15 Minutes

I thought I’d write today about getting your 15 minutes of fame. We’re doing songs that were one hit wonders from the 60s on my Thursday show - songs that gave a lot of folks 15 minutes of fame or more when they got one song on the charts over 50 years ago. A lot of these songs are very well-known, and I’m sure it was more than exciting for these performers to get on radio and TV and make some kind of mark that they either hoped would launch their careers or else be a high point in their lives. Of course the 60s didn’t have as many barriers to entry in the music business as there would be later, and there were still small record labels and record pressing companies where a local band or singer could cut a record and get it played on the radio. It was an exciting time. And we all like a little recognition now and then even though it’s a lot easier to see your name in print on the internet nowadays. I’m sure you may have gotten into the newspaper or on TV at some point in your life. I’ve had more than my share of recognition as part of my job, but I still am thrilled when I’m rewarded with a little spotlight for doing good work. So here’s to the one hit wonders and the excitement that comes from a little fame. May we all have some!

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What have I been up to?

My senior facilities went very well last week, and there weren’t any cancellations for COVID. I always say it, but the joy that comes out of these gigs is more than I can express - for me and the audience.

My Thursday online show with songs about time was great fun. The variety of songs that we came up with was so entertaining and broad. We’ll have to do it again.

My Sunday online show of favorites was very nice too. Other than glitchy problems with the Facebook feed for some, the night was full of great songs and kind comments.

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What am I up to this week?

I have nine senior facilities this week to play for, and I’m looking forward to all the familiar faces and great songs we’ll share.

My Thursday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be 60s one hit wonders as I mentioned above. We have a growing list of really fun and recognizable songs that everyone should enjoy. Come on out if you can!

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be the favorites and requests we love so much.  This group continues to be so supportive of each other and of the music, and it’s a joy to be a part of. Please tune in if you’re available.

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That’s it for this week. I’m still thinking about the topic of fame and what it has meant to me and those around me. It’s a strange thing, but it is endlessly engaging to be involved with.

Best always,

Tom

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Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of one hit wonders from the 1960s

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

When:  Thursday, March 31, 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, April 4, 7-8:30 pm mountain time

Time

I’m thinking about time this week since my theme for my show on Thursday is time. Of course, it’s a tough thing to talk about or choose songs about it because it’s relative. I mean, without a clock do we even know what time is? I have often gotten lost in the moment and realized I spent 10 minutes when I thought it was just a minute or two. And sometimes time drags when you’re bored. As a musician, time is critically important to how rhythm and melody fit together, and being just ahead or just behind the timing of a beat can make all the difference to the style of music. And for the purpose of the songs for Thursday I’m happy if the word “time” appears in the title or somewhere in the song. It will be an interesting adventure, and I’m looking forward to what people request and how the show progresses. And getting into the more ethereal realm, some scientists and spiritualists say that time is only a concept that we track because we experience our world in a linear fashion. In truth, they say that all of time just “is” and that we are moving through it. That blows my mind. I hope that someday science or what lies beyond will help it all make sense.

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What have I been up to?

I only had one senior facility cancel last week, and at least this time it was for a power outage and not COVID. I so enjoy playing for these folks, and even my accountant this morning told me how much the folks appreciate it and how much good it does for them.

My Thursday online show doing Irish tunes was so much fun. There is just so much energy and vitality in Irish music. The group really loved it too. I’m just sorry that there is a limited time each year when folks want to hear Irish songs. I’ll try to sneak some in occasionally throughout the year.

My concert Saturday at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence went really well. The Celtic dancers were marvelous as always, and it was a packed house with many familiar faces. I forget how much I like to be in a concert situation in a nice venue, but the adrenaline really flows and everything comes together at a show like this.

My Sunday online show of favorites was great fun too. We have some new names and faces lately that have really added to the spirit of the evening. Unfortunately we still have technical glitches for some folks on the stream, but hopefully that will all work out. I asked folks if they’d like to try doing concerts on Zoom, but most are happy with Facebook or my website now. My friend Gil Trujillo even gave me a dandy Irish cap on Sunday that I love and wore on the show. Thanks again, Gil! You can see it in the Sunday video on my website - tommunch.com/online-concerts. 

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What am I up to this week?

I have eight senior facilities this week, and I’m debating whether to keep doing Irish tunes for some of them and playing my Irish guitar. Whatever I do will be well-received I’m sure.

My Thursday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be doing songs about time as I mentioned above. I have some neat ideas and some great requests so far. It promises to be exciting, so come out and see where it leads. And throw me some requests if you like.

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. We’ve had more people on lately, and I’m curious how it will go forward if we continue to have less COVID cases and people are out and about more. I really like doing online concerts for the interaction and also the simplicity and quality of the sound. It allows me to play different instruments that I wouldn’t normally travel to a gig with too. Come out if you can!

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That’s it for this week. I’m still thinking about time and going down the rabbit hole in my mind of what time really is and whether it exists as we know it. Heady stuff!

Have a great week!

Tom

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Who:  Tom Munch 

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

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

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

Irish

It’s the week of St Patrick’s Day and also 2 years since I cancelled everything for COVID. It puts me in mind of the Irish and some of the hardships they faced. The main incident to come to mind is the potato famine of the 1840s. The blight that struck the monoculture of potatoes in Ireland did so much damage to the Irish. Millions of people died or left Ireland during the period of 1845 to 1852. My Irish ancestors had already left for America, fortunately, or I may not be here today. I’m sure that the depth of feeling in much Irish music and lore is a direct result of the hardships these people faced during this time and during other times of oppression. I feel this depth of spirit when I perform Irish songs, and it fills me with a passion that is hard to explain. From the hard-drinking songs to the beautiful ballads there is so much great expression! And it brings the same comfort to us during COVID as it did to the Irish during their hard times. These last two years have been tough, but we’ll get through together, just as the Irish did. 

