I’m at a loss what to write about this week. Hopefully walking through my thought process with me will be entertaining and inspiring. Let me tell you my mindset today. I’m a little groggy because we’ve been up a lot during the nights while caregiving for our old collie who has had a series of maladies. I’m a little at sea because I’m still grieving for my mother and am in limbo about my career and the upcoming year until we wrap up her estate. There are other things that are affecting me too, but those are the biggies. So what do I do when I wake up with these things weighing on me? I harbor a deep appreciation for my fellow man and our situation here on the earth. I believe that people are good and are full of love and light. I know that this life is a wonderful playground of stimulus and opportunities. So I frame my thoughts around the big picture of just how special this life and this time is. I realize that life may seem like a struggle daily, but I fill my mind with the wonder of our situation and the beauty of the universe. I work my body to feel good and have energy, and I work my mind to feel sharp and viable. Then I look at what I can do to help others with the talents I have been given. That is enough for me, and I repeat it each day.
What have I been up to?
Magpies was great fun two weeks ago. I did a bunch of songs to honor Chuck Pyle, and then rounded out the evening with '60's tunes and requests. Then I had a last-minute booking last Saturday at Eiler's Place in Bojon Town that a couple of my regulars made. That was s bunch of fun too. I found out that younger folks like my music still too!
What's up this week?
Thursday I have a private gig I've told you about before - playing for the Council of State Governments annual fall training week in Colorado Springs. I mention it because it's such a wonderful bipartisan gathering that I always enjoy being a part of.
Friday I'm back at Magpies 7-10. I thought about bringing the Christmas sing-along sheets this week, but I think it's too early, so let's do the sing-along on the 18th. I have a couple new mics this week that I think will make my voice sound smoother and more mellifluous, so let's do some big vocal songs Friday. I’ll take your requests!
Saturday at 4:30 I'm playing for the Avondale Community Tree Lighting in Pueblo County. This is put on by a community group called PCP (People Caring for People) that helps the people of Avondale, Boone, and the surrounding areas, and partners with local schools to involve adults and children in improving the appearance of the community. The tree lighting will be at the land they purchased at the NW corner of Hwy 50 and Avondale Blvd. This lot will be the future home of the Avondale Veterans Memorial Park, and they’ve been using it for the tree lighting since 2010. You can read more about the group at their Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/PeopleCaringForPeople. The East High School choir will also be performing, and Santa will be there as well as many other activities including a posada. It sounds like a lot of fun, and I love being part of community events like this. A proud community enjoying the season! Check out photos of previous tree lightings on their Facebook page. Please come if you can. Here is also the Facebook page for the event - https://www.facebook.com/events/1637518173167698/.
Best,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, December 4, 7-10 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for the Avondale Community Tree Lighting
Where: Pueblo County across from Loaf 'N' Jug at the NW corner of US Highway 50 Business & Avondale Blvd
When: Saturday, December 5, 4:30 to as long as they go
Monday, November 30, 2015
Monday, November 16, 2015
Silent Mentor
I helped with a memorial last Saturday for an old friend/acquaintance, Chuck Pyle, who passed away suddenly while fishing a week ago Friday, and it really got me thinking in ways you might not expect. I say friend/acquaintance because although we talked quite a bit many years ago, we never really got to know each other, and hadn’t talked much in several years. In truth, I think he was a mentor more than a friend, and I’ll tell you what I mean.
When I started playing professional gigs 35 years ago, I really didn’t know where I would end up, and I had an epiphany when I decided to do music more full-time in 1983. As I sat in a parking lot in Red River, New Mexico, I considered my life and where my passions were, and I made a decision to pursue music more whole-heartedly. I was writing an album of my own songs, and I was looking for gigs for the upcoming summer, and as I sat there in my pickup I wrote a song called “Playin’ for Keeps”. It expressed my commitment to pursue the music I loved, and the trip was successful in that I booked a few places to play that next summer.
