I don't know if you've been following all of the shows celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Beatles coming to America and their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, but they have brought back a lot of memories and a lot of joy for me. I've been a fan of the Beatles' music since the first time I heard it when I was a kid and my sisters played the music of the Beatles in our house for the first time. It's hard to say what first drew me to them. I knew that their sound was different somehow than other music I was hearing. I didn't know if it was the words or the harmonies or the fact that they were British, but something definitely grabbed me and made me want to hear more. As I grew up and learned to play guitar and sing myself, the Beatles music was always more of a challenge than other popular music I tried to learn. What were those chords they were playing? How did those harmonies combine to sound so unique? How could they make something so simple sound so sophisticated? I now know that they were using harmonies and chords that were closer to jazz and great standards than the folk and blues-inspired rock of the day. They often sang harmonies below the melody which was uncommon as well. The main thing was that they always surprised the listener with changes in melody and song structure that were really satisfying and original. Being original and different with excellence is something for anyone to aspire to - whether a songwriter or an engineer or a cook. Bravo, Beatles!
So this week I'll be playing the music of the Beatles. I played a lot of Beatles last week as well. Where will this happen?
Friday I'll be at Magpies from 7-10, and I'll be featuring the Beatles for the middle hour, 8-9. This promises to be a really fun show! Come on out if you can.
That's it for this week. Be good to each other, and remember "All You Need Is Love!"
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, February 21, 7-10 pm
Monday, February 17, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
What is Love?
Since Valentine's Day is this week, I have been thinking about love. I heard a good show about it recently, and I have been reading several things that also made me think about love. I even think about playing music and even music itself maybe being some form of love abstractly.
I heard a really good show on love on NPR's "To the Best of Our Knowledge" over the weekend. Actually the show episode was titled "Redefining Romance," (you can listen to it here if you'd like - http://www.ttbook.org/book/redefining-romance) with segments on several topics, but the segments that got me thinking were specifically about love - the segment "Love 2.0" and the segment "Asexuality."
Love 2.0 was a scientific explanation of love that called it a micro moment of connection when we have a momentary mutual concern for another. This even includes neuro-firings becoming synchronized, and also gestures and biochemical reactions becoming synchronized. That's a really cool thing, and it thrills me to think that there is so much going on beyond what we can feel and think. And of course this is not just romantic love, but the love we feel for a good friend or even someone we meet on the street briefly. I would even extend this to our pets and maybe inanimate objects we have an affection for in some way - things, places, etc.
The Asexuality segment talked about people who feel attraction and love for another and don't feel the need for physical love. That got my brain reeling as well with all kinds of ideas. I always wondered what it would be like to be separated from the desires of the body and be purely emotional and intellectual and spiritual with another person. I do feel like I have been that way with close friends from time to time.
My reading on after-death experiences also mentions an importance of how much we loved in life - not as a judgement of how well we did in life, but a goal to pursue. A great number of people who die and are brought back to life experience a state where they are asked if they loved whenever they had the opportunity, and they are presented with examples of when they did love and when they could have loved more. That's a pretty practical and exciting thing to consider - that we should love at every opportunity. I am trying to make this a daily practice in my life.
And this also makes me think about playing music. I think that musicians experience some kind of connection that is akin to love through our mutual admiration of each other and complete rhythm and soul link to a song we're sharing and playing together. It's hard to explain the symbiotic relationship that you establish with other musicians when we play together. It takes a while, but in my life it has been as deep as any other bond I've had with another person. And maybe that is because music is more than mathematical patterns and beautiful melodies, maybe it is actually love as well.
So I don't know if all of this leaves me with any epiphanies about life and love, but it sure makes my head spin in a good way. What do you think of all these ideas?
I'd better move on before I come up with more ways to look at love.
What am I up to this week?
I'm doing several Valentine's Day shows for different facilities this week. I won't tell you about them, but I want you to be aware that I have 2 or 3 gigs every day doing this.
Friday night - Valentine's Day - I'll be playing at the La Veta Inn 6-9ish for the diners and maybe dancers. This should be a special night, and barring a snowstorm I hope we get a lot of folks out to share in some love songs and yummy food and romance. Please come out if you can!
