John Prine Subtle Wisdom

I’m doing the music of John Prine for my Wednesday show this week. I also did his music two years ago after he passed in April of that year from COVID. I’m partially doing his music because it was requested, but I’m also doing it because I have so much respect for his writing and want to honor his memory and spread his tunes. John had what I am calling “subtle wisdom”. His songs would seem to be light and even silly sometimes, but he’d slip in a little gem of wisdom at the right moment. He even wrote a song once as a complete lark, and listeners still perceived a subtle message that couldn’t be denied. It’s kind of amazing, and it’s something I’ve never been able to even approach with my writing. It eluded me so much that I even discounted some of his music without understanding his true genius. I came around though - luckily before he died, and I sing his praises and his music. So Wednesday I’ll play and sing his deceptively simple songs, and I encourage you to tune in and pick up on his subtle wisdom. 

——

What have I been up to?

My senior facilities were very enjoyable last week, and fortunately none of them had to be canceled for COVID. 

My Wednesday online show last week was requests and favorites so that we could do a Halloween theme on Sunday - closer to Halloween. It was a good group with some great requests!

My Sunday show doing Halloween songs was so much fun. I did several green screen tricks that included flames in guitars and a cape that left only my head floating on the screen. The songs were great too including a new one called “John’s Garden” by Peter Mayer about pumpkins finding out that they were to become jack o’lanterns. 

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 8 senior facilities this week, and it’ll be time to shift gears away from Halloween after my shows today. It’s always interesting to go with the flow with the folks at these places!

My Wednesday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be doing John Prine songs as I mentioned above. I’m really looking forward to it, and I hope you’ll tune in!

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be back to favorites and requests. These are always such a whirlwind of good feelings and good tunes. Come on out if you can!

——

That’s it for this week. The holidays will be here before you know it.

Best always,

Tom

——

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of John Prine songs

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

When:  Wednesday, November 2, 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, November 6, 7-8:30 pm mountain time

Music Changing

I’ve been thinking a lot about what music is and what it was and what it will be. As you can guess, I still think of music as one person with an instrument or a group of people with instruments playing and/or singing. I think this goes into the “what it was” category. That is the purest form to me, and it was obvious during the pandemic when a lot of musicians took to performing on the internet that this is not as natural as it once was. Today’s music is often very much created from sampled instruments on a computer - particularly drums and keyboard sounds. Vocals are often so altered with computer effects that they aren’t very close to one person singing in a room. I don’t think that’s bad, it’s just not what I prefer. Of course there are some people like me who do it more in the old way in some genres, but in popular music it’s mostly not done this was anymore. With the advent of artificial intelligence it’s possible that what music will be may be an AI coming up with all the sounds and vocalization with just a little human input. And it may be pretty good at it too. It’s all about what reaches you and entertains you, I suppose. I tend to think of music as something that has an unknowable and almost spiritual aspect to it, and I think that is still true, but ultimately I guess it is just a way for us connect to each other and to our environment. At the very least it’s fun to see where it is and to speculate on what it will become. I’m out of the loop enough that I just marvel at what can be done today, and then I pick up my guitar and just play.

——

What have I been up to?

I had 11 senior facilities last week, but one had to cancel due to COVID outbreak. I have heard now that everyone at that facility is almost back to normal, and that it wasn’t too bad an infection. That’s good.

My Wednesday online show doing birth-year songs for a second show was even more fun than the first show last week. I’m amazed at how many memories and good vibes come up when we explore these songs from even before our childhood. We have enough to do it again at some point, and I’m sure we will.

My Sunday online show doing favorites and requests was great fun as well. We had a big group and some wonderful requests. I love these evenings we share!

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities this week, and I’m looking forward to them as always. I’ve been doing Halloween songs which is a blast, and I’m even playing a Halloween party Friday evening.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:30 mountain time this week will be favorites and requests so that we can do a Halloween theme show on Sunday since it’s closer to Halloween. I’m curious if this will throw me or the audience off any. Come on out and see!

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be doing Halloween songs as I mentioned above. I have gathered so many great songs for Halloween over the years, and I’m really looking forward to playing them for the group. Come on out if you’d like a little fun and spookiness.

——

That’s it for this week. I mentioned my upcoming Christmas shows last week - December 10 at 7:00 at the Mercantile in La Veta and December 17 at 7:00 at the Bell Tower in Florence. There was some confusion over the date at the Mercantile in La Veta, but that’s been straightened out now, and I will be there on the 10th.