At one of the places I ended up playing, Texas Reds, I met a traveling singer/songwriter who was playing the next night at Texas Reds (that was Chuck Pyle). I was playing there most weeks Thursday through Saturday, and quite often Chuck was on his way back to Colorado from Texas and would play Sunday for a great dancing crowd of locals. I knew a song of Chuck’s, “Other Side of the Hill”, that I had learned from a Bill and Bonnie Hearne album, and I wanted to hear him play, so I came back on Sunday and was blown away. Chuck’s finger picking on the guitar was so much more intricate than what I was doing, and his guitar tone, easy style, and strong backbeat were simply amazing. We hit it off talking shop right away - guitar pickups, sound systems, etc. That’s what got us calling each other on a regular basis back then.
But by the late ’80’s we had stopped calling so much, and when I met a common friend while looking for guitars in Salt Lake City in the early ’90’s I listened to Chuck’s playing on recordings and was blown away all over again. In fact, listening to Chuck play made me change my guitar style all over again. I have played with many styles over the years - flatpick, fingerpick, bare fingers, but Chuck’s style had a percussion and feel that I really wanted to incorporate into my playing. So I went to hear Chuck several times and got reacquainted with him a bit. Over the next couple years I modified my style to incorporate some of the percussive elements and backbeat of Chuck’s style that I admired so much. (Just so you know, this is the two-step beat that is so prevalent in the dance clubs of New Mexico, and the music that I had heard in my teenage years at Philmont and in Taos and Red River.)
So Chuck was a silent mentor to me as I studied his guitar style and brought some of that heartfelt rhythm into my own style. Chuck was well known across the West, and you would love his music. I just wanted to give credit where credit is due and offer him a genuine “Thanks!” for the influence and musical prodding.
What have I been up to the past couple weeks?
Magpies went really well the Friday before last, and it ended up being a ’60’s night which was a lot of fun! Then I had a wonderful show on Veterans Day for the vets in Walsenburg.
What’s on tap this week?
Friday I’m back at Magpies 7-10. I always look forward to seeing everyone at Magpies, and we have such a great group of folks who come down to enjoy the music, food, and camaraderie. I’ll probably play some of Chuck Pyle’s music this week since he has been in my thoughts so much over the past week. You may remember his song, “Moonglow Rising”, that starts my “Signature” album. Anyway, it will be a lot of fun. Please come out if you can.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, November 20, 7-10 pm
When I started playing professional gigs 35 years ago, I really didn’t know where I would end up, and I had an epiphany when I decided to do music more full-time in 1983. As I sat in a parking lot in Red River, New Mexico, I considered my life and where my passions were, and I made a decision to pursue music more whole-heartedly. I was writing an album of my own songs, and I was looking for gigs for the upcoming summer, and as I sat there in my pickup I wrote a song called “Playin’ for Keeps”. It expressed my commitment to pursue the music I loved, and the trip was successful in that I booked a few places to play that next summer.
At one of the places I ended up playing, Texas Reds, I met a traveling singer/songwriter who was playing the next night at Texas Reds (that was Chuck Pyle). I was playing there most weeks Thursday through Saturday, and quite often Chuck was on his way back to Colorado from Texas and would play Sunday for a great dancing crowd of locals. I knew a song of Chuck’s, “Other Side of the Hill”, that I had learned from a Bill and Bonnie Hearne album, and I wanted to hear him play, so I came back on Sunday and was blown away. Chuck’s finger picking on the guitar was so much more intricate than what I was doing, and his guitar tone, easy style, and strong backbeat were simply amazing. We hit it off talking shop right away - guitar pickups, sound systems, etc. That’s what got us calling each other on a regular basis back then.
