Work Songs

This year I’m going to do work songs for my Wednesday show before Labor Day, so I thought it would be appropriate to say something about work and music. When I Googled work songs there were some interesting results. I was immediately thinking of rhythmic songs that people used to sing when they worked at jobs that required working together to a beat like sailors’ songs or millworkers’ songs, but what came up was more interesting. There were results of playlists that people could listen to at work, or there were songs about being at work, or there were songs about getting away from work. We have such an interesting relationship to working in our culture. Personally I’m driven to work almost all the time - feeling the pressure of things that need to get done yesterday to pay the bills or fulfill an obligation. (I actually need a little work-life balance again in my life.) I really respect people who like to work hard, but I also respect those who know how to take time off and enjoy themselves. Some cultures even encourage people to take vacations -  that sounds good to me. And as far as the songs go, there are so many tunes about working in such a large variety.  I still really like my first impetus for rhythmic work songs that were sung in different trades, and I’d like to do a bunch of those some time, but for this show we’ll do a potpourri of all different fun work songs. 

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What have I been up to?

I had 10 senior facilities last week, and they were all really enjoyable. I know I say that every week, but I mean it.

My Wednesday online show was doing the music of Simon and Garfunkel, and I don’t know why we didn’t do a show of them earlier. I so love their music, and I have ever since I was a kid and listened to them with my sisters. There were memories all night long.

My Sunday online show was doing favorites and requests, and it was a great time as always. I had a couple new tunes that were really special. 

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What am I up to this week?

I have 8 senior facilities this week, and it should be a great bunch of shows. These folks are the best.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be work songs as I wrote of above. I’ve put together a really nice list of songs with several requests, and I’m looking forward to a sweet night with friends. Come on out!

Saturday 11-1:30 I’m playing in Westcliffe, Colorado, for the KLZR Labor Day Block Party. This is a fun event in Westcliffe where they’ll have studio tours of the radio station and sidewalk food in addition to my music out front of the station. It’s put on by the same folks who hosted the concerts I used to do in the Feedstore Park in Westcliffe. Come on out if you’re in the area!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and I expect that there’ll be a big turnout since most folks don’t have to work on Monday. It will be a good time with friends, so come on out!

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That’s it for this week. I hope you have a great Labor Day weekend, and get out and enjoy some live music if you can.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of work songs

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

When:  Wednesday, August 30, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch

What:  playing and singing for the KLZR Labor Day Block Party

Where:  103 South 2nd Street, Suite A, Westcliffe, CO

When:  Saturday, September 2, 11 am - 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, September 3, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Simon and Garfunkel

When I was young and just developing my sense for music and who I was going to be I encountered Simon and Garfunkel’s music through my sister’s records. There was something mesmerizing in their gentle harmonies, acoustic sounds, and cleverness of lyrics that swept me up and carried me along. Some of their songs were very simple, and I know that Paul Simon doesn’t particularly care for some of his early writing, but to me they had a sophistication and forthrightness that I really respected and enjoyed. I can still listen to songs like “The Dangling Conversation”, “Cloudy”, or “Punky’s Dilemma” and get the same joy I got when I heard them almost 60 years ago. Of course their hits were even more influential, and you can’t deny that songs like “The Sound of Silence” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” made a big impact on a lot of folks. They still do. My favorites will always be the quieter lesser-known songs like “Kathy’s Song” and “April Come She Will”. But all of their music was fairly easy for me to learn when I was starting on guitar, and so I have cherished playing and singing them for most of my life. Did you have a relationship with these songs back in the day too? I’ll enjoy singing and playing these old favorites on Wednesday this week.

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What have I been up to?

I had 11 senior facilities last week, and they were all so enjoyable. I can’t say enough how much I like doing these shows for these folks.

My Wednesday online show was doing a second round of “never done” songs I haven’t done for my online shows before, and it was a fun night of tunes. There are just so many good tunes out there, and I want to do every one.

My Saturday private party was a retirement party for a good friend, and it was such a great group of folks and a nice evening. Congrats on your retirement, Lauri!