Best always,

Tom

——

Details this week:

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:  Wednesday, October 26, 7-8:30 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Halloween songs

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

When:  Sunday, October 30, 7-8:30 pm mountain time 

First Freeze

In the land of four seasons we gauge the fall by the coming of the first freeze. We haven’t had ours yet although they said we would be close last night. This is preceded by a flurry of draining outside sprinklers and drip and putting away filters and hoses. I had to fix the same section of sprinkler system for the third time yesterday, and I know it will be a matter of days before it’s abandoned for the winter. This also means that long underwear is in rotation now. I have a love affair with merino wool that coats me from head to toe all winter long. I usually only need it for morning walks and full days in the house where we keep the temperature pretty low. Silk long underwear is a luxury that I sometimes enjoy too. It can take the chill off when wearing the lighter shirts and pants that I favor. Heck, I even wear a wool cap and light puffy coat in the evenings in the house when I want to be cozy on the couch. It’s time to stock up on hot chocolate and postum and put out the warm throws. This change is welcomed although I love warmer weather too. I think it’s good to let ourselves enjoy changes in life. It keeps things interesting, and it marks the time with new stimulation and defined chapters. How about you?

——

What have I been up to?

I had 8 senior facilities last week although I did have to cancel one so we could take our cat Tuzi to the vet that morning. She’s okay although we were a little worried that morning when she seemed ill.

My Wednesday online show of birth-year songs went so well that we’re doing the theme again this Wednesday. More on that below.

My Saturday online show doing Philmont songs for friends who worked at that wonderful place went really well too with lots of familiar names with songs and memories to match. I’m glad my family got hooked up with Philmont over 50 years ago. It’s a meaningful place.

My Sunday online show of favorites and requests went very well too. I sometimes stress myself out before this show when I’m worried that I won’t be able to pull off a request for someone that I’ve been working on, but it always turns out to be a fine time. I should learn from that!

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 11 senior facilities this week, and I’m looking forward to every one as always. I’m doing fun and spooky Halloween songs as much as I can which is a hoot!

My Wednesday online show 7-8:30 mountain time is doing birth-year songs again by popular demand. These songs are so much fun, and it’s so cool to put ourselves back in time to what was happening in the world when each of us were born. Come join in if you can, and send me a favorite song from the year you were born.

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. I remarked last Sunday at how we had been doing these shows at least weekly since the start of the pandemic, and it was amazing all the changes in our lives that all of us had been through. We all agreed that this little community centered around music and friendship has been a blessing in our lives. Come join in if you can!

——

That’s it for this week. If you’re making plans for the future, I’m doing Christmas shows in December at a couple places - December 10 at 7:00 at the Mercantile in La Veta and December 17 at 7:00 at the Bell Tower in Florence. I’ll be posting details and making Facebook events shortly.

Take care and be good,

Tom

——

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of birth-year songs

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

When:  Wednesday, October 19, 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, October 23, 7-8:30 pm mountain time

Birth-Year Songs

This Wednesday I’m doing requests for people from the year they were born. It’s a fun idea from one of the Munch Bunch folks - Rosemarie Vest. It’s neat because it sparks memories that weren’t necessarily from each person’s memory, but from the culture at large when they were born. For me the song “Runaway” by Del Shannon came out the day before I was born, and the song “Travelin’ Man” by Ricky Nelson came out 6 days after my birth. That speaks volumes to me of the time after the birth of rock and roll but before the British Invasion when I was born. Songs were a little softer and still a bit more innocent than they would soon become. The requests I’ve gotten so far range from 1943 to 1966, and that shows you a little of what my audience demographic is. It is kind of interesting how the songs of each year hint at what was going on in the world. Popular songs influence the culture and are in turn influenced by that same culture. Obviously there were other niches in the culture in the year each of us were born that were represented by other genres than pop music. Loretta Lynn’s passing reminds us of how her music reflected the times with her bold women’s issues in country music. I really find it fascinating, and it’s even more fascinating looking at the songs each person picks as favorites from the year they were born. So Wednesday will be an exploration of all of this, and it has put me in a great frame of mind to start the week! Do you have a favorite song or songs from the year you were born?

——

What have I been up to?

I had 6 senior facilities last week, and they were all wonderful. I say it often, but it is so fulfilling to sing for these beautiful people.

My Wednesday online show was singing fun songs, and it was a blast. I needed a night of frivolity, and that’s exactly what we had!

Saturday I played the Harvest Festival at the Littleton Museum in the pumpkin patch, and it was just a sweet day all around. There were so many families there to pick out a pumpkin in the patch, and I even had my sister Carol’s family come out to enjoy the day and the music.

My Sunday online show of favorites and requests was wild too. We had so many friends and good requests that made the night fly by. I love theses Sundays!

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 8 senior facilities to play for this week, and we’re starting to get into Halloween songs which are always fun and spooky. I love these shows!

My Wednesday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be the birth-year songs that I talked about above. I expect it will be a night to remember. I’m listening to music from my year right now. Come on out!

