Merry Christmas!

It’s a bright and snowy Christmas morning here in southern Colorado as I write this. I’ve been ill with Covid since last Wednesday, but I’m not letting it dampen my Christmas spirit. I won’t write much - just wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and letting you know what’s up for the week in my world. 

——

What have I been up to?

I had 14 senior facilities scheduled for the week, but I only got to 5 before Covid got a hold of me on Wednesday. I still enjoyed spreading some Christmas cheer to my seniors on Monday and Tuesday. 

My Wednesday online show had to be cancelled since I wasn’t in any shape to sing and play. I really missed getting to sing to everyone. 

My Sunday online show ended up being a replay from last Christmas season with me commenting along like a director’s cut. It was fun and interesting, and I was able to be on camera for a few minutes before I started the replay and after to bid everyone a Merry Christmas. 

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 7 senior facilities scheduled this week, but one has already cancelled with a Covid lockdown. Whether I play will depend on when I test negative and what each facility's protocol is. It will be interesting. I may be too weak to schlep my equipment and play anyway. 

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be a theme around the “12 Days of Christmas” song. Each day is of course a different bird, animal, or other gift that I’m working with the Munch Bunch to have a clever interpretation into an existing song - Christmas or otherwise. Come on out and see what we come up with. All of this is dependent on if I feel strong enough to play that day. If I don’t feel strong enough I’ll host an older show again. I’m hopeful I’ll be good that day. 

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be a New Year’s Eve celebration of party music and fun. I really love doing these New Year's shows, and I’d love to have you celebrate in your own home and earlier than midnight if you’d like to join in. I should be doing well by then. 

——

That’s it for this week. I hope you’re having a lovely Christmas Day, and I’ll echo the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us, everyone!”

All the best,

Tom

——

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of 12 Days of Christmas songs

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

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

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of New Year’s Eve party songs 

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

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

One Great Christmas

With Christmas coming next week I thought I’d share the memory of a great Christmas vacation when I was a kid. Our family home was a simple and small ranch style house in central Nebraska that we built in the early ‘60s with an addition on the back to make it big enough for 5 kids. Our garage was almost to the back of the lot with the neighbor’s house next to us with their garage at the back of the lot too. This meant that both of our driveways went from the street all the way along one side of the lot, and both driveways were next to each other with a short hedge and a small strip of grass dividing them. The long driveway meant we had a lot of concrete to skate and ride skateboards on as well as a long court for basketball. This was great until the snow came, and we used to get a lot of it in the ‘60s in Nebraska. The neighbor had planted the hedge between us for a border, but it also helped them avoid some of the snow that fell on our driveway. It had something to do with the way the wind whipped between our addition on the back of the house and our garage. The wind created swirling eddies in front of our garage, and then the hedge blocked the snow from blowing onto their driveway. As a result we could have three feet of snow dumped on our driveway when they only had four inches. The one Christmas I especially remember was when I was young enough to still enjoy building snow forts. We often had enough snow fall on our driveway that when we shoveled it from the garage all the way to the front yard it would make a pretty good-sized mound of snow. Well, on this particular Christmas we had snow that fell in a moderate amount every day for eleven days from before Christmas until sometime between Christmas and New Year during Christmas vacation. We were able to shovel so much snow into the front yard that we had two huge mounds and built two snow forts, one on each corner by the drive, with a tunnel that ran from one to the other and then across the front yard for several feet. It was the coolest thing ever, and all the kids in the neighborhood came to play with me in it. It lasted for many days until we had a warm day and someone broke through as we sledded from the top of one fort down into the yard. All these years later I still remember it vividly. That one was one great Christmas!

——

What have I been up to?

I had 9 senior facilities last week although another one was cancelled - again due to changing staff and situations. I need to do a better job of checking in with people. I enjoyed spreading Christmas cheer at all of them including the ones where I played for their Christmas party.

My Wednesday online show was doing Christmas songs, and I concentrated on doing older Christmas songs that I love. I even recited the old poem “The Night Before Christmas” since it is 200 years old this year. It was a very nice time!

Friday night I got to play at The Broadmoor for the Council of State Governments Western Legislative Academy graduation. It was a lot of fun, and it’s always a thrill to see The Broadmoor at Christmas with its beautiful decorations.

Saturday night I played a Christmas concert at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence, Colorado, and it was wonderful even though the crowd was a little smaller than usual with the Denver Broncos playing for a playoff bid that night. It’s hard to compete with football, but we made a fine time of it with some great Christmas songs and stories and Christmas goodies.

My Sunday online show was mostly Christmas songs to go with the season, but I snuck in some other favorites as well to round out the show. I always love playing for all the folks who come and share the music and themselves at my shows.

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 14 senior facilities this week, and I’m looking forward to helping them all celebrate the season. This is the best time of the year to sing great songs and encourage folks.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be Christmas songs again, and this time I’ll try to go a little farther afield with my song choices. I’m sure I’ll get a lot of great requests as well. Come on out if you can!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be a special Christmas Eve show for those who are more solitary this year or for those can steal away from family for a while or want to share my music and our group with that family. It should be a good night of memories and sharing. I’d love to have you if you’d like to watch.

——

That’s it for this week. I’ll probably have a special Christmas Day blog next week although I may wait until the day after so I don’t interrupt anyone’s celebration and don’t work on the holiday myself. Enjoy this special last week before Christmas, and if I don’t post a blog on Christmas Day, Merry Christmas!

