I was playing music Saturday night and was struck at how easy it was to get thrown off my game. What happened was that I was experimenting with different guitars and techniques at my gig (big surprise, huh?), and because I couldn’t hear as well as I’d like to and because something was not set up right on the guitar I was playing, I found myself suddenly kind of lost and very moody and unhappy. I’ve heard of other guitar players saying this when they just couldn’t get their “sound” and were suddenly at sea. This made me think of how much we seek comfort in our everyday situations to maintain a sense of happiness and rightness with the world. I don’t know if it’s a need for control or whether it’s something else inside our psyche that needs for everything to be just “so”, but it’s a weird feeling and something that can really throw you off for while. My “go to” solution is to jump to the big picture and say that the situation just doesn’t matter in light of how big and wonderful the universe is, and that’s probably what I did that night. But beyond that I find that having the flexibility to go with the situation and to find the hidden gems within the uncomfortability can really be rewarding. I see the most creative and contented people do this, and it fascinates me and makes me seek to explore these situations myself. I once heard that stress is the most powerful force for change in our world, and handling it with finesse and joy would be a hoot!
What have I been up to?
Last Saturday I had two wonderful gigs.
Playing for Tosha’s 40th birthday party at one of the nursing facilities Saturday evening was just very special. You may have seen my post on Facebook about this. Tosha was not expected to live for more than a few weeks when she was born because of multiple medical conditions, and to reach her 40th birthday as a happy and loving person even though she deals with quadriplegia is amazing. Happy Birthday, Tosha!
Saturday night I had a great crowd of folks I haven’t seen in ages at PDub’s. Brad Schoolland, the proprietor, sat in on several tunes, I switched off on several guitars, and it was overall a really fun night (although as I wrote above I was having some technical difficulties that threw me off a bit.). Thanks to all who came out!
What’s up this week?
Sunday I’m doing another online concert from our living room from my first-Sunday series of concerts we started a couple months ago. I haven’t decided on a theme yet, but it will be an engaging and fun night of friends and music as always. Maybe I'll lean towards spring tunes? Or maybe it would be fun to turn towards cowboy and historic music. Hmmm...we'll see. Tune in to concertwindow.com/tommunch at 7:00 mountain time if you'd like to listen and join in on the conversation.
That's it for this week. I really appreciate all the kind condolences that so many of you sent about our sweet little cat, Nisi. We miss her terribly, but we are so glad she was part of our lives - if even for a short time. Looking at the summer I'm talking to the Royal Gorge Bridge about possibly doing some weekly solo shows on their big stage at Elk Park. I'll keep you posted. Maybe it'll make me comfortable and happy! 😉
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing
Where: online at https://www.concertwindow.com/tommunch
When: Sunday, April 2, 7-8ish pm MST
Monday, March 27, 2017
Monday, March 20, 2017
The Unexpected
Life is always a give and take, and much of it is dealing with things we don't expect. This is both a challenge and a blessing. Some of the biggest delights happen unexpectedly, and also some of the biggest disappointments happen the same way. To try to mitigate them completely is impossible, and just like the roses along the path, if we could mitigate them we would miss out on some pretty wonderful things. We also would miss out on some pretty painful things that can teach us and make us grow. We experienced this in the last week with the passing of our cat, Nisi (short for Anisette). My wife, Jen, found her little lifeless but still beautiful furry black body Saturday morning after she was absent most of the day Friday and then overnight into Saturday. It appeared she had been attacked by a bigger animal. She loved being outside to frolic and hunt, and we knew this fact since we had gotten her from friends who had lived in Gardner with her for her first 4 or so years. Pueblo West can be a dangerous place for outside cats with our rural setting and frequent wildlife sightings, but we accepted that this was how she wanted to live, and we got used to her sometime forays lasting all night. It was still unexpected to find she had been caught while doing what she loved to do - like a daredevil in a way. But she taught us a lot about living in the moment and enjoying life, and so we are sad but pleased that she came into our life unexpectedly and exited unexpectedly as well. Cherish the unexpected, my friends. It can be the best parts of life. And in her spirit I'll include the blog post I wrote about her three years ago entitled, "My Cat Understands".
My Cat Understands
I've been writing about pretty heady subjects of late. I guess I’m trying to be wise and learn from all the reading and living I’ve been doing. Funny thing is, my cat seems to have more wisdom than I do sometimes - especially in the morning. She waits until she knows I’m rushing to get something done, and then she comes to me for affection. I usually try to pick her up and cuddle her for a while, and of course this has a wonderful calming and loving effect on both of us. It also reminds me that there are more important things in life - giving and receiving love and caring. The most interesting thing she shows me is when I’m not totally present there for her. She gets annoyed and will bite me. At first I thought she was wanting to play or was being mean, but I more realize that she is actually teaching me to be in the moment and to let other things go. When I do that and talk to her, then she doesn’t bite or get annoyed by me. Now I suppose I could see this as a cat being selfish, but I don’t think so. I think that she is more in touch with the meaning of living here on earth - wanting to enjoy each moment and putting the passion in everything that life is really about. So I say, “Thank you.” to her, and I hope you get these moments, however brief, in your life to enjoy.
