Special Songs

My Wednesday show will be something very special to me. All during the year I get requests from my audience, and my audience is very sharp and well-versed in so many different musicians and styles. As a result, they introduce me to many great songs that are truly gifts. Also I get to do retrospectives on many musicians during the year that I and my audience choose for theme nights. There are so many gems from these artists as well, and after I cull the best songs from the year I end up with a wonderful group of tunes. These will be the playlist for Wednesday. These tend to be deeper, slow and medium tempo songs that have real meaning and clever words and melodies, but there are also fun and upbeat songs as well. So if this appeals to you, then tune in Wednesday to hear the show on Facebook or my website.

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What have I been up to?

Christmas week was really something with the weather and festivities. I hope you made it through and celebrated with gusto. 

I had 11 senior facilities last week of fun Christmas shows, but one had to be cancelled due to the cold weather that kept their clients from coming Friday. It’s too bad, because I had some fun songs ready for them. 

My Wednesday online show of Christmas songs last week was hymns for the first hour, and it was so sweet. The audience went right along with me. We have such a great group of folks!

My Sunday online show on Christmas Day was a mix of Christmas songs and other favorites. I really had fun, and it was gratifying how many people came out on a holiday to get together and share music and friendship. 

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What am I up to this week?

I have 7 senior facilities this week, and I’m sure some will still want to hear some Christmas songs, which is great. This time of year is always a kind of sacred limbo between holidays that everyone seems to enjoy. 

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be the special songs that I mentioned above - my favorite new-to-me songs of 2022. I know this will be a great night of tunes and goodwill. Come on out if you can.

Instead of Sunday this week I’m doing a New Year’s Eve show on Saturday at my regular time of 7-8:45 mountain time. This will be a really fun online party where I’ll pull out some electric guitars and play some party favorites. It’s a chance to have a New Year’s Eve in your own home without the hassle of going out and also staying up ‘til midnight. Come join in!

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That’s it for this week. It has been quite a year, and I’m looking forward to the next with hopefulness and cheer. 

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of new-to-me 2022 songs

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

When:  Wednesday, December 28, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of party favorites and requests

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

When:  Saturday, December 31, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Christmas Reflection

It’s the final week before Christmas, and a little reflection is in order. As a performer I take great responsibility in putting out as much enthusiasm and encouragement as I can during this season. I know how hard it is on a lot of people to be cheerful and full of goodwill at this time of year. Luckily I really am an optimist and a utopian thinker. I really do see the good in mankind, and I really do believe in all the tropes about helping each other and making the world a better place for everyone. I so often see the beauty in the little things of life like the intricacies of music and the beauty of how a tree or flower grows. I’m fascinated by the inner-workings of life from the smallest quantum particles to the vastness of the universe, and I believe all of this does work together to make our lives rich and full even in the worst of circumstances. So when Christmas and the solstice roll around, I amplify my world-view with the goodness of the season to understand the possibilities of love and understanding in all of us. In everyday we have the choice to do good or ill and to put forth love or hate. I choose love and doing good for others. Merry Christmas!

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What have I been up to?

Last week was really busy.

I had 11 senior facilities, and I was able to get to all of them even with the little bit of weather that we got. It’s so fulfilling to spread Christmas and genuine affection for these folks.

My Wednesday online show doing Christmas songs went really well. I concentrated on old-English  Christmas songs for the first hour, and it was very sweet. The group really came up with some great tunes to request as well.

Friday I played for the Council of State Governments legislative academy group at the Broadmoor, and I can honestly say that I’ve never met a more enthusiastic and engaging group of people. They were all there for each other and for me. We sang songs and played together after their graduation ceremony with gusto, and they were so appreciative!

Saturday my concert at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence was a blast too. I had a great audience of friends and fans who sang along and created a real bonfire for Christmas. What a great venue!

Then my Sunday online show of favorites and requests was a huge variety of songs including a few Christmas songs. I love this group of folks so much.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 11 senior facilities this week, and several of them are resident Christmas parties, so I know I’ll be wearing my Santa hat a bunch and spreading good cheer. I love playing for these folks too!

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be doing Christmas songs one more time for the season. I’ll lean towards Christmas hymns for this show since we’ve done newer songs and old-English Christmas songs in previous weeks. I’m sure we’ll throw in a few other requests as well. Come on by!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be a special show of favorites and requests on Christmas night. I’m thinking of doing some songs that I’ve really enjoyed during Christmas seasons of the past that weren’t necessarily Christmasy. Of course I’ll be taking requests as well and hoping everyone will be ready for a little music after a day of gifts and food. I’ll be here if you’re up for it!

Looking farther out I will be doing a New Year’s Eve show at my normal time 7-8:45 mountain time if you’d like to have some fun at home with my music and friends on New Year’s Eve. I’d love to have you tune in, and I’ll be doing party songs and festivity. This will be in place of the Sunday show which would be the next day.

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That’s it for this week. I do wish you the merriest of Christmases or whatever you celebrate at this time of year.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Christmas songs

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

When:  Wednesday, December 21, 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, December 25, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Mindset

A funny thing happened last night during my Christmas show at the La Veta Mercantile: I found myself harboring thoughts from a book I had read earlier in the day. I’ve done this before, and I’m sure you have too. I do this with movies as well. I get so involved in the story that I put myself into it, and the next thing I know I’m carrying those feelings and reactions into my own life. I usually try to fill myself with good thoughts and goodwill in my reading and entertainment. Jen and I will often choose a movie that is uplifting or light instead of something heavy and dark. It’s a variation of “you are what you eat” or “garbage in, garbage out”. I’ve written about this before, but it bears repeating at least for myself - fill yourself with light. It’s not necessarily religious or woo-woo. We can all see it in our own lives. Our mindset is determined by the outlook we choose and the influences we allow ourselves to take in. In my case it made the first half of my show last night a little less cheerful and exuberant than I wanted it to be. So at the break I changed my mindset, and for the second half I let the light shine through. I don’t know if anyone else felt it, but it was a good lesson for me to always take a second to look within and find out where I am. How about you? Do you feel these things and make changes too?