My Sunday show was doing a tribute to Chuck Pyle from my good friends Matt and Deann’s house with a live in-person audience of friends. It was a really good time even though I get overwhelmed with so much going on at once. Chuck’s music is so good, and it was a pleasure to celebrate it once again.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities this week, and I’m looking forward to them all. It is a privilege to bring music to an appreciative audience.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be the music of Simon and Garfunkel as I wrote about above. This will really be a night to remember with so many good songs and memories. Come on out if you can!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be back to favorites and requests, and I will be endeavoring to get to some of the requests I’ve had on my list this summer that I haven’t had time to learn. It is always a good time. Come and join in with our wonderful group of friends.

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That’s it for this week. As the summer winds down I find myself appreciating the later morning and earlier nights that lead to the blessed Fall season.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Simon and Garfunkel songs

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

When:  Wednesday, August 23, 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, August 27, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Angst and Joy

There’s no doubt about it. This life is filled conversely with bouts of angst and bouts of joy. It’s kind of the continuous reality. I think that’s our purpose here - to feel all those things that life has to offer both hard and wonderful. But knowing that doesn’t always make it any easier when you’re deep into hard times. So what do I do when I’m feeling angst? I have two things I go to - 1) Seek out beauty, and 2) Give to others. I’ve written about both of these before. First, there is so much beauty and fascination in so many little and big things in every day of our lives even in the toughest of times, from the way light reflects off of and absorbs into any object in your field of vision to the delicacy of sound if you listen to all the sounds around you that make their own music and rhythms. Beauty is there if you just look for it and allow yourself to see it. Second, when you are in the act of giving to and helping someone else the engagement is its own reward as well as the priming of your own pump of goodwill and love for others. It really does work if you try it. I have tried to make this what my music and my life is mostly about. It’s not totally selfless although I’d like it to be, but it really helps to take yourself out of your own head and into empathy and caring for others in your sphere. These two things are not the only things I like to do, but they are somewhere to get me started. Yes, I sometimes just like to wallow for a while in the feeling of angst and woe, but I let it flow through me and then come out on the other side with renewed vigor for this life. I hope you can too.

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What have I been up to?

I had 8 senior facilities last week, and believe it or not, one of them even required masks because of a small COVID outbreak. It was good to bring some relief to those who were well and able to come out for some music and encouragement.

The party I played on Tuesday was really nice. I got to play a lot of sweet songs that I haven’t played in a while to create an atmosphere for friendship and thought.

My Wednesday online show was playing songs I haven’t done for my online shows before, and it was so good to be able to share favorites that folks hadn’t heard me do before. It was so good that I’m going to do more songs this week that I’ve never done on my shows.

The final barbecue of the season at Yellow Pine was packed and was so much fun. Now we just have to figure out what we did to get so many people out for next year. 

The dance I played with Dennis Mills on bass on Saturday night was a hoot again. It was packed too, and everyone danced and had a good time. Cuchara folks are so sweet. It was Carolyn’s birthday and we made sure she had a great one. Happy Birthday, Carolyn!

My Sunday show doing favorites and requests was really nice too. We get such a stellar group of folks who come out for the music and friendship!

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What am I up to this week?

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be songs I’ve never done for my online shows again because I had such a swell time last week, and I want to do it again! Come on out for some surprises.

Saturday I have a private retirement party for some old friends who we met at a summer festival I played 20 or more years ago. It should be a night to remember.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will broadcast from Matt and Deann’s house, and we’ll be doing the music of Chuck Pyle for this special night. I’m really looking forward to featuring Chuck’s music again and having an evening doing a show with a live in-person audience.

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That’s it for this week. If you’re making plans for Labor Day weekend I’ll be playing in Westcliffe, Colorado, for the KLZR Radio Block Party in front of their studio from 11-1:30 on Saturday the 2nd. If you’re out and about it would make a fun day in the mountains. There are other cool gigs coming up too, so stay tuned. Lastly, my heart goes out to all the people suffering loss and angst in Hawaii.