What have I been up to?
Last week was full of wonderful Irish spirit with St. Patrick's Day even with our loss.
Friday was an all-Irish evening at Magpies with several guitars and lots of good friends celebrating the Irish with all the Irish tunes I could muster.
Saturday was another all-Irish evening at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence opening with young Celtic women dancers from Castle Rock and then me singing Irish songs and leading the wonderful audience in old favorites. It was quite a night!
What's up this week?
Saturday night 7-10 I'm back at PDub Brewery in Pueblo West for a night of great beer and music. I'm really enjoying the beer and camaraderie at PDubs, and they've made some adjustments so that the service should be outstanding this time out. I'm even expecting Brad Schoolland to sit in on a tune or two. He's the founder of the brewery and the fellow who had the accident last fall you may have read about in October. He's recovering well and ready to join me on stage. I'm looking forward to it all. Please come out if you can for a porter or cream ale and some live music.
What's on the horizon?
I just booked the Feed Store in Westcliffe for another concert this summer on August 20. This is always a highlight of the summer for me, and you just can't beat the setting in the park in the shade of the beautiful Sangres.
There's lots more coming, so stay tuned.
I guess that's it for this week. Many of you have offered condolences on Facebook about our little Nisi, and I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: singing and playing
Where: PDub Brewing Company Taproom, 181 S Purcell Blvd, Pueblo West, 719-647-8864
When: Saturday, March 25, 7-10 pm
My Cat Understands
I've been writing about pretty heady subjects of late. I guess I’m trying to be wise and learn from all the reading and living I’ve been doing. Funny thing is, my cat seems to have more wisdom than I do sometimes - especially in the morning. She waits until she knows I’m rushing to get something done, and then she comes to me for affection. I usually try to pick her up and cuddle her for a while, and of course this has a wonderful calming and loving effect on both of us. It also reminds me that there are more important things in life - giving and receiving love and caring. The most interesting thing she shows me is when I’m not totally present there for her. She gets annoyed and will bite me. At first I thought she was wanting to play or was being mean, but I more realize that she is actually teaching me to be in the moment and to let other things go. When I do that and talk to her, then she doesn’t bite or get annoyed by me. Now I suppose I could see this as a cat being selfish, but I don’t think so. I think that she is more in touch with the meaning of living here on earth - wanting to enjoy each moment and putting the passion in everything that life is really about. So I say, “Thank you.” to her, and I hope you get these moments, however brief, in your life to enjoy.
What have I been up to?
Last week was full of wonderful Irish spirit with St. Patrick's Day even with our loss.
Friday was an all-Irish evening at Magpies with several guitars and lots of good friends celebrating the Irish with all the Irish tunes I could muster.
Saturday was another all-Irish evening at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence opening with young Celtic women dancers from Castle Rock and then me singing Irish songs and leading the wonderful audience in old favorites. It was quite a night!
What's up this week?
Saturday night 7-10 I'm back at PDub Brewery in Pueblo West for a night of great beer and music. I'm really enjoying the beer and camaraderie at PDubs, and they've made some adjustments so that the service should be outstanding this time out. I'm even expecting Brad Schoolland to sit in on a tune or two. He's the founder of the brewery and the fellow who had the accident last fall you may have read about in October. He's recovering well and ready to join me on stage. I'm looking forward to it all. Please come out if you can for a porter or cream ale and some live music.
What's on the horizon?
I just booked the Feed Store in Westcliffe for another concert this summer on August 20. This is always a highlight of the summer for me, and you just can't beat the setting in the park in the shade of the beautiful Sangres.
There's lots more coming, so stay tuned.
I guess that's it for this week. Many of you have offered condolences on Facebook about our little Nisi, and I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: singing and playing
Where: PDub Brewing Company Taproom, 181 S Purcell Blvd, Pueblo West, 719-647-8864
When: Saturday, March 25, 7-10 pm
Monday, March 13, 2017
Change and Age
I’m modifying my guitar style again, and it has me thinking of how changes are made as we age. First, about my guitar style, I've principally used three guitar fingering techniques throughout my career - flatpicking, fingerpicking with fingerpicks and thumbpick, and fingerpicking with bare fingers. If you've heard me play in the last few years you know that I mainly use bare fingers and have a very beat-driven style where I slap my thumb or the back of my fingers on the strings for a backbeat. In past years with fingerpicks I would click the fingerpicks on the top of the guitar. With a flatpick I would thump the strings or guitar top every so often with fingers or the pick. It took a long time and a lot of brain gymnastics and callous-building to develop each of these techniques. Now I am changing my technique by incorporating a thumbpick into my bare finger technique and by using fingers with my flatpick technique so I can fingerpick in what is known as the "Nashville" style. The thumbpick allows more defined bass notes and faster picking, but it also complicates the thumb thumping on the strings. The flatpick with fingers allows the ability to have fingerpicked passages when using the flatpick for fast picking and strumming. It wouldn't seem that either of these would take much adaptation to master, but that's where the aging comes in. As we age we seem to lose brain plasticity - the ability to remap and rewire our brain to handle new patterns and concepts. I've definitely seen this with my brain - almost as if there is only so much capacity for change. I used to like trying new things - especially new menus and concepts on the computer or with electronic devices and instruments. But I found that I kind of burned out my brain's ability to do this at some point. So why am I changing my guitar style if I don't think my brain can handle it? Because I still thrill at a challenge, and I think that I should always be improving my music in whatever way I can. These changes will open me up to many more musical textures and sounds - from muting the strings to playing faster riffs and having better rhythm and much more. I know you'll see me stumble a little as you hear me over the next few months. This is akin to walking and chewing gum while juggling sometimes, but hopefully you'll also see more fire and dynamics in my playing. How about you? Do you thrill at change?