But by the late ’80’s we had stopped calling so much, and when I met a common friend while looking for guitars in Salt Lake City in the early ’90’s I listened to Chuck’s playing on recordings and was blown away all over again. In fact, listening to Chuck play made me change my guitar style all over again. I have played with many styles over the years - flatpick, fingerpick, bare fingers, but Chuck’s style had a percussion and feel that I really wanted to incorporate into my playing. So I went to hear Chuck several times and got reacquainted with him a bit. Over the next couple years I modified my style to incorporate some of the percussive elements and backbeat of Chuck’s style that I admired so much. (Just so you know, this is the two-step beat that is so prevalent in the dance clubs of New Mexico, and the music that I had heard in my teenage years at Philmont and in Taos and Red River.)
So Chuck was a silent mentor to me as I studied his guitar style and brought some of that heartfelt rhythm into my own style. Chuck was well known across the West, and you would love his music. I just wanted to give credit where credit is due and offer him a genuine “Thanks!” for the influence and musical prodding.
What have I been up to the past couple weeks?
Magpies went really well the Friday before last, and it ended up being a ’60’s night which was a lot of fun! Then I had a wonderful show on Veterans Day for the vets in Walsenburg.
What’s on tap this week?
Friday I’m back at Magpies 7-10. I always look forward to seeing everyone at Magpies, and we have such a great group of folks who come down to enjoy the music, food, and camaraderie. I’ll probably play some of Chuck Pyle’s music this week since he has been in my thoughts so much over the past week. You may remember his song, “Moonglow Rising”, that starts my “Signature” album. Anyway, it will be a lot of fun. Please come out if you can.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, November 20, 7-10 pm
Monday, November 2, 2015
Quantum Entanglement and Who We Are
I've been reading and contemplating again, and that always makes for dangerous thoughts that I’m going to share. I’ve been reading about quantum physics again, and I got to dwelling on quantum entanglement. Quantum Entanglement is (from wikipedia) “a physical phenomenon that occurs when pairs or groups of particles are generated or interact in ways such that the quantum state of each particle cannot be described independently—instead, a quantum state may be given for the system as a whole.” That sounds pretty technical, but what it comes down to is that particles operate in pairs where the action on one particle is mirrored in real time on the other particle whether they are next to each other or a universe apart. Einstein called this “spooky action at a distance” and it does seem a little magical and even spooky - especially when you consider that these particles are not only inside of us but in every other object and being in the entire universe. If you extrapolate this back to the big bang it means that we are all entangled on a quantum level since we are all part of that original piece of matter that formed the universe. In a very real sense we are all one. Not only that, but the actions we take effect every other person and thing in the entire universe - on a quantum level. Kind of puts a different spin on our ordinary problems we fuss with every day, huh? So when you wonder why you know that a friend or relative is hurting even though you haven’t talked to them, or when you sense that something is wrong with a physical object in your day like your car, now you know that there is a scientific reason for this supposed spiritual or psychic phenomena. Maybe spirituality and science aren’t so far apart! If you want more info, there’s a fun and quick explanation on YouTube at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X93XMwOG66E&list=FLFEh0O95Z6UE-y_Kog0svXw&index=1
and the wikipedia entry is here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement
What happened since I last wrote?
Magpies, the Goodnight Barn art reception, and my private party went really well! So many good friends came out to Magpies, the Goodnight reception was perfect with such great art, and the private party was a bullseye surprise with perfect weather at a beautiful location.
Then Halloween I only played Alzheimer’s and nursing gigs which was fine and fun. It saved you all from having to hear me sing “Monster Mash” again. ;-)
What’s up this week?
I’m at Magpies Friday 7-10 for what promises to be a great time. I so look forward to these evening with good friends and good food. I haven’t made a plan for what I’m going to sing yet, so be prepared for some surprises. Hope to see you there!
That’s it for this week. I need to go contemplate some more!
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, November 6, 7-10 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X93XMwOG66E&list=FLFEh0O95Z6UE-y_Kog0svXw&index=1
and the wikipedia entry is here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_entanglement
What happened since I last wrote?
Magpies, the Goodnight Barn art reception, and my private party went really well! So many good friends came out to Magpies, the Goodnight reception was perfect with such great art, and the private party was a bullseye surprise with perfect weather at a beautiful location.