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What have I been up to?

None of my senior facilities had to cancel last week which is a blessing. I was playing a lot of Irish tunes, and I know they enjoyed much of it.

My Thursday online show was doing cover songs from my albums, and it was a sweet evening of old favorites for me. Many people said it was one of their favorite shows I’ve done.

My Sunday online show was also quite enjoyable. My audience is so supportive, and the give-and-take made it all worthwhile.

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What am I up to this week?

I have eleven senior facilities this week - one of which I played this morning which is why I’m late getting my mailer out today. Well, that and the fact that the thermostat went out for the heater, and Jen I woke up to an 88-degree house at 3 am. A quick trip to Walmart at 6 am yielded a thermostat which I had installed by 7 am. Thanks,  Dad, for teaching me to be handy. I’m looking forward to playing the senior facilities and spreading some Irish cheer.

My Thursday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be featuring Irish music - especially since it falls on St Patrick’s Day! It’ll be a fun night of the best Irish songs I know. Come on out and get in the spirit.

Saturday 7-9 I’m playing the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence for their Celtic night. This was the last concert I played two years ago when everything shut down for COVID, and it was the impetus for my blog above. The show starts with Celtic dancers doing step dances in colorful costumes for the first hour, and then I’ll entertain with Irish pub songs and sing-along favorites for the second hour. It’s always a blast, and I’ll hope you’ll consider coming. Tickets are just $10 at the door for a wonderful night.

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be doing the favorites and requests that everyone enjoys so much. We have such a great group of folks. I know I always say that, but it is so true! Come on out for an evening of music and friendship.

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That’s it for this week. It’s time to run to another Irish show right now!

Best always,

Tom

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Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Irish songs

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

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

Who: Tom Munch

What: playing for a Celtic Concert in Florence, CO

Where: Bell Tower Cultural Center, 201 East Second Street, 719-784-2038

When: Saturday, March 19, 7-9 pm

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 20, 7-8:30 pm mountain time

Heart Songs

This Thursday I’m featuring favorite songs from my albums - what I used to call “heart” songs. My musical history has been interesting. I started out in the ‘60s and ‘70s listening to whatever was on the radio like most of us do, I suspect. When I started playing songs myself on the ukulele and eventually the guitar I tended towards more acoustic folksy tunes - partly because I was playing an acoustic guitar and not an electric guitar, but also because I was drawn to popular folk-rock musicians like John Denver and Michael Martin Murphey. I eventually got electric guitars and played in rock and roll bands, but I never really learned all the tricks of getting a great rock or blues tone with all the assorted amps and pedals. I was still drawn to the pure, woody sound of acoustic instruments and the music they were more associated with. By the time I got to the late ‘80s and early ‘90s I was specializing my interests as radio and the music industry was starting to develop more niches and categories of music. My draw was in the acoustic singer-songwriter vein since that was kind of literary and reflected more of how I fancied my music. I learned and eventually recorded many of these songs that I loved on the albums that I released in the late ‘90s and into the new century. I have performed these songs while promoting my albums a lot over the years, but since the pandemic started I haven’t had a chance to play them much at all, and I really miss them. So this Thursday I’ll  do a show that’s dedicated to these wonderful gems and old friends that are part of my life. Sometimes it’s fun to come home!

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What have I been up to?

My senior facilities went very well last week. Hallelujah, I didn’t have any cancellations! Maybe we’re coming out of this long COVID tunnel? We did Mardi Gras songs and started the Irish celebration for St. Patrick’s Day.

My Thursday show was doing colors songs. There were a lot of sweet songs about rainbows and individual colors from all over the spectrum. It was a blast!

My Sunday show was doing favorites and requests as always. We did a brief Zoom before the show which was a lot of fun! We’ll do more of these in the future. Watch this space and the Munch Bunch Facebook Group for dates and times.

The Munch Bunch Facebook Group had quite bit of activity. I don’t really know where this Group will go, but right now it has been rewarding getting people together on this page. We created a map of where people are watching the online concerts from. We also created threads about how people met me and each other and what their stories are and what instruments they play. I encourage you to get on if you’re on Facebook and join in the camaraderie. There are some amazing people in our Group.

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What am I up to this week?

I have nine senior facilities scheduled this week. Hopefully they will all go well with no cancellations for weather with snow coming in or COVID with the cases dropping here.

My Thursday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be the above-mentioned favorite songs from my albums. There are so many really wonderful songs that I’ve had the opportunity to play and record, and many of them are not that familiar to my audience. This will be a chance to bring these out in the light once again. Come tune in and rediscover these bright spots!

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. I look forward to these shows, and I work most of the day on Sunday and often part of the day on Saturday putting together the music and rehearsing the songs. I make a playlist from new requests and also previous requests for our regular attendees although I also take spontaneous requests for the audience if I know the songs. Please tune in if you can.

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That’s all for this week. I’m really looking forward to this Thursday’s show, and don’t forget that I’ll be playing a concert of Irish music at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence, CO, at 7:00 pm on March 19th. Details are at http://www.florenceartscouncil.com/concerts.html.

Best always,

Tom

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Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of songs from my albums

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

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