What have I been up to?
Friday Magpies was a blast a couple weeks ago with a bunch of guitars and a packed house. It was so much fun!
Sunday was the online living room concert in Nebraska, and it was great fun too. My wife, sister, and niece (and Beau, our dog) were a great audience in the room, and I had friends from all over the country tuning in. I mixed up some Irish tunes with some favorites and original tunes.
What’s up this week?
Friday is St. Patrick’s Day, and I know Magpies 7-10 will be a great place to celebrate. I’m always up for whatever the audience is up for, and I think it’ll include quite a few Irish favorites. I’ll have several guitars including my Lowden Irish guitar on hand and my picking fingers ready for some blazing jigs and sweet ballads. Come on out!
Saturday I get to be part of a fun Irish event 7-9 at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence where I performed a concert a few weeks back. The event will start with Celtic dancers and continue with me playing Irish music. I plan to do a lot of favorites with a few sing-alongs that everyone can join in on. Tickets are $8 for Bell Tower members and $10 for non-members. florenceartscouncil.com
What’s new on the horizon?
May 27 at 7:00 I just booked a concert in Elizabeth, CO, for the Coyote Creek Concert series. There’s more info at their website coyotecreekconcerts.com. I really enjoyed playing this a couple years back, and I’m thrilled that they’ve been doing such a great job for the folks there.
That’s it for this week. I’m working on taxes, but I also need to get back to practicing these new guitar techniques. Hope to see you soon!
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, March 17, 7-10 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing for Celtic night in Florence, CO
Where: Bell Tower Cultural Center, 201 East Second Street, 719-784-2038
When: Saturday, March 18, 7-9 pm
What have I been up to?
Friday Magpies was a blast a couple weeks ago with a bunch of guitars and a packed house. It was so much fun!
Sunday was the online living room concert in Nebraska, and it was great fun too. My wife, sister, and niece (and Beau, our dog) were a great audience in the room, and I had friends from all over the country tuning in. I mixed up some Irish tunes with some favorites and original tunes.
What’s up this week?
Friday is St. Patrick’s Day, and I know Magpies 7-10 will be a great place to celebrate. I’m always up for whatever the audience is up for, and I think it’ll include quite a few Irish favorites. I’ll have several guitars including my Lowden Irish guitar on hand and my picking fingers ready for some blazing jigs and sweet ballads. Come on out!
Saturday I get to be part of a fun Irish event 7-9 at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence where I performed a concert a few weeks back. The event will start with Celtic dancers and continue with me playing Irish music. I plan to do a lot of favorites with a few sing-alongs that everyone can join in on. Tickets are $8 for Bell Tower members and $10 for non-members. florenceartscouncil.com
What’s new on the horizon?
May 27 at 7:00 I just booked a concert in Elizabeth, CO, for the Coyote Creek Concert series. There’s more info at their website coyotecreekconcerts.com. I really enjoyed playing this a couple years back, and I’m thrilled that they’ve been doing such a great job for the folks there.
That’s it for this week. I’m working on taxes, but I also need to get back to practicing these new guitar techniques. Hope to see you soon!
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, March 17, 7-10 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing for Celtic night in Florence, CO
Where: Bell Tower Cultural Center, 201 East Second Street, 719-784-2038
When: Saturday, March 18, 7-9 pm
Monday, February 27, 2017
Justifying Things
I've been thinking about the things we tell ourselves and the things that others tell us and how we let these things affect us. What do I mean by this? Well, for me at least, I get ideas about things and other people - sometimes from what I read, sometimes from what I hear from others, and sometimes from what I think up myself. Sometimes they are just simple ideas, and sometimes they border on wild conspiracies, but how I absorb these things and how I act on them is what is important to me. It's very easy to just go along with the idea and let it affect me, but I'm better off when I ponder on it and weigh it against what I think is true and beneficial. I mean this for everything from believing a news story to justifying a purchase or big decision in my life. It seems there are a few steps in this process. 1) I read, hear, or think up the idea. 2) I decide what I think about it and how I'll act on it. 3) I justify my action. The justification step is the one which gives me pause. I'm as bad as anyone at justifying an action that there is no good justification for. Of course this takes a little bit of wisdom to work out, and you have to make some bad decisions and justifications to get this wisdom. Nonetheless, the extra time to ponder before I act is always time well spent. This avoids step 4 which tends to be remorse. Nobody likes dealing with this. And I always come back to wanting to live my life with joy and thoughtfulness, so avoiding remorse flows out of the process of pondering and thoughtfulness
What have I been up to?