Then Halloween I only played Alzheimer’s and nursing gigs which was fine and fun. It saved you all from having to hear me sing “Monster Mash” again. ;-)
What’s up this week?
I’m at Magpies Friday 7-10 for what promises to be a great time. I so look forward to these evening with good friends and good food. I haven’t made a plan for what I’m going to sing yet, so be prepared for some surprises. Hope to see you there!
That’s it for this week. I need to go contemplate some more!
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, November 6, 7-10 pm
Monday, October 12, 2015
Friendship
I’m thinking about friends this week after seeing several friends over the past couple weeks and contemplating seeing friends this week at Magpies. There is something so special about sharing a bond with another person. I’ve often heard it said that in the end the only things that matter in our lives are friends and family. I see that more and more as the years go by. There are so few things in life that we can give that mean as much as just caring for another human being. I hope that I can always see past the moment to the greater picture of this life we share, and that this can always make me appreciate those around me. Moreover I want to always give to others unselfishly and with grace, and to strengthen the bonds of friendship through genuine caring and camaraderie.
What happened last week?
Friday night was a great last regular performance of the Song of Pueblo for the season. We had a little smaller crowd, but they didn’t lack for enthusiasm and support of our efforts to celebrate the history of southern Colorado!
Saturday we had a packed house for the Song of Pueblo in La Veta at the Francisco Theater. It was electric! The folks were so appreciative, and the little theater is a spectacular place to perform!
What’s up this week?
Friday 7-10 I return to Magpies to bask in the magic down under in the Tap Room that is always fun to be a part of. Good friends, good food, great atmosphere, home! Please come out if you can.
Saturday 4-7 I’m playing at the Goodnight Trail Art Auction and Sale at El Pueblo History Museum. This should be a fun event with some great western artists all out to raise money to help restore the Goodnight Barn west of town. I’ll have my western duds on and will be playing some cowboy music in the historic style.
Sunday I’m playing a private party in the Springs that I’m really looking forward to.
That’s it for this week. Thank you for your friendship!
Tom
Details:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, October 16, 7-10 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for the Goodnight Trail Art Auction and Sale
Where: El Pueblo History Museum, 301 N. Union, Pueblo.
When: Saturday, October 17, 4-7 pm
Monday, October 5, 2015
The Power of Music
I've just returned from a reunion where I thought in-depth about the power of music in our lives. The occasion was a reunion in Iowa for Philmont Scout Ranch which I've written about before. I provided entertainment and led a "campfire" session Saturday night. I also helped a young musician named Ellyn with ideas for her master's thesis on the value of music to memory and community, and that's what really got me thinking. Music seems to reach a depth of emotion and meaning that is hard to capture with words alone, and it pushes enough brain buttons all at once so that it really packs a punch! I've seen this fact before in different studies including writings by Oliver Sacks, but I saw it firsthand as I watched the reactions on the faces of the people assembled to listen and sing along. Music just reaches deeper and makes us experience life in all its richness. It's a joy to be involved in the making and sharing of this wonderful gift!
What have I been up to recently?
I haven't written in a few weeks, and that's mostly because I haven't had public gigs on the weekend. I did the Senior Safari and the Song of Pueblo a few weeks ago, and they both went really well! They had the most people in attendance ever for the Safari, and the Song of Pueblo went swimmingly too! Then two weeks later I played and DJ'd for a wedding for a good friend that was definitely fun! Lastly I played for the aforementioned reunion that was very fulfilling. I am blessed.
What's up this week?
Friday at 7:00 we are playing the Song of Pueblo at PCC one more time for the year. These performances at this venue have gone really well, and this is the last chance to see the show at PCC this year, so if you haven't seen it, then come on out! Tickets are $15 and are available at the Visitor Information Center, 301 North Union, 719-543-2430. You can call to reserve tickets and they’ll be waiting for you at the show.
