Cabin

I was asked to do a show at one of my senior facilities recently with a cozy cabin theme. I had so much fun finding songs and playing them that I thought it would be a great theme for my Wednesday online show. I have spent some of my favorite times in a cabin whether it was in the mountains or at a lake or ocean shore. There’s just something so enchanting about a cabin with its simple ambience and rustic feel. It’s filled with a nostalgia for the historic past when folks lived closer to the land and were more self-reliant. I sometimes long for those days. I can remember quiet mornings with the clouds hanging low in a meadow with an ancient fire crackling in the fireplace and damp boots drying by the door while a map was laid out with wonderful plans and adventure waiting. I’ve even had a hand in building ia cabin, and it makes me feel connected to my ancestors in a deep way. “Away, away, come away with me, and I’ll build you a home in the meadow.” Sounds good, doesn’t it?

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What have I been up to?

I had 10 senior facilities last week including 1 new one on Valentine’s Day that went really well. I played love songs for all of them, and it was so good spreading some love and warm feelings. I so enjoy playing for these folks. 

My Wednesday online show was also doing love songs, and it went so well. There were lots of great requests, and I think we did Saint Valentine proud. I love this group. 

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and I did a lot of Mardi Gras songs in addition to some great requests. What a night!

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What am I up to this week?

I have 14 senior facilities this week, and I hope to play Mardi Gras songs for at least a few of them before Fat Tuesday is over. There are so many fun songs for Mardi Gras. 

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be cabin songs. I had thought about doing Mardi Gras songs, but they don’t mean as much once the day is over. So we’ll do cabins songs as I wrote about above. There are so many songs that make me think of the fun and warmth of a cabin that I know it’ll be a good time. Come on out if this sounds good to you. 

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and this is always the highlight of the week as the friendship and camaraderie flow with the good tunes. I love playing for all of the Munch Bunch, and you’re always welcome!

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That’s it for this week. It already feels like winter is waning here even though I know we’ll get some snow and cold coming. It even rained overnight a couple nights ago which is very odd for us in February. I hope you are healthy and happy even with all the angst in the world. 

Best,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of cabin songs

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

When:  Wednesday, February 18, 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, February 22, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Switching Gears

I want to write this week about making decisions about switching gears in life. I’ve always had a hard time changing things up. I stick with things long after most folks would give up. In some ways that’s admirable, and in some ways it’s not very wise. I like to serve and I like to help, and sometimes I’d rather do that than to venture out on a new path. My father-in-law used to good-naturedly tease me about how many places I had played music that had closed underneath me. That hasn’t happened in a while now, but I still think of that. It takes time to establish something worthwhile, and even though I’m not the best promoter, I do like to take the time to develop ideas and places. Luckily people have always seen my heart and have known that I am there for them. More and more, the aches and pains of age are catching up with me, and I know that someday sooner than later I’ll have to slow down. Jen is often reminding me that we want to do some traveling and that I have a lot of extra equipment and junk that we (I) should move on to a better home. I’ve always thought that I would play music until I was unable to - sometime in my 70s or 80s. I do watch my friends doing lots of cool things in their retirement like taking summer jobs in the mountains or traveling to some really cool places. Others keep inviting us to visit, and I have to tell them I’m still working. So when do you decide to slow down and switch gears? I’ll be 65 in April, and I remember that my dad retired at 66. All my siblings have retired, and Jen hasn’t worked outside the house in 10 years. (I’m fully aware that she still works harder than me!) If I don’t retire I’m afraid my body will make me regret it. So this has been on my mind a lot as I wake up to aches and pains and watch my voice and fingers struggle. If I start to sound really awful I hope you’ll let me know that it’s time!

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What have I been up to?

I had 7 senior facilities last week, and I throughly enjoyed them all. I had to reschedule one so we could take Beau to a specialist to check out several lumps under his skin. They all look benign, but we’ll have surgery on him Tuesday to remove them so they don’t affect his love of taking walks and playing. He’s a good boy, and he deserves the best.

My Wednesday online show was love songs, and we definitely played some great ones. I would bet that half the songs In the world are about love, or at least it seems that way. Everyone really got into it, and I was so happy to be in the flow of love.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and we were missing a few folks due to the Super Bowl, but we sure had fun with some new songs and obscure favorites. I love this group! 

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What am I up to this week?

I have 10 senior facilities even with one cancelled for Beau’s surgery and one cancelled for budget reasons. I love playing for these folks, and we’ll be doing love songs and songs for Mardi Gras as well since it’s only 3 days past Valentine’s Day this year. I have 3 special shows for these facilities on Valentine’s Day.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be love songs once again to celebrate Valentine’s Day. These songs are so joyful and uplifting, and I’ll hope you’ll come out and enjoy them with me.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests with an emphasis on Mardi Gras songs. These nights are always pretty special, and the folks in this community are so welcoming and supportive that it’s always a great time. You’re always welcome, and give me some requests if you have some.