Friday I picked up a gig with the Atomic Fireballs at the Steel City Eagles in Pueblo. It was great seeing some of the boys and playing our old favorites. There is always something special about locking in with a bunch of great players.
Saturday's fundraiser at First Christian Church in Cañon City was a bundle of fun! Such kind people and good food we had! I even had some good friends sit in and sing with me, so it was a great time all around.
What am I doing this week?
Tuesday is Mardi Gras. I'm not playing anywhere that night, but I hope you do something special to celebrate. I do a lot of Cajun and New Orleans music during this season at my facilities, and it's such fun and heartfelt music to be a part of.
Friday I'm back at Magpies 7-10 for what should be a great night. Last time saw a whole different group of folks, so I'm not sure who'll be there this time. I know some of my regulars will be back in town, so it could be a wild night.
Saturday I'm in Nebraska celebrating my niece Pam's birthday.
Sunday I'll do an online concert from my sister's and niece's house in Nebraska at 8:00 Central Standard Time. I SO enjoy getting to sing for everyone around the world on these online events, and getting to do one in the room with my sister and niece will be a real treat! Please tune in if you can at concertwindow.com/tommunch.
What's on the horizon?
I booked a couple dates at the Bull Moose in Guffey, Colorado, July 15, 1-4, and September 30, 6-9. I haven't played in Guffey in several years, so it'll be good to play for the folks up there again.
I've contacted the La Veta Inn and 8 Mile to work out some dates this year. I'm also trying to book a couple things in Colorado Springs.
I have decided on the first Sunday of each month at 7:00 for my online Concert Window concerts. I may do themes for these of different types of music for different groups of folks. I may also do some other concerts of more specific themes at Concert Window like Civil War songs, songs by different artists, cowboy songs, old standards, and topical songs. I may not announce these on my blog since they won't appeal to as many people. These concerts are relatively simple to do since I don't have to travel or set up much equipment, and they let me do some songs that I don't get to perform as often. It's a good outlet for me.
I guess that's it for this week. Be good to each other and enjoy some music. You can justify it any way you want.
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, March 3, 7-10 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing
Where: online at https://www.concertwindow.com/tommunch
When: Sunday, March 5, 7-8ish pm MST
What have I been up to?
Friday I picked up a gig with the Atomic Fireballs at the Steel City Eagles in Pueblo. It was great seeing some of the boys and playing our old favorites. There is always something special about locking in with a bunch of great players.
Saturday's fundraiser at First Christian Church in Cañon City was a bundle of fun! Such kind people and good food we had! I even had some good friends sit in and sing with me, so it was a great time all around.
What am I doing this week?
Tuesday is Mardi Gras. I'm not playing anywhere that night, but I hope you do something special to celebrate. I do a lot of Cajun and New Orleans music during this season at my facilities, and it's such fun and heartfelt music to be a part of.
Friday I'm back at Magpies 7-10 for what should be a great night. Last time saw a whole different group of folks, so I'm not sure who'll be there this time. I know some of my regulars will be back in town, so it could be a wild night.
Saturday I'm in Nebraska celebrating my niece Pam's birthday.
Sunday I'll do an online concert from my sister's and niece's house in Nebraska at 8:00 Central Standard Time. I SO enjoy getting to sing for everyone around the world on these online events, and getting to do one in the room with my sister and niece will be a real treat! Please tune in if you can at concertwindow.com/tommunch.
What's on the horizon?
I booked a couple dates at the Bull Moose in Guffey, Colorado, July 15, 1-4, and September 30, 6-9. I haven't played in Guffey in several years, so it'll be good to play for the folks up there again.
I've contacted the La Veta Inn and 8 Mile to work out some dates this year. I'm also trying to book a couple things in Colorado Springs.
I have decided on the first Sunday of each month at 7:00 for my online Concert Window concerts. I may do themes for these of different types of music for different groups of folks. I may also do some other concerts of more specific themes at Concert Window like Civil War songs, songs by different artists, cowboy songs, old standards, and topical songs. I may not announce these on my blog since they won't appeal to as many people. These concerts are relatively simple to do since I don't have to travel or set up much equipment, and they let me do some songs that I don't get to perform as often. It's a good outlet for me.
I guess that's it for this week. Be good to each other and enjoy some music. You can justify it any way you want.