Saturday 7-9 mountain time I’m doing an online show of Philmont songs for my friends from Philmont Scout Ranch where I worked for three summers in my teens. I have maintained a great relationship with so many friends from that era of my life, and we have such a good time reminiscing and sharing the songs we learned and sang together there. I have a special group on Facebook for these concerts, but I also put them on my website for those who aren’t on Facebook or aren’t part of the group. I’m really looking forward to it!

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. It’s such a good time every week, and you’re always welcome to join in.

——

That’s it for this week. The fall is speeding by, and I am enjoying it even with the illness and struggles the world is in currently. 

I wish you all the best always,

Tom

——

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of birth-year songs

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

When:  Wednesday, October 12, 7-8:30 pm mountain time 

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Philmont songs for Philmont folks

Where:  Facebook Tom Munch Philmont Songs Concert Group and tommunch.com/online-concerts

When:  Saturday, October 15, 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, October 16, 7-8:30 pm mountain time

Future of Music

 I recently listened to a series of podcasts about the future of music from The Verge website. The final podcast centered around where live music will be heard in the future. I’ve fully embraced performing music online as you know from my online concerts that I do and love playing for every week. The podcast I heard talked about performing live concerts in the metaverse. This was musicians performing concerts as avatars and characters in virtual reality spaces. Of course this is big production for many of them with full band and the performers flying and bouncing and being underwater as they mix pre-recorded and live elements of music with animated and virtual surroundings and not someone like me standing with a guitar and singing. It is only limited by the imagination of the performer and the people putting together the presentation. It’s almost more of an experience than a musical performance. I’m okay with this although it’s probably not something I will ever remotely entertain doing myself. I think I’m more about affecting the audience in their minds with images from words and harmonies and melodies, but you can see how music has been performed and conceived before in this way with movie and TV that mixed these elements. It just hasn’t been done in virtual reality live like this on a regular basis before. It is an interesting world we live in where this is the future of music for many. I think I’ll always be about one performer and an instrument and a song, but I’d like to try watching a concert like this sometime to see what it’s like. How about you? You can listen to this podcast and find the three-part series here - https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/3/23384883/concerts-metaverse-travis-scott-charlie-puth-iheartland.

——

What have I been up to?

I had 9 senior facilities last week, and enjoyed every one as always. It is an honor to get to entertain these folks, and I consider many of them as good friends!

My Wednesday online show was doing the music of Kenny Loggins, Loggins and Messina, and Poco, and it was a great time. Every one of these theme nights where I get to explore someone else’s music turns into an adventure.

Saturday playing at the Deerprint in La Veta was very sweet too. I got to see several people I hadn’t seen in quite some time, and it was a perfect evening with just a little chill in the air and a couple quick rain sprinkles.

Sunday’s online show of favorites and requests was also notable with some really good song requests and a great group of folks in attendance.

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 7, make that 6, senior facilities this week (just had one cancel) that I am looking forward to playing for this week. 

My Wednesday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be doing fun songs this week. I decided I wanted a show of just plain frivolous and carefree songs this week, so I’m putting that together for Wednesday evening. Come on out if you can! I am trying to put together a show of songs from the year that each of our Munch Bunch folks were born, but we don’t quite have enough. Hopefully that will be the theme for next week. If you’d like to contribute then please go to the Tom Munch Munch Bunch Concert Group on Facebook and add your birth year and favorite song or songs from that year to that thread. Here’s a link. https://www.facebook.com/groups/398664345396960/permalink/544881160775277/

Saturday 11:30-1:30 I’ll be back at the Littleton Museum for their Harvest Festival. I played this last year, and it was so much fun! I set up next to the pumpkin patch where families come out to pick out pumpkins, and it is such a good time. They also have wagon rides, carnival games, yummy treats, an oddities tent, and much more. Attendance is free, and it’s a great day. Come on out if you’re in the Denver area! https://www.littletongov.org/city-services/city-departments/museum/programs-events/harvestfestival/-fbclid-IwAR0Xaf0xXvwPiWvwbjuGnkAcR7HT6eIoyPGHIuukVi0So8Qv2AG1QALFzn8

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and I always anticipate it with excitement. We do a Zoom a half hour before the show too. Here's a link. https://www.facebook.com/groups/398664345396960/permalink/546939720569421/ Come on out!

——

That’s it for this week. I really like contemplating where music and performing will go. As long as it’s about the music and the way we understand each other and our world it will always be good.

Best always,

Tom

——

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of fun songs

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

When:  Wednesday, October 5, 7-8:30 pm mountain time 

Who:  Tom Munch

What:  playing and singing for the Littleton Museum Harvest Festival

Where:  Littleton Museum, 6028 S Gallup St, Littleton, CO, 303-795-3950

When:  Saturday, October 8, 11:30-1:30 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, October 9, 7-8:30 pm mountain time