Saturday we are playing the Song of Pueblo in La Veta at the Francisco Center for the Performing Arts at 7:00. We haven't performed this in La Veta for a few years, and we've been dying to get back up there to do it again. If you're in the area, please come out! Tickets are $20 and are available at North by Southwest 719-742-3307.
That's it for this week. Take care of yourselves, and put the power of music into your life.
Best,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch with Johnny Watson, David Enke, & Alan Polivka
What: playing, singing, & telling the history of Pueblo at the Song of Pueblo oratorio
Where: Hoag Theater, Pueblo Community College, Orman and Arthur, Pueblo. 719-543-2430 for tickets
When: Friday, October 9, 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:00)
Who: Tom Munch with Johnny Watson, David Enke, & Alan Polivka
What: playing, singing, & telling the history of Pueblo at the Song of Pueblo oratorio
Where: Francisco Center for the Performing Arts, 127 W Francisco, La Veta. Tickets are $20 and are available at North by Southwest 719-742-3307
When: Saturday, October 10, 7:00 pm
Monday, September 7, 2015
The Wonder and Value of History
I’ve been thinking about some of the historical things I’ve found at my mom’s house, the historical projects I’ve been involved with, and the effect these have had on me. As we’ve been going through my mother and dad’s things at the house, we’ve often come across old letters and remembrances of some of the experiences my ancestors went through - from illnesses and heartaches to unfortunate hardships and deaths that are far beyond anything I have gone through and probably ever will. I marvel at how they seemed to take it in stride and continue on with life unabated. I also see this in the history projects I have been involved with and relayed - from the explorers to the pioneers to the people who forged our cities and institutions. They had an iron constitution that seemed to be full of rigor and spunk. There are times I feel the weight of the world with all the tasks I’ve taken on, and sometimes this leads to some whiny self pity. It is these times I remember those who came before me who didn’t seem to be so affected by such small inconveniences. I seek to live my life from joy and love, and when I see how our ancestors bore up under these hardships, I realize that their endurance afforded me this space to have my life, and I hope that they also lived with joy and love.
How did last week go?
The weekend playing with the Atomic Fireballs was a blast! (I say this before I play with them today, Monday, but I’m sure today will be great fun as well. Come on out if you’re looking for something to do on Labor Day 12:30-4:30.) I forget how much fun I have playing with a team of seasoned veteran players. The wedding on Sunday was also a great occasion with a beautiful couple and caring family in a wonderful setting.
What’s up this week?
Wednesday I’m playing the Senior Safari at the Pueblo Zoo again 10:30-1:00. This is one of those wonderful annual events I get to enjoy with so many of the people I get to play for on a regular basis at the different facilities I visit each week. It’s like a great pizza party that also happens to have wild animals and devoted staff. All seniors are welcome, and admission is Free for them to the zoo all day.
Saturday we’re performing the Song of Pueblo at Pueblo Community College Hoag Theater at 7:00. We’ve really enjoyed this grand venue, and I think the show has never been better. This is one of those history projects I wrote of above that are so rewarding personally. Please come out if you can. Tickets are $15 and are available at the Visitor Information Center, 301 North Union, 719-543-2430. You can call to reserve tickets and they’ll be waiting for you at the show.
That’s it for now. Have a wonderful Labor Day!
Best,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing at the Senior Safari - FREE to all senior citizens
Where: Pueblo Zoo
When: Wednesday, September 9, 10:30-1:00 (event runs 10:00-2:00)
Who: Tom Munch with Johnny Watson, David Enke, & Alan Polivka
What: playing, singing, & telling the history of Pueblo at the Song of Pueblo oratorio
Where: Hoag Theater, Pueblo Community College, Orman and Arthur, Pueblo. 719-543-2430 for tickets
When: Saturday, September 12, 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:00)
How did last week go?
The weekend playing with the Atomic Fireballs was a blast! (I say this before I play with them today, Monday, but I’m sure today will be great fun as well. Come on out if you’re looking for something to do on Labor Day 12:30-4:30.) I forget how much fun I have playing with a team of seasoned veteran players. The wedding on Sunday was also a great occasion with a beautiful couple and caring family in a wonderful setting.