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That’s it for this week. I appreciate you so much, and I thank you for reading my ramblings. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of love songs

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

When:  Wednesday, February 11, 7-8:45 pm mountain time

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of favorites and requests with a lot of Mardi Gras songs

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

When:  Sunday, February 15, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Love

My show this Wednesday is songs about love, and of course I’d like to say something meaningful about love. I’ve written about love many times before, and I do think it is ultimately the most powerful force in the universe. For Valentine’s Day we’re thinking more about romantic love, but love can be generalized into caring and regard for each other since it shares the core of what romantic love is as well. Why do we have so much trouble practicing love? Religious theory stresses that we are sinful and incapable of showing love to each other without divine intervention. I don’t believe this for a second because I see the love that is expressed between people with no religious background and also in nature where animals that are supposedly dumb express love towards each other all the time. No, I think love is a conscious choice based on awareness of others and the bigger picture of who we are and where we are on this planet and in the universe. Those who don’t practice love are unwilling or incapable of showing the understanding that all things work together either in harmony or in dissonance. We are here in this life to figure that out, and some people just don’t get it. I know that it is a process, and I know that it took me a while to get it, but I don’t understand why we don’t stress it more and make it even more a part of our culture. There have been times when we have really tried. When I sing some songs of the 1960s and 1970s I’m almost surprised at the blunt lyrics about loving each other, and I lived through those times! Think of songs like “All You Need Is Love” by the Beatles, “Love Is the Answer” by England Dan and John Ford Coley, or “What the World Needs Now Is Love” by Jackie DeShannon. I still treasure those songs, and I still believe that they were on the right track. It’s funny how we get cultural notions about certain things that then dominate our conversation even when they are misguided. We also let louder voices often change our culture when we know better. But love is patient and love is kind, and so we tolerate everyone until things can get better. Love is the main thing in life. If we don’t understand it here then we will all understand it someday. Show your love, folks.

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What have I been up to?

I had 7 senior facilities last week, and I had such a good time providing a lift and some smiles to these folks. One of the shows I did was “cozy cabin” songs. I had a lot of fun getting into the feeling of being in a mountain cabin on a winter day. I even learned a couple new songs.

My Wednesday online show was my original songs, and everyone really enjoyed it. I forget how much I like to play my own songs and tell stories about them. I should do it more often.

My Sunday online show was doing favorites and requests, and there were some wonderful requests including some ‘60s protest songs and a few new songs. It was a blast!

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What am I up to this week?

I have 7 senior facilities this week, and I’m looking forward to them all. I had to cancel one for our dog Beau so he can get a lump checked out on his side. We’re hopeful it’s just a lipoma (fatty deposit) and that if it requires surgery that it won’t be too much of an ordeal for him. I may need to take some time off for treatments though.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be love songs as I wrote above. I’m not sure what type of love songs we’ll do (romantic or general), but it will be a sweet night of good stuff! Come on out!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and  there is never a shortage of wonderful requests and songs for this night. I’d love to have you in the audience if you’d like to tune in!

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Going forward

I did schedule the Yellow Pine barbecues for this summer on Thursdays from June 11 to August 6. Stay tuned for more, and call them up if you want to book some time in their cabins or come to the barbeques. 719-742-3528

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That’s it for this week. I love and appreciate you. I hope you are healthy and happy no matter what life is giving you.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of love songs

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

When:  Wednesday, February 4, 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, February 8, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Creativity

My show this Wednesday is some of my original music, and this has me thinking about creativity. My life has been filled with creative spurts that wax and wane. Sometimes this has manifested in songs and sometimes in art or photography. Sometimes it has just been creative thought with ideas and musings. I also consider it creative when I take a deep dive into details of how to make my life better through tools and ways of organizing. Anything that involves that internal drive to make is creative in my world. Throughout everything I have felt compelled to create and be in the flow of making something fine and worthwhile. In my life I have assumed it is part of the human condition to always be curious and spurred to be a bubbling well of giving and enriching this world. I’m not sure this is true for everyone though. I’m not judging here, just noticing that some folks say they don’t feel compelled to create. I think it is so engaging to look at every little thing in this life as an opportunity to thrill in the inter-workings and to learn to understand and weave them into my life. When it comes to music it has come in little and large leaps throughout my life. I have gone through whole decades when I couldn’t write a new song - only coming up with a verse and chorus or a nice melody or chord progression. Sometimes the floodgates have opened and I couldn’t stop the songs pouring out of me. I think in those slow writing times I found creativity in lots of other things that I wrote about above. I think it’s possible to live your whole life in a state of wonder and creativity if you just stop to absorb the moment and the amazing things that are happening. I think if we all lived our lives this way there wouldn’t be nearly the strife and pain we all feel with the greed and hate around us. It’s just a thought and a different way to look at life.