Best,

Tom

——

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 20, 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 24, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Christmas Traditions

One of the things I like to talk about at my Christmas shows is different traditions that families and groups have. My family growing up was pretty traditional other than a couple family recipes for cookies and other goodies. My grandma had two German cookies - lebkuchen and pfeffernusee. The first of those had dried fruit and icing, and the second was anise and molasses. My mom had some other cookies she always made as well. We would sometimes go to church as a family on Christmas Eve, but we didn’t have any other Christmas Eve tradition that I can remember other than trying to get to sleep while we listened for Santa. Then on Christmas morning we kids would get up very early to get our Christmas stockings by the fireplace and watch the blinking Christmas tree lights and listen to music until our folks woke up and brought out orange rolls and started the gift opening. Since I moved to Colorado I’ve enjoyed the local traditions and treats like potica, a wonderful pastry, and Christmas tamales. Jen and I usually have a quiet Christmas of opening gifts to each other and our pets and having family time. I always ask the audience at my shows for family traditions they each enjoyed. I love hearing the answers and stories. How about you? Do you have any traditions to share?

——

What have I been up to?

I had 10 senior facilities last week although one was cancelled due to a scheduling mixup. I am doing a lot of Christmas songs now as we zoom towards the day.

My Wednesday online show was doing fun songs from the ‘50s, and it was a blast! I wanted to have a party, and that’s what it felt like. I love doing these tunes so much - reminding me of the fun I had in the ‘50s band I played in for many years.

My Sunday show was doing favorites and requests and it was so sweet as always. We ended up doing quite a few Christmas songs. These Sunday nights are just very special with good tunes and good friends.

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 9 senior facilities this week, and a couple of them will be having their Christmas party with me entertaining. It should be great fun!

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be Christmas songs with its of variety between old traditional and new songs. I love basking in the music of the season. Come on out if to can.

Friday night I’m playing for the Council of State Governments graduation at the Broadmoor, and I mention it because it’s such an honor to get to play for all of these state legislators. 

Saturday night I’m playing a concert at 7:00 at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence, Colorado. I have played several Christmas concerts at this wonderful venue, and I look forward to seeing the folks who always come out to this great place to enjoy some Christmas cheer. I’ll be doing quite a variety of music including a sing-along. There’ll be Christmas artwork to look at and goodies to enjoy as well. Tickets are $8 for member and $10 for non-members, and you can find more information at http://www.florenceartscouncil.com/concerts.html. I’d love to have you there!

Sunday night will be my online show 7-8:45 mountain time of favorites and requests as always. I love doing these shows, and people come from all over the country to enjoy each other’s company and listen to the music. Come on out!

——

That’s it for this week. I hope you’re enjoying the holiday season, and I’d love to hear your traditions if you have time to reply.

Best always,

Tom

——

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 13, 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 16, 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 17, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

'Tis the Season

Well, it’s December 4th and time to get in the spirit for Christmas once again. I write about this each year, and I’m surprised at how much my feelings are different each year. This year I’ve definitely already started singing Christmas songs in earnest as my senior facilities have been wanting to hear them from as soon as the day after Thanksgiving. We had a little snow which helped to get me in the spirit, but this week it will be warmer with no snow until possibly Friday afternoon, so I’ll have to manufacture some of the spirit for myself. Here’s my process for that. I think of my best memories and idealistic outlooks on Christmas over the years, and I fill my day with stories and decorations of Christmas. I’m very conscious that historically this season’s celebration was shared by many cultures and peoples as an event of the winter solstice when they were dealing with long nights and colder temperatures. They were trying to stave off the winter blues as much as anything, and as an entertainer it’s my job to help with that. Christmas music can really change our attitude, so I basically make it happen with these cheery and meaningful songs. And I really do love Christmas music, so it’s a joy to get to be a part of the spirit that is so infectious. Let yourself get into it too!

——

What have I been up to?

I had 7 senior facilities last week, and they were all so enjoyable and rewarding. As is said above, many were in the Christmas spirit and ready to start celebrating.

My Wednesday online show was songs about joy, and it was definitely a joyful evening of songs that were heartwarming and exciting. I had a great group of friends and fans out for it.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and many of those were already Christmas songs. We had a fantastic group of enthusiastic friends and fans that made the evening special. I played one of my older guitars that I had forgotten I enjoyed so much - a walnut Breedlove guitar I’ve had for over 30 years. I’ll have to play it more.

——

What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities this week including one that has a 98th birthday that should be wonderful. The Christmas spirit will definitely be flowing this week.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be something a little different this week. I wanted a party night of fun songs, so I’m doing fun songs from the ‘50s before I dive into Christmas music the last two Wednesdays before Christmas. As I write this, this theme sounds odd to me too, but I’m really looking forward to a kicking evening of tunes. I may sneak in a couple ‘50s Christmas songs to stay with the season. Come on out if you’re available.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. These nights are just so joyful and filled with people I know from all over the country, and I cherish the opportunity to play for everyone each week. Come on out if you can.

——

That’s it for this week. Once again I’ll remind you that if you’re in the southern Colorado area I will have a Christmas concert at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence, Colorado, on December 16th at 7:00 pm. This is a wonderful venue that I have played many times, and it always turns out to be a night to remember of Christmas cheer and singing. You can find out more at http://www.florenceartscouncil.com/concerts.html.

Best always,

Tom

——

Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of fun ‘50s songs

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

When:  Wednesday, December 6, 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 10, 7-8:45 pm mountain time