What’s up this week?
Wednesday I’m playing the Senior Safari at the Pueblo Zoo again 10:30-1:00. This is one of those wonderful annual events I get to enjoy with so many of the people I get to play for on a regular basis at the different facilities I visit each week. It’s like a great pizza party that also happens to have wild animals and devoted staff. All seniors are welcome, and admission is Free for them to the zoo all day.
Saturday we’re performing the Song of Pueblo at Pueblo Community College Hoag Theater at 7:00. We’ve really enjoyed this grand venue, and I think the show has never been better. This is one of those history projects I wrote of above that are so rewarding personally. Please come out if you can. Tickets are $15 and are available at the Visitor Information Center, 301 North Union, 719-543-2430. You can call to reserve tickets and they’ll be waiting for you at the show.
That’s it for now. Have a wonderful Labor Day!
Best,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing at the Senior Safari - FREE to all senior citizens
Where: Pueblo Zoo
When: Wednesday, September 9, 10:30-1:00 (event runs 10:00-2:00)
Who: Tom Munch with Johnny Watson, David Enke, & Alan Polivka
What: playing, singing, & telling the history of Pueblo at the Song of Pueblo oratorio
Where: Hoag Theater, Pueblo Community College, Orman and Arthur, Pueblo. 719-543-2430 for tickets
When: Saturday, September 12, 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:00)
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
It's Going to Take Some Time
The line from Carole King, “it’s going to take some time this time” keeps going through my mind this morning. I just feel like I’m drifting through space and time this week without any direction. I’m not grieving as much as I’m just trying to understand when (and if) life will ever be back to some sort of normalcy. Part of it is the lingering feeling that I’m not sure where I belong in the grand scheme of things - relating to the feeling of the hierarchy of my life changing without a matriarch at the head of our family. The other part is that I’m beginning to realize the full extent of what it will take to move, organize, and disperse everything my mom had accumulated over the years. My sisters are helping with this tremendously, and so it’s not as big as when I was contemplating doing most of this myself when I agreed to it a dozen years ago. At the time I was the only one without children, with a flexible job (being self-employed), and close enough to my parents’ home to travel there frequently. So I feel like I’m drifting a bit. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it has even inspired a couple of songs for my instrumental guitar album - one that sounds like drifting, and one that is a comfort song. And as I said before, performing music keeps me grounded in a very real way - it is solid and reassuring. So I’ll take this time to drift a while, knowing that life has these moments, and setting my sails for the warm breezes to come.
What’s up this week?
I’m playing at the Royal Gorge Bridge with the Atomic Fireballs Saturday 10:30 to 2:30 and Monday 12:30 to 4:30 for the Labor Day weekend. It should be a blast! Please come up if you can. We’re playing on the south side of the bridge on the new stage. Why am I not there on Sunday, you might ask. because I’m playing a wedding for a good friend’s daughter. That will be a joyous occasion, I know. The band will be at the bridge without me that day, so go on up and cheer them on!
That’s it for this week. I hope to see you soon.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch and the Atomic Fireballs
What: playing and singing
Where: South side of the Royal Gorge at the Royal Gorge Bridge on the new stage just off the bridge
When: Saturday, September 5, 10:30 am-2:30 pm, and Monday, September 7, 12:30-4:30 pm
Monday, August 17, 2015
Numb, but Gaining Perspective
I’m back in Pueblo again and am trying to get back into my routine somewhat. I’m more rattled than I thought I would be with the loss of my mom. It’s not that I didn’t think I would be affected a great deal, but it has left me numb in ways I couldn’t have guessed. I will be missing a lot of gigs into the fall and early winter of this year as I help to settle her estate. There’s so much to do. And I didn’t expect to just feel numb and have the wind taken out of my sails as I do. But I’m finding comfort in the rising of the sun and the little beauties of the world. Music is always a well of meaning and mystery for me that I find solace in, and it reminds me of the wonder in the world, and the energy that courses through us all. I am changed forever somehow, but I value the experiences I have had, and I thank my mom and my life for all I have been given.
