for those folks to get on. We also started a thread where people can say how we met. This will really help my old brain remember how I met some folks, and it will also foster some wonderful memories. We also tried to do a Facebook Room which is like a Zoom call. It wasn’t very successful, unfortunately. There were a bunch of technical glitches that kept people from signing on. I think you have to have the Facebook Messenger app installed on your device or computer, and even then we had people not able to get on. I even had trouble starting the Room. Hopefully we can work out the bugs because it was fun to see the half-dozen people we were able to see. So overall the Facebook Group will be a big help to furthering the goodwill that we’ve created so far and will hopefully continue to enjoy. I’m so blessed to have such wonderful folks around me. We’ll come up with more ideas as we move along. Here’s the link if you’d like to check it out. www.facebook.com/groups/398664345396960/

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What have I been up to?

My senior facilities last week went very well although again I had one have to cancel for COVID. I know we just reduced the masking recommendations across the nation, but in the facilities it’s just as cautious as ever. There are still so many cases, and we need to protect our elderly and immunocompromised folks.

My Thursday online show of Mardi Gras songs was a blast. There are so many fun songs for Mardi Gras! I think everyone had a good time, and I picked up a few new tunes too.

My Sunday show had the biggest group in recent memory, and there were some wonderful new tunes and old favorites. I have to think that having the new Facebook Group put some energy into the evening. I really love playing for these folks!

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What am I up to this week?

I have just six senior facilities this week which is my current normal schedule for the first week of the month. Tomorrow is Mardi Gras, and I’ll do two parties with beads and all the good songs.

My Thursday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be the above-mentioned colors songs. You can probably name a dozen songs with colors in the title or the song, so there will be plenty of fun and sweet songs both to sing and enjoy. Come on by if you can!

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. We have such a good time at these shows although I’m often really stressed before the show - hoping I’ll remember the songs I just learned as requests. You’re always welcome, and I love doing these.

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That’s all for the week. I do have an in-person show on the 19th at the Bell Tower Culture Center in Florence, Colorado, for St. Patrick’s Day. There’ll be Celtic dancers ahead of me at 7:00, and I’ll go on at 8:00 with fun Irish tunes and even some sing-alongs if people are up for it. I’m glad they reduced the masking recommendations before this show as I was a little concerned about being part of it. There are more details about the show at http://www.florenceartscouncil.com/concerts.html.

Be well,

Tom

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Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of colors songs 

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

When:  Thursday, March 3, 7-8:30 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 6, 7-8:30 pm mountain time

“Munch Bunch” Facebook Group

The group that has gathered with me on Facebook and my website around the online concerts has been such a genuine and caring group of folks, so last night on the concert I asked the group if they’d like a Facebook Group dedicated to our “Munch Bunch”. The overwhelming consensus was “Yes!”, so last night I started a Facebook Group called “Tom Munch Concert “Munch Bunch” Group”. I know that this excludes those of you who aren’t on Facebook, and I may find another place to do this in the future, but for now it gives me a place to ask the group about themes, and for the group to post requests and comments outside of the concerts. I’ve already posted some pictures of our gatherings and asked a couple questions about themes and possible Facebook Room “Zoom” calls. Please feel free to utilize the Facebook Group to start conversations and share ideas and life events in our group of friends. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. I’ve had a Facebook Group for my Philmont concerts for a year or so. The Philmont Facebook Group is private by approval only, but the “Munch Bunch” Facebook Group is public so anyone can join. Of course as the administrator I can control that if we need to, but we have such a sweet group of folks that I don’t foresee this in any way. So thank you for being so supportive of me and each other, and hopefully this Facebook Group page can help drive us to new heights of togetherness.

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What have I been up to?

I had one senior facility that had to cancel for COVID last week. CDPHE (Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment) says we are definitely on the backside of this current surge, but it’s still affecting vulnerable people, and that’s definitely where the senior facilities fit in. I’m doing Rapid tests at quite a few facilities every time I go in. The other facilities were very enjoyable if cautious. Being Valentine’s Day week I did a lot of love songs.

My Thursday online show was my own original songs again, and there were requests and songs from all over my writings including my very first album in 1983. You can’t know how honored I am to have people like my songs - especially the ones I wrote when I was in high school.

My Sunday online show was a blast too including several new-to-me songs and a lot of interaction. I’m blessed to have such a fine group of folks.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities scheduled this week. I think I’ll be doing some Mardi Gras songs in anticipation of Mardi Gras next week as well as other favorites. These shows are about as diverse as I can get with standards running back to the ‘20s, rock and roll from the ‘50s, and lots of country western from all eras. I love them all!

My Thursday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be doing Mardi Gras songs again to honor the “Who Dat” celebration in New Orleans next Tuesday. I have a bunch of Mardi Gras, Cajun, and New Orleans tunes that I love to play, and this will be a rousing party of joy. Please tune in if you can. We’re even having Cajun food twice this next week to get in the spirit. I love a good gumbo with some fiery spices!

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. I’m hoping the new Facebook Group will make it easier for folks to make requests and interact with me and each other. We may even do a Facebook Room “Zoom” call if everyone is up for it a half hour before the show. Come on out!

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That’s it for this week. I hope you are well and reasonably happy even with all that is going on in the world. It has been a tough time, but I feel there has been significant growth in many of us as well. I appreciate you and all you give to this life. Hope to see you soon!