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What have I been up to?

I had 11 senior facilities last week, and I enjoyed them all. We did lots of different themes - from old cowboy songs to humor and everything in between. I love playing for these folks and taking them on little journeys of the mind.

My Wednesday online show was songs from the Grateful Dead and Bob Weir with a couple Jerry Garcia tunes thrown in as well. It was way more fun than anyone anticipated, and I turned some folks into Dead Heads by the end of the night. There is good music all around us.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and there were some great ones including a couple new songs for the group and one new one written by my friend Kelvin that I contributed a melody and chord progression to. It was so much fun!

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What am I up to this week?

I have 7 senior facilities this week including one this Saturday that I haven’t played for in more than a year. That will be a special show of cabin songs. It should be a great week. These folks deserve it.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be my original songs as I wrote above. I do have a couple surprises up my sleeve including a new one I hope to finish by then. The creativity keeps flowing. Come on out!

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests, and I have a couple new songs to play for requests there as well. It never ends, and I love these folks who come out to support each other and enjoy the music so much. Tune in if you can!

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That’s it for this week. I know there is a lot of angst in the world right now, and I keep trying to put good energy into the ether as much as I can. I know it makes a difference even though sometimes I just want to scream. I’ll keep on keepin’ on.

Best always,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of my original songs

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

When:  Wednesday, January 28, 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, February 1, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Give and Take

I’m doing a tribute to the Grateful Dead on Wednesday to honor the passing of Bob Weir, one of the founding members of the band who played with them as recently as last August. As I’ve been reading interviews and watching videos about the band and Bob Weir, I’ve been once again reminded of how much bands depend on the synergy that happens between band members - especially in performance. The give and take with dynamics, chord choices, licks, syncopation, and overall feel is apparent in the great bands and players. Sometimes it happens naturally, and sometimes it happens as the result of a lot of playing together. Many of the greatest bands like the Beatles and the Grateful Dead were not only great on recordings, they were also great live. That’s where the real genius is born out. Both of these bands came by it through not only the mystical 10,000-hour rule - playing together for that many hours, but they also were truly dedicated to finding the minute variances in their playing that made everything gel in a sum-is-greater-than-the-parts way. I’ve been in a few bands where we achieved something like this. It’s so rewarding when you can feel it happening - giving and taking with all the elements. It comes from staying out of each other’s way and also complementing each other without stepping on each other. It’s so much fun when it all comes together. You can truly feel the music together in a subconscious way that leads to the ability to improvise changes at the drop of a hat. Giving and taking - what a concept.

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What have I been up to?

I had 11 senior facilities last week, and I did hopeful songs for most of them. One of them even wanted to hear old cowboy songs which was a hoot. I love playing for these folks and providing encouragement.

My Wednesday online show was doing hopeful songs for a second week, and it was a good one. Sometimes I think I should just try to do hopeful and supportive songs all the time. It’s so worthwhile when you know you’re making a difference in other people’s lives.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests as always, and it was a sweet night of new faces and old with some fine favorites and requests. I love these Sunday nights so much. 

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What am I up to this week?

I have 12 senior facilities this week, and I think I’ll try to do some of the Grateful Dead songs I’m doing for my Wednesday online show when they are appropriate. I like expanding the list sometimes if I think it will benefit folks to hear the music.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be Grateful Dead and Bob Weir songs. I’ve been working hard to learn some new-to-me songs as well as old favorites. Bob had some interesting songs he did solo that I think folks will really enjoy, and everybody knows those key Grateful Dead songs like “Truckin’” and “Friend of the Devil”. Come on out if you like their music or would like to hear why I like them so much.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always, and I’m always working on new requests for folks. Sometimes I think my brain will explode with all the new music I’m pumping into it all the time. Come on out!

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That’s it for this week. Best to you as you navigate this ever-changing world. Try to do it with a little give and take.