What’s up this week?
Friday we’re putting on the Song of Pueblo at PCC at 7:00. We’ll have all the changes we had prepared for last time to show off that I hope you’ll like. Tickets are $15 and are available at the Visitor Information Center, 301 North Union, 719-543-2430. You can call to reserve tickets and they’ll be waiting for you at the show. I hope you’ll come and experience his vibrant history.
That’s it for this week. As I said before, my schedule is going to be changed week by week as I navigate settling my mother’s estate with my siblings. I hope to keep most of the weekend gigs I have scheduled.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch with Johnny Watson, David Enke, & Alan Polivka
What: playing, singing, & telling the history of Pueblo at the Song of Pueblo oratorio
Where: Hoag Theater, Pueblo Community College, Orman and Arthur, Pueblo. 719-543-2430 for tickets
When: Friday, August 21, 7:00 pm
What’s up this week?
Friday we’re putting on the Song of Pueblo at PCC at 7:00. We’ll have all the changes we had prepared for last time to show off that I hope you’ll like. Tickets are $15 and are available at the Visitor Information Center, 301 North Union, 719-543-2430. You can call to reserve tickets and they’ll be waiting for you at the show. I hope you’ll come and experience his vibrant history.
That’s it for this week. As I said before, my schedule is going to be changed week by week as I navigate settling my mother’s estate with my siblings. I hope to keep most of the weekend gigs I have scheduled.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch with Johnny Watson, David Enke, & Alan Polivka
What: playing, singing, & telling the history of Pueblo at the Song of Pueblo oratorio
Where: Hoag Theater, Pueblo Community College, Orman and Arthur, Pueblo. 719-543-2430 for tickets
When: Friday, August 21, 7:00 pm
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Sad News
My mother's journey is over. She passed at 2:10 this morning (8/4/2015). I'm saddened but also filled with wonder and joy.
Monday, August 3, 2015
An Update on My Mother
I haven't sent out an update because I've been back and forth to Nebraska to see my mother as she struggles with her stroke and the aftermath. She did okay after the first couple days, and we were all hoping she was on the road to some kind of recovery, but alas she was in trouble by last Friday - unresponsive and no longer talking and able to open her eyes with help. Her swelling in her brain was putting pressure on her brain stem and starting to shut down her systems. It was a really hard decision, but knowing that she didn't want to end up in a nursing home, and hearing the doctor say he didn't think she could make it through surgery to relieve the pressure, we chose to put her on "comfort care" only, and take her off the feeding tube. It was a sad and difficult decision, and I'm still struggling with it, but we don't want her to suffer or have a miserable time - especially if we insisted on surgery and she didn't make it through it and so we lost her in a horrible trauma to her and us.
I have had a chance to spend time alone with her and express my thanks for all she has given me and the love and care she has never held back. I have gotten to sing her favorite songs for her several times, and this has meant the world to me to give the love she gave me back to her through music. She especially likes the song, "Bristlecone Pine."
I can't tell you how sad a journey this has been, but there has been a lot of joy and sharing as well. We even got to do a birthday celebration for her last Saturday - sharing stories and singing songs. Her 90th birthday was last January, but we were going to have a birthday celebration on the same Saturday in the mountains of New Mexico for family and friends, and so we were able to do the same thing for her in a different place. She seemed to enjoy it although she was only fluttering eyelids occasionally. She was very peaceful. She liked to sit in the background and listen and watch everyone when we got together, and so she did this at her party.
Now she probably has only a few hours left, and we in the family are telling her stories still, listening to music, and reassuring her that we will all be okay. It is a very special thing to get to offer the love we can to such a strong and vibrant woman who gave so much to us.
Sadly,
Tom
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)