Tom

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Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Mardi Gras songs 

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

When:  Thursday, February 24, 7-8:30 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, February 27, 7-8:30 pm mountain time

Songwriting

I’m doing original songs on my Thursday online show, and I was thinking about songwriting this morning. I don’t write songs on a regular basis although I’ve had periods in my life where I’ve done a lot of writing. Songwriting doesn’t have one established path. Some writers have a lot of musical or literary training, and some are completely intuitive. My favorite writing that I have done and that I’ve heard from others has been the songs that came “all-at-once” from inspiration or even from a dream. I’ve listened to or read interviews with many great songwriters from Paul McCartney to Sting to Rodgers and Hammerstein, and even though they all say that you have to really work at it, they also say that there is a certain element of mystery and magic that really makes them hear great songs. Many times they say how they just captured a song as it moved through their consciousness. I love that! Of course there are also songs that writers work over for months or years until they are proud of them. In my experience these songs never feel “of-a-piece” or flow without rough spots. That’s my complaint with many commercial songs. They feel contrived and without spirit. But that’s the great thing about songwriting - there are all kinds of songs and all kinds of approaches, and they are all there to listen to and appreciate in one way or another. So here’s to songwriting and creative pursuits. May we all cherish them and try our hand at them too.

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What have I been up to?

I did have one senior facility cancel for COVID last week. This has been such a hard time on these folks. The rest of the homes were very enjoyable, and I love getting to make their day a little better (hopefully) for everyone I get to play for.

My Thursday show doing love songs was great fun! We did songs from all over the board, and the support that this group gives to each other is phenomenal. It was a joy!

My Sunday show doing favorites against the Super Bowl went better than I expected. I never know if I should do a show on Super Bowl Sunday, but my group of folks is so loyal and so enjoy each other’s company that they want to get together even if they have a second screen going with the game.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities scheduled for this week. I’m looking forward to them - especially today when I get to do more love songs for Valentine’s Day.

My Thursday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be featuring my own original songs as I wrote about above. I’m so blessed to have an audience that wants to hear what I’ve written. I don’t have anything new since the last original show I’ve done, but I still may have some surprises up my sleeve.

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be the favorites and requests that we always enjoy. If you have anything you’d like to hear please let me know and I’ll try to work them in. These are aways so worthwhile.

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That’s it for this week. I hope you’re having a sweet Valentine’s Day, and I hope to see you either online or in person soon.

Best always,

Tom

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Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of original songs 

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

When:  Thursday, February 17, 7-8:30 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, February 20, 7-8:30 pm mountain time

All You Need

I know I’m a week early, but my Thursday show theme is ‘love’ for Valentine’s Day, so I’m going to write about romantic love today. Love is such an interesting thing. We seem to have an intuitive understanding of love, and yet it is sure confusing when we’re young. I can remember having my first crush in second grade on a neighbor girl. All I knew was that she was really cute, and I got funny feelings when I was hiding with her during Hide-and-Seek with the other neighbor kids. Then of course there were girls throughout school including a more serious relationship in high school. (Didn’t we all have those?) I can’t say I really knew what love was in those years although I was learning. I had trust issues, and I could be manipulative at times. I had several other girlfriends before I finally met my wife Jennifer. Along the way I figured out more about what romantic love really is. Most of us really don’t understand that it involves dedication and hard work as well as time to grow together. But it’s not drudgery. It’s actually joyful and very satisfying once you figure it out. At 60 I still am not sure I’ve completely figured it out though. Jennifer and I have been through a lot of things in our 31 years of married life that have created a very deep love and understanding between us. Hold on, in writing these thoughts I realize that my blog title doesn’t go with romantic love. It’s referring to the song by John Lennon “All You Need Is Love” which is more about love in the world as a general thing. The song is so hopeful and uplifting. I wrote a couple years ago about how I think of love as a force in the universe akin to gravity or quantum attraction. That is so ethereal that it is too hard to theorize about it though other than to say it is more than a feeling although it starts as that. I feel love almost as a meditation and a prayer to and for other people. And so I hope you can feel love as we approach Valentine’s Day either romantically or generally. Life is full of love!

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What have I been up to?

I only had one senior facility last week that had to cancel due to COVID. Actually I just did an online Zoom show for a few residents who they could gather as well as so they could have a recording to show residents during the rest of the month. My other facilities were wonderful in person as always. 

My Thursday show doing new-to-me songs from the last two years was a joy. I have come across such beautiful and fun songs over the last two years, and I really enjoyed brushing up on them and playing them for our fine group of friends. 

My Sunday show went up against the Olympics, so we had a few less folks tuning in. It was a sweet show with some really nice new songs that I truly like. 

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What am I up to this week?

I have eight senior facilities this week barring any COVID cancellations, and I’ll do as many love songs as I can to celebrate Valentine’s Day. 

My Thursday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be featuring love songs as I talked about above. I know this is a rough time for those who have lost loved ones, but I know my group will be very supportive of everyone as we share songs and memories. Come on out and feel the love. 

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. I always hesitate to go up against the Super Bowl, but there are a lot of folks who don’t watch or want to be with our group, so I’m sure we’ll have a good turnout. I like to watch, but sometimes the best part is the commercials, and I can always watch those later. Come on out if you’d like a little music and friendship. 

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That’s it for this week. Hope you have a good week, and I hope to see you soon. 

Best always,

Tom

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Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of love songs 

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

When:  Thursday, February 10, 7-8:30 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, February 13, 7-8:30 pm mountain time