Best,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of never done songs

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

When:  Wednesday, August 16, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Chuck Pyle tunes 

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

When:  Sunday, August 20, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Pockets

I’m preparing for a fun show on Wednesday doing songs for my online show that I’ve never done for my online shows. Because of that I’m thinking about this interesting group that has been created around my shows. It is an eclectic group of friends I have crossed paths with from my entire life from childhood to the present. It is a pocket of people like many other pockets of people in so many like-minded or topic-oriented groups all over the world. I’m honored to have this group gather around me and my music, and I know that there are so many gatherings of people in person and online around their interests that most of us aren’t even aware of. Of course there are churches and community groups that we all recognize that have been around for years. But then there are sports fans and hobbyists and foodies and travelers and so many other pockets of people who passionately unite around just about anything you can think about. It’s amazing! And these people share a camaraderie and care for each other that often goes beyond friendship. It’s the human capacity for sharing and selflessness that I think is such a big part of our earthly experience. We are curious and inventive and driven to explore and bond with others. I know this is probably an obvious topic, but it’s important to recognize these strengths in each other that are so vital to our lives. 

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What have I been up to?

I had 7 senior facilities last week, and one was a scheduling mistake on my part that worked out better than either the facility or I could have imagined. I love it when things work out for the best of everyone involved. I love playing for these folks too.

My Wednesday online show was doing random spin-the-wheel songs from my songbook and was really fun. The variety of songs was from almost every genre. By the way you can always watch these shows after the show too at my website at tommunch.com/online-concerts or on Facebook at facebook.com/tom.munch.

Thursday the Yellow Pine barbecue was a good time too with so many kind folks who really got into it and danced and sang along. I so much enjoy nights like this.

My Saturday party was a 90th birthday that was such a sweet gathering of family and friends. I was lucky to be part of it with my music. Happy Birthday, Dora!

Sunday I played again at the Cuchara Chapel for morning services, and I played “Mist-Covered Mountains” for the folks. That’s the old Gaelic song I found when I was doing the Pike bicentennial project. The mountains were deep in the clouds as I drove into the valley, so it seemed appropriate to play a song that fit.

My Sunday online show was so well-attended once again with great friends and fans. These nights just get better and better.

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What am I up to this week?

I have 8 senior facilities this week, and they take me up and down the Interstate. I’m looking forward to every one!

Tuesday night I have a private party in Cuchara that I play every year for a lot of community folks that I love to see.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be doing songs I’ve never done for the group before. There are a bunch of songs I haven’t done, but I’m working hard to find real gems. It should be a sweet show, and I hope you’ll tune in if you can. There will be be some surprises.

Thursday 6:30-8 is the last regular barbecue of the summer at the Yellow Pine Guest Ranch. It has been a wonderful summer once again - especially without so many of the worries of COVID. I’d love to have you there if you’re anywhere near southern Colorado. These evenings in the old barn are very special. Call for reservations ASAP at 719-742-3528.

Saturday night 7-9 I’m playing a dance in the Cuchara Community Center with Dennis Mills on bass again. The last one of these dances we did in July was beyond fun. I expect we’ll be in fine form and primed for a blast of a night again. It’s a free dance for everyone, so come on out!

Sunday my online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. I’m sure this will be another stellar evening of friendship and music. It’s a blessing to be with this pocket of folks.

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That’s it for this week. The summer is wrapping up quickly as the kids go back to school and the evenings get cooler. I’m savoring every day.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of never done songs

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

When:  Wednesday, August 9, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch

What:  playing & singing at the barbeque

Where:  Yellow Pine Guest Ranch, Cuchara. 719-742-3528

When:  Thursday, August 10, 6:30-8:00 pm

Who:  Tom Munch and Dennis Mills

What:  playing for a free dance put on by the Cuchara Valley Recreation Program

Where:  Cuchara Community Center, Cuchara

When:  Saturday, August 12, 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, August 13, 7-8:45 pm mountain time