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, March 3, 7-10 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing
Where: online at https://www.concertwindow.com/tommunch
When: Sunday, March 5, 7-8ish pm MST
Monday, February 20, 2017
Time and Music
I’ve been thinking about time over this weekend. My wife and I watched the movie, “Arrival”, and it got me thinking about time. Time is a frequent subject in science fiction and even religion and spirituality. From science we learn that time is not constant, and in science fiction we often see time travel and all its complications as something to explore. In religion and spirituality we come across the idea that in other realms there is no time - that all time happens in the same instant. The movie we saw played with that idea a little bit. The alien written language in the story is not linear like our language is, and so it is without time. This influences how the characters interact with time. What we can know in this life is that we mainly experience the very moment we are in right now. I wrote about this a while ago in a way - talking about tomorrow, today, and yesterday. When talking about only the moment we are in though, I find music fascinating. Music is involved with many things - melody, harmony, rhythm, etc. Rhythm is the main musical thing that deals with time, and music allows us to play with rhythm to the finest degree. You can play ahead of the beat and so the moment of time or even behind the beat. You can syncopate the melody and harmony. The beat can make us anticipate and that anticipation is a huge motivator in how we experience time. When playing with other musicians you can feel the music together in a symbiosis that has to be felt to be believed. I find it endlessly fascinating to think about the permutations of this, and getting to make music and play with time is one of the true joys of my life.
What have I been up to?
Friday at Magpies was a blast! Some my regulars were out of town or unable to make it, but I had a bunch of new faces and other friends who helped make it a stellar night. I brought down a half dozen guitars including a couple nylon-string guitars I haven’t played in some time which added a completely different tone to the night.
What's up this week?
Saturday 11-2 I’m playing for the First Christian Church Valentine’s Spaghetti Dinner in Cañon City again. This is a fundraiser for several local non-profit agencies, so it’s a really great event that helps the community. Come on out if you can for some great food and romantic tunes! I’m not certain of the price. Last year it was $7 adults, and $4 ages 12 and under.
What’s on the horizon?
I’m tentatively planning to do online concerts on concertwindow.com once a month on the first Sunday evening. I’m not sure if I’ll start in March or April. I’ll be out of town in March for my niece’s birthday, so I may do a concert from there if they’d like it. Otherwise it’ll be April to start. I’ll let you know soon.
That’s it for this week.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: singing and playing a Valentine’s spaghetti dinner fundraiser
When: Saturday, Feb 25, 11 am - 2 pm
Where: First Christian Church, 320 N 16th St, Cañon City (719) 275-9644
What have I been up to?
Friday at Magpies was a blast! Some my regulars were out of town or unable to make it, but I had a bunch of new faces and other friends who helped make it a stellar night. I brought down a half dozen guitars including a couple nylon-string guitars I haven’t played in some time which added a completely different tone to the night.
What's up this week?
Saturday 11-2 I’m playing for the First Christian Church Valentine’s Spaghetti Dinner in Cañon City again. This is a fundraiser for several local non-profit agencies, so it’s a really great event that helps the community. Come on out if you can for some great food and romantic tunes! I’m not certain of the price. Last year it was $7 adults, and $4 ages 12 and under.
What’s on the horizon?
I’m tentatively planning to do online concerts on concertwindow.com once a month on the first Sunday evening. I’m not sure if I’ll start in March or April. I’ll be out of town in March for my niece’s birthday, so I may do a concert from there if they’d like it. Otherwise it’ll be April to start. I’ll let you know soon.
That’s it for this week.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: singing and playing a Valentine’s spaghetti dinner fundraiser
When: Saturday, Feb 25, 11 am - 2 pm
Where: First Christian Church, 320 N 16th St, Cañon City (719) 275-9644
Monday, February 13, 2017
What Is My Role?
I’ve been thinking today along the lines of an idea I expressed a couple years ago. I often think of what purpose or role I feel I should play in this life. I'm not sure how most folks determine this for themselves. I'm sure many look at what gifts and skills they have, and then they tailor their life towards how they can best use those to make money, help people, or build a life with a mind to some sort of legacy. My gifts and skills are fairly obvious to me - music, philosophy, organization, and writing. I've been blessed with probably more directional leaning than most folks have, although many would not consider pursuing music or writing as a career. They don't make much money, but they offer a lot of opportunity to help people by encouragement and inspiration. They also give the chance to leave something behind in recordings and writings. So my role is to offer encouragement and inspiration. I do this by finding things to sing about that provoke thought and emotion that hopefully make others' lives and the world a better place, and then interpret and perform them in a way that hopefully is mighty fine and inspirational. What's your role?
What have I been up to?
The last outing at Magpies was really fun! I brought out 11 different guitars (I know - overkill) that I cycled through every couple songs. It was quite the assortment of sounds - from banjo-like travel guitars to full-bodied bass monsters. The majority of the night was spent on 1960's favorites, and there was a great bunch of friends all around.
What's up this week?
Friday I'm back at Magpies again 7-10. I'm sure I won't be bringing as many guitars this time, but we will have a great time! Come on out if you can.
What's coming up?