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What have I been up to?

I had 9 senior facilities last week, but I had a scheduling mixup on one that had to be rescheduled for later this month. The other 8 facilities went wonderfully, and the Christmas cheer is strong!

My Wednesday online show was my own original songs, and I have to say that this is the most comfortable I’ve ever been doing my own songs. You’d think that after all these years it would be “old hat” for me doing my own songs, but I still get nervous exposing my vulnerabilities in my writing. Everyone was so supportive, and it went really well. I did do the new Christmas song I was writing last week!

My Saturday Christmas concert at the La Veta Mercantile went really well too. We had a nice crowd, and the ambience and sound were just perfect. It’s such a pleasure to get to play a show in a beautiful listening room of genuine folks. We did quite a few Christmas sing-alongs too. Emile and her staff do a great job.

My Sunday online show of favorites and requests went well too. It’s like a comfortable old jacket putting on this group and singing songs and making memories.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 11 senior facilities this week, and I’m hoping the winter weather will let me get to all of them. We have a system moving in on Tuesday. 

My Wednesday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be doing Christmas songs again. We did newer Christmas songs two week ago, and I’ll think I’ll try to do more traditional songs this week - maybe old British songs. I do have a lot of those that I love. Come on out!

Friday I have a private event at the Broadmoor for the Council of State Governments. I have written before about these annual occasions. I get to entertain state legislators from all over the West. It’s always fun and enlightening.

Saturday 7-9 I have a Christmas concert at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence, Colorado. I love playing at the Bell Tower, and I really look forward to my concerts there. Call 719-784-2038 for tickets - $8 for members and $10 for non-members. I’d love to have you there!

Sunday my online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. I always say how special these evenings are, and you’re always welcome!

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That’s it for this week. This is kind of a marathon week, and it’s fun to rise to the occasion and ride the wave of music!

Best,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Christmas songs

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

When:  Wednesday, December 14, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who: Tom Munch

What: playing a Christmas concert

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

When: Saturday, December 17, 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, December 18, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

What's It Worth

One of the things I’ve struggled with the most in life has been deciding the value of something. This goes from items to time. The old adage that a price should be what “the market will bear” is relevant, but it’s not necessarily true. Occasionally I think we have to look at what we really value in our lives - friendship, community, family, security, peace, health, entertainment, music, and ? I honestly think we should reevaluate what is important - especially in these times of inflation when the value of things is being shaken up. I’ve had to do this personally as I feel the squeeze of inflation. I’ve never been able to gauge what my music is truly worth. It comes easily to me for the most part although I spend many hours on it, and so I’ve never asked for as much as others ask for their music - always feeling that it wasn’t right somehow to put too much value on myself. The old Bible quote “Do not muzzle an ox when it is threshing the grain” comes often to mind as I puzzle this. It means getting your fair share for your hard work. And how that relates to the price you pay for a house, car, food, and everything else comes from how you gauge your own worth. It’s actually a pretty big overall concept. What if we didn’t have money to measure the worth of things? Anyway, that is what I am pondering as I work on songs, raise my prices, and plan my week out as Christmas approaches. What do you think?

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What have I been up to?

My senior facilities went very well last week. Once again there is COVID in some of them, and so precautions are still being taken although I’m no longer seeing temperatures being taken at most places. Most just require a sign-in saying that you are not experiencing symptoms.

My Wednesday online show of Christmas songs as a kickoff to the season went very well although I’m still not all the way in the spirit (but Im getting there!) I did lesser-known songs for this show to expose some great songs to the group, and it was a joy.

My Sunday online show of favorites and requests went very well too with a great variety of tunes. Our online community of friends is so engaging and rewarding.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 9 senior facilities this week, and as Christmas nears these shows become more and more special. 

My Wednesday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be my own original tunes again. I haven’t done a show of original tunes since last February, and I hope to do a new Christmas song that I’m working on as well. It is so gratifying that folks want to hear my own tunes and stories from my life.

Saturday 7-9 I’m playing a Christmas concert at the La Veta Mercantile in La Veta. I dearly love this venue and the folks of La Veta, and the Christmas shows I’ve done there have always been a highlight of the year. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased here - www.simpletix.com/e/tom-munch-christmas-tickets-102553. I’d love to have you there. There will be some surprises and some sing-along songs as we celebrate the spirit of Christmas!

My Sunday online show 7-8:30 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. We are doing many Christmas requests at these shows as well as anything else you want to hear. I try to make sure everyone gets something, and I love these folks who are so good to me and create such a strong community.

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That’s it for this week. Next week I have a Christmas concert in Florence, Colorado, at the Bell Tower Cultural Center. You can call 719-784-2038 for tickets, and they $8 for members and $10 for non-members. Be good - Santa is coming!

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of original songs

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

When:  Wednesday, December 7, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch

What:  playing and singing a holiday concert

Where:  La Veta Mercantile, 300 South Main Street, La Veta 719-742-3387

When:  Saturday, December 10, 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, December 11, 7-8:45 pm mountain time