Best,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of Grateful Dead and Bob Weir songs

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

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

Reacting

I’m writing today in reaction to how people reacted to the news in the past week and how I have reacted throughout my life. It has taken years for me to learn how to respond to my feelings about things that have happened to me and around me over my life. I’m not going to comment on the news that happened except to say that I never think it’s good to react immediately to the perception of events - partially because it’s not good to judge on first sight, and partially because I see how often people try to manipulate a particular opinion. Life is just seldom what it appears on first glance, and over my life I have let myself react so quickly to things that have happened to me. When I was a kid I could see ulterior motives in everything. Someone was always out to cheat me or “get my goat” somehow. Maybe this is the logical reaction when we are young and don’t have any wisdom yet, but it can lead to so many misunderstandings and so much avoidable pain. At some point I started looking for the good in situations instead of the hidden forces I thought were out to get me. I know it can be a fine line, but it’s so hard to live life in fear of others. The truth is more often that they are involved in their own lives and aren’t really considering what I’m thinking. That’s unfortunate too, but at least they aren’t out to get me for the most part. At times I’m sure I am naive to dangers around me, but I also believe that good things are drawn to those who do good and have good thoughts. This is a little woo-woo, but it has been true in my life. Either way it’s the right thing to do. At least it lets me live my life with peace and joy at the heart of life instead of fear and suspicion. To me that’s worthwhile.

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What have I been up to?

Last week I had 9 senior facilities to play for. We had a pretty good snowstorm that made me reschedule my 2 Friday facilities which were both in the path of a lot of snow and an hour drive away. I’ll pick those up on this coming Saturday. I enjoyed playing a lot of hopeful songs for folks to start the new year right.

My Wednesday online show was also playing hopeful songs, and there were some really good ones. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I had a lot of good requests. I love my audience.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests, and I tried a couple new songs that were requested. I don’t like going out on the edge, and these were difficult songs, but I think they came out okay if a little rough. It’s funny how I sometimes I can pull off a song from accumulated experience and sometimes they almost fall apart. Oh well, it’s part of getting older!

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What am I up to this week?

I have 11 senior facilities this week including the 2 I rescheduled from last Friday. I’m looking forward to seeing the folks and giving them some good tunes and encouragement.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be hopeful songs again since there are so many more great tunes I still haven’t gotten to. It will be a sweet night, and I’d love to have you in the audience if this sounds like a show you’d enjoy.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests as always. I really do have some nice moments with good folks at these shows, and you’re always welcome.

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That’s it for this week. I hope you like my musings on life, and I always welcome comments and friendly responses. We’re all in this together.

Best,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of hopeful songs

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

When:  Wednesday, January 14, 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, January 18, 7-8:45 pm mountain time 

Starting the New Year

We’ve put up the new calendars and started new file folders for the new year. Hopefully I’ll remember to put 2026 on my invoices and correspondences sooner than later. I haven’t made any new year’s resolutions although I am keeping a positive horizon in my mind. The new year always represents hope to me. I tend to be pretty idealistic in my general attitude. I’m not sure I could function from day to day if I had the pessimistic view that so many folks carry into their lives every day. It’s just too easy to choose to not see the potential and beauty in our world. I’ve written these kinds of thoughts before. I see the world as a wondrous place that we are so fortunate to be a part of. I cherish every opportunity I get to interact with people and also to spend time in nature. Even when things aren’t going so good I take pleasure in the small things of life. I just know that every day is a gift and that every moment is something to savor. As I get older I see this even more although I definitely see the diminishing returns as my body can’t quite manage what I used to be able to do. It’s all good though. Life is so intricately intertwined in so many fantastic ways. I hope that this kind of thought can bring you hope too if you need it.

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What have I been up to?

I had 8 senior facilities scheduled last week, but 2 had to be cancelled due to illness. I wish those folks well and am hoping that they will be better soon. The rest of the facilities saw some fun shows with lots of enthusiasm for the new year. I even played electric guitar for a few of them.

My Wednesday online show was party songs for New Year’s Eve as we counted down and celebrated the midnight hour a few hours early so folks could get to bed at an earlier hour. It was so much fun and so full of energy.

My Sunday online show was favorites and requests as always and …

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What am I up to this week?

I have 9 senior facilities week, and I’m hoping that more don’t have illness as it has been going around quite a bit between flu and Covid. I’ll be playing hopeful songs for them just as I am playing hopeful songs for my Wednesday night online show.

My Wednesday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be hopeful songs as I just mentioned. I like to start the new year with hopeful songs so that folks feel encouraged to dive into the year with abandon. No matter where life finds us we should always be able to have hope and joy. Come on out if you could use a dose of hope to start the new year.

My Sunday online show 7-8:45 mountain time will be favorites and requests once again, and this night is always such a fulfilling evening of friends and tunes. It’s always surprising and so much fun. Tune in if you’re free.

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That’s it for this week. I find myself once again saying that I hope you’re healthy and happy. 

Best for a great new year,

Tom

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Details this week:

Who:  Tom Munch 

What:  playing and singing an online concert of hopeful songs

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

When:  Wednesday, January 7, 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, January 11, 7-8:45 pm mountain time