I recently asked if folks would like more online concerts. The overwhelming response was "Yes!", and the day folks asked for was Sunday with the frequency of once a month. So I'm leaning towards the first Sunday of each month. I'd like to do themes for these shows once they're up and running. I have friends from all over the country with different favorites, so there'll be e some flexibility, but in general I'd like to stick to themes as much as possible. I could see themes like cowboy, folk, different artists, mountain songs, songs for specific places and folks I know like Philmont Scout Ranch or the Don K Guest Ranch, old standards, historical songs, and more. It sounds like I could do some special shows for some of these themes in between more general shows. It just depends on how it develops.
I guess that's it for this week. Take care of yourself, and I hope to see you soon!
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, Feb 17, 7-10 pm
What have I been up to?
The last outing at Magpies was really fun! I brought out 11 different guitars (I know - overkill) that I cycled through every couple songs. It was quite the assortment of sounds - from banjo-like travel guitars to full-bodied bass monsters. The majority of the night was spent on 1960's favorites, and there was a great bunch of friends all around.
What's up this week?
Friday I'm back at Magpies again 7-10. I'm sure I won't be bringing as many guitars this time, but we will have a great time! Come on out if you can.
What's coming up?
I recently asked if folks would like more online concerts. The overwhelming response was "Yes!", and the day folks asked for was Sunday with the frequency of once a month. So I'm leaning towards the first Sunday of each month. I'd like to do themes for these shows once they're up and running. I have friends from all over the country with different favorites, so there'll be e some flexibility, but in general I'd like to stick to themes as much as possible. I could see themes like cowboy, folk, different artists, mountain songs, songs for specific places and folks I know like Philmont Scout Ranch or the Don K Guest Ranch, old standards, historical songs, and more. It sounds like I could do some special shows for some of these themes in between more general shows. It just depends on how it develops.
I guess that's it for this week. Take care of yourself, and I hope to see you soon!
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, Feb 17, 7-10 pm
Monday, January 30, 2017
Connections
I'm thinking today about connections in our world. There is an interconnectedness to our world that reminds me of playing chess. I've never liked playing chess very much because it always seemed to me to be a very controlling game where I can never make a frivolous move without suffering the consequence very shortly of losing a chess piece, and sometimes I like to do something frivolously. Life has that kind of interconnectedness (even though I've found that I don't feel the control so much.) I think that what I do in life is in a vacuum, and it's only later that I see how I was affected by someone or something else, and then how what I did affected so many others in turn. It doesn't make me fear that I might do the wrong thing, but it gives me comfort to know that I'm part of something bigger that flows like a river - except that I'm not swept along with the current but actually helping to steer its course. Now that's not to say that things can't be affected to the negative. I'm reminded of this old proverb.
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost.
For want of a rider the message was lost.
For want of a message the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
That's a cautionary tale that shows how the interconnectedness can lead to ruin. There seems to be a trust that is needed and a faith in goodness to make life work. I have faith and trust in the universe and my fellow man (and woman!) Being aware that these connections are there seems to be part of understanding how our world works. I encourage you to seek out how these connections work in your life and understand the interconnectedness of our world. We are part of a river of connections.
What have I been up to?
PDub Brewery last Friday was loads of fun! I saw so many great folks I haven't seen in quite some time. Thanks to everyone for supporting PDubs and their efforts to keep the brewery going until Brad can return. We actually overwhelmed the staff with the turnout that night which was unfortunate since they were short-staffed. They asked me to apologize that their service wasn't all they wanted it to be, and they promised that next time it will be superb. I'm looking forward to it!
What's up this week?
Friday night 7-10 I'll be back at Magpies for a rousing fun night. I'm dreaming up something special again - different guitars or a unique theme for one of the hours of the night, so be on the lookout.
What's on the horizon?
Coming up I do have a gig to tell you about for those in Cañon City. February 25th 11-2 I'll be playing a Valentine's fundraiser for First Christian Church. Put it on your calendar if this sounds like fun to you. I also will be playing Irish music for Celtic night at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence on March 18 following Celtic dancers at 7:00.
That's it for this week. I appreciate you all so much, and I encourage you to see your connections.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, Feb 3, 7-10 pm
Monday, January 23, 2017
Trust and Respect
I’ve been trying to decide what to write about today. I’m struggling with how to talk about the issues of our time. I’ve decided that it all comes down to trust and respect. In any relationship the first thing that has to be established is a trust between two people based on mutual respect. If you can’t establish this then a relationship can’t be formed. If you can’t form a relationship then you can never carry on in any meaningful way with the other person, and so you’re at a standstill. Trusting another person is an act of faith and of good manners. It’s easier to be suspicious of the other person and on guard. I’m reminded of a "Star Trek, The Next Generation" TV episode where the ships of Captain Picard and the Romulan Commander Tomalak were at a standstill ready to fire at each other. One had to lower his shields to rescue stranded crew members of both crews. The trust that had to occur established the beginning of their relationship. I see this as an example of how we all get along in a society. We all have different ways of looking at our world, but we have to have a trust and respect for each other to function each day - from yielding to another at a traffic stop to deferring to another in a world negotiation. Trust and respect make us human, and they are encompassed in the kind of love that is expressed in everything from the Bible to the Beatles.
What have I been up to?
Friday night was a blast last week at Magpies. I took five different guitars including a resonator and an electric guitar and swapped out every couple songs for the night. We went from Texas songwriters to folk music to you-name-it. It was great fun!
Saturday night was a concert at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence. I had a good crowd in the old converted church where I did songs off my albums and told a couple bad jokes. It was a very exciting night all-in-all with some fine folks! My fingers surprised me with some very wild licks on the guitars.
What's up this week?
Friday night 6-9 I’m at PDub Brewing Company Taproom in Pueblo West. I told you a little about this place last week. My good friends Rick and Dedre Rosendale have been helping their daughter Amanda and son-in-law Brad Schoolland with this new business this year - especially since Brad had a rollover accident and had to be put in rehab for his injuries back in October. They have great craft beers, sandwiches, and salads that are made right on the premises in addition to wine, mixed drinks, and sodas. It’s a great little place to enjoy an evening, and I’m proud to help expose them to a broader audience. So come on out and help support this great establishment!
That’s it for this week. I trust and respect you, my friends.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: singing and playing
Where: PDub Brewing Company Taproom, 181 S Purcell Blvd, Pueblo West, 719-647-8864
When: Friday, Jan 27, 6-9 pm
What have I been up to?
Friday night was a blast last week at Magpies. I took five different guitars including a resonator and an electric guitar and swapped out every couple songs for the night. We went from Texas songwriters to folk music to you-name-it. It was great fun!
Saturday night was a concert at the Bell Tower Cultural Center in Florence. I had a good crowd in the old converted church where I did songs off my albums and told a couple bad jokes. It was a very exciting night all-in-all with some fine folks! My fingers surprised me with some very wild licks on the guitars.
What's up this week?
Friday night 6-9 I’m at PDub Brewing Company Taproom in Pueblo West. I told you a little about this place last week. My good friends Rick and Dedre Rosendale have been helping their daughter Amanda and son-in-law Brad Schoolland with this new business this year - especially since Brad had a rollover accident and had to be put in rehab for his injuries back in October. They have great craft beers, sandwiches, and salads that are made right on the premises in addition to wine, mixed drinks, and sodas. It’s a great little place to enjoy an evening, and I’m proud to help expose them to a broader audience. So come on out and help support this great establishment!
That’s it for this week. I trust and respect you, my friends.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: singing and playing
Where: PDub Brewing Company Taproom, 181 S Purcell Blvd, Pueblo West, 719-647-8864
When: Friday, Jan 27, 6-9 pm
Monday, January 16, 2017
Life’s Wild Ride
I’m thinking this morning about what a wild ride this life can be. Like everyone else I have a million things up in the air right now that lead me to consternation and uncertainty. I won’t go into a long list because I know we all have these worries that we can fret over whenever we want to - finances, health, relationships, politics, and on and on. Instead I’ll talk about the sense that everything is going to work out fine. I can’t explain it, but I’ve always had a sense that we will all be okay - from when I was 19 and a tornado was bearing down on the house I was in to when I was 54 and I was facing a mountain of work with my mom’s estate. I’ve always had this pervading sense of calm and peace. Whether I’ve been in the midst of religion or in the throes of philosophy, I’ve always had a knowing in me that there is truly nothing to fear. At times I thought I was just naive, and at times I thought I was very wise, but through it all I’ve never really doubted that somewhere everything would be all right. I said something about this in my last writing - yesterday is past and there’s no point in worrying about tomorrow, so why not have peace that today is going to be a good day, and why not find joy and fulfillment in spreading goodwill and love? I wish you the best always.
What have I been up to?
Magpies a couple weeks ago had to be cancelled due to a relative’s death in the Magpies’ family. I was so sorry to hear of this and was happy to cancel. We all have to support each other in times of need.
I played an 80th birthday yesterday for old friends whom I’ve played for many, many times. It was a wonderful event. Happy Birthday, Jeanne!
What’s up this week?
Friday 7-10 I’m back at Magpies with lots of energy for the new year. I’ll have a couple different guitars in tow so we can have some excitement and variety. I’m still not sure what I’m playing, but I’m always game for the ride. We have fun!
Saturday at 7:00 I’m playing a concert in Florence, Colorado, at the Bell Tower Cultural Center for the Florence Arts Council. This is a wonderful place in an old church where they feature visual artists and a little music now and then too. If you’re a lover of the fine arts this is a great place! Tickets are $8 for members and $10 for non-members and are available in Florence at the Bell Tower or the Fox Den.
What’s on the horizon?
I just booked PDub Brewing Company Taproom for January 27th 6-9. PDub is owned by good friends from Pueblo West, and is my first time playing in Pueblo West in quite a long while. You may remember the news stories about PDub from October when the brewmaster, Brad Schoolland, rolled his pickup truck and had to be put into a medically-induced coma to help him heal from life-threatening injuries. He’s doing better, but he’s still on a road to recovery. He’s currently in Denver in rehab with his wife, Amanda, and family is running the place and bringing in guest brewers to keep the beer flowing. If you’re a fan of craft beer and great food, then this is the place to be. I’m honored to bring attention to this great establishment and a little music to boot!
That’s it for this week. I hope you have are doing well and can find a little peace in our topsy-turvy world. Everything’s going to work out fine.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, Jan 20, 7-10 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing a concert in Florence, CO
Where: Bell Tower Cultural Center, 201 East Second Street, 719-784-2038
When: Saturday, Jan 21, 7:00
What have I been up to?
Magpies a couple weeks ago had to be cancelled due to a relative’s death in the Magpies’ family. I was so sorry to hear of this and was happy to cancel. We all have to support each other in times of need.
I played an 80th birthday yesterday for old friends whom I’ve played for many, many times. It was a wonderful event. Happy Birthday, Jeanne!
What’s up this week?
Friday 7-10 I’m back at Magpies with lots of energy for the new year. I’ll have a couple different guitars in tow so we can have some excitement and variety. I’m still not sure what I’m playing, but I’m always game for the ride. We have fun!
Saturday at 7:00 I’m playing a concert in Florence, Colorado, at the Bell Tower Cultural Center for the Florence Arts Council. This is a wonderful place in an old church where they feature visual artists and a little music now and then too. If you’re a lover of the fine arts this is a great place! Tickets are $8 for members and $10 for non-members and are available in Florence at the Bell Tower or the Fox Den.
What’s on the horizon?
I just booked PDub Brewing Company Taproom for January 27th 6-9. PDub is owned by good friends from Pueblo West, and is my first time playing in Pueblo West in quite a long while. You may remember the news stories about PDub from October when the brewmaster, Brad Schoolland, rolled his pickup truck and had to be put into a medically-induced coma to help him heal from life-threatening injuries. He’s doing better, but he’s still on a road to recovery. He’s currently in Denver in rehab with his wife, Amanda, and family is running the place and bringing in guest brewers to keep the beer flowing. If you’re a fan of craft beer and great food, then this is the place to be. I’m honored to bring attention to this great establishment and a little music to boot!
That’s it for this week. I hope you have are doing well and can find a little peace in our topsy-turvy world. Everything’s going to work out fine.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, Jan 20, 7-10 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing a concert in Florence, CO
Where: Bell Tower Cultural Center, 201 East Second Street, 719-784-2038
When: Saturday, Jan 21, 7:00
Monday, January 2, 2017
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! I'm sitting at Jen's dad's kitchen table on this morning of January 1st of the new year - contemplating what the year will bring. Of course the first thing that comes to most everybody's mind is uncertainty about the political situation. No one really knows what the new president will bring. I'm one who usually welcomes change, and so I look forward to a new adventure, just as long as it's not too wild a ride. For myself I'm slowing down a bit. I want to do a new musical project this year, but I haven't settled on what exactly that will be. We've almost wrapped up my mom's estate, and although I'll be spending quite a bit of time helping Jen with her dad, I think I'll also have time to be creative this year. Song of Pueblo has wrapped up for me, and although I loved the show it was time to move on. I'll always remember my good friend, Richard Mandel, when he was closing Peaceful Henry's in Guffey. I asked him why he was closing down, and he quoted the old chestnut, "To everything there is a season." I feel that way about the Song of Pueblo. I'm fairly peaceful at 55. I haven't achieved everything I'd like to in my life, but I'm also content with what I have done, and I realize more and more that it's not what you achieve, but what you experience along the way that's really important. It's what's in the moment that really matters. I wrote that in a song many years ago, "This moment is my goal. The only thing I can truly know." If I can touch others in a meaningful way while being at peace myself I am content. So that's how I'm approaching the new year. How about you?
What have I been up to?
Magpies was a blast the last time out for the year on Friday. We had such a good time singing Christmas songs and sharing the holiday spirit. Bill Schwabe even joined me for a few songs at the mic. Wow!
My online living room concert was a great time too the following Sunday night. I had folks from all over the country tuning in and making requests. I think I need an online concert more often.
Then the holidays I didn't play as much. My wife Jen's 93-year-old dad has been in the hospital after a fall, so we spent most of the holidays with him.
What's up this week?
Magpies is cancelled this week due to a death in the family.
What's up going forward?
I have a few interesting gigs coming up in addition to my facility gigs and my regular Magpies performances the first and third Fridays. I'm doing a concert for the Florence Arts Council at 7:00 on Saturday, January 21st at the Bell Tower Cultural Center, 201 E 2nd Street in Florence. This is an old church with great acoustics with wonderful paintings and other art that also does concerts during the year. I'm honored to play for these folks again. I'm also playing a gig with my old band, the Atomic Fireballs, in early February. I'm trying to remember what the group is. I've already scheduled the full summer of Thursday-night barbecues at the Yellow Pine in addition to my shows for the rafting scouts. I have a couple other appearances I'm shoring up as well as another show at Lucy's in La Veta on July 22nd. It looks to be a busy year that will bring lots of music and joy.
I guess that's it for this week. Be good to each other as well as yourselves, and I'll see you down the road.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
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