I'd better run. I have lots of thinking to do about love.
Best,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Friday, February 14, 6-9 pm
I heard a really good show on love on NPR's "To the Best of Our Knowledge" over the weekend. Actually the show episode was titled "Redefining Romance," (you can listen to it here if you'd like - http://www.ttbook.org/book/redefining-romance) with segments on several topics, but the segments that got me thinking were specifically about love - the segment "Love 2.0" and the segment "Asexuality."
Love 2.0 was a scientific explanation of love that called it a micro moment of connection when we have a momentary mutual concern for another. This even includes neuro-firings becoming synchronized, and also gestures and biochemical reactions becoming synchronized. That's a really cool thing, and it thrills me to think that there is so much going on beyond what we can feel and think. And of course this is not just romantic love, but the love we feel for a good friend or even someone we meet on the street briefly. I would even extend this to our pets and maybe inanimate objects we have an affection for in some way - things, places, etc.
The Asexuality segment talked about people who feel attraction and love for another and don't feel the need for physical love. That got my brain reeling as well with all kinds of ideas. I always wondered what it would be like to be separated from the desires of the body and be purely emotional and intellectual and spiritual with another person. I do feel like I have been that way with close friends from time to time.
My reading on after-death experiences also mentions an importance of how much we loved in life - not as a judgement of how well we did in life, but a goal to pursue. A great number of people who die and are brought back to life experience a state where they are asked if they loved whenever they had the opportunity, and they are presented with examples of when they did love and when they could have loved more. That's a pretty practical and exciting thing to consider - that we should love at every opportunity. I am trying to make this a daily practice in my life.
And this also makes me think about playing music. I think that musicians experience some kind of connection that is akin to love through our mutual admiration of each other and complete rhythm and soul link to a song we're sharing and playing together. It's hard to explain the symbiotic relationship that you establish with other musicians when we play together. It takes a while, but in my life it has been as deep as any other bond I've had with another person. And maybe that is because music is more than mathematical patterns and beautiful melodies, maybe it is actually love as well.
So I don't know if all of this leaves me with any epiphanies about life and love, but it sure makes my head spin in a good way. What do you think of all these ideas?
I'd better move on before I come up with more ways to look at love.
What am I up to this week?
I'm doing several Valentine's Day shows for different facilities this week. I won't tell you about them, but I want you to be aware that I have 2 or 3 gigs every day doing this.
Friday night - Valentine's Day - I'll be playing at the La Veta Inn 6-9ish for the diners and maybe dancers. This should be a special night, and barring a snowstorm I hope we get a lot of folks out to share in some love songs and yummy food and romance. Please come out if you can!
I'd better run. I have lots of thinking to do about love.
Best,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Friday, February 14, 6-9 pm
Monday, February 3, 2014
Physics?
Yeah, physics. I'm trying to understand physics in my never-ending quest for knowledge. I really wanted to be a scientist when I was a kid. I was fascinated by magnets and fire and natural forces, but my math skills were atrocious, and so I didn't follow that path. But I've still maintained a healthy interest in science, and I try to understand what I can. Lately I've been I've been reading about physics in trying to understand spirituality and the laws of the universe - weird combination, I know, but they are related somehow I'm just sure. So I dive into quantum physics and string theory and even biocentrism and find myself overwhelmed in a big hurry. I'm amazed at how hard these concepts are to grasp, and yet it's possible to have an intuitive understanding on some level. I think we all have a sense of how things work, and when we're confronted by theories that don't make logical sense then we wrestle with them. That's how I am at least. I'm just sure there is an explanation for all of the forces, troubles, joys, and mysteries out there. When I get it all figured out I'll let you know! ;-)
So what am I up to this week?
Friday evening I start by playing at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center 5:00-6:45 for a public gallery opening reception. I haven't played at the Arts Center for a year or so, and I really like the ambience there. If you want to see what's being shown at the Arts Center this winter, then come on down!
Friday night I'm back at Magpies 7-10 (or as quickly as I can make it over from the Arts Center.) The middle hour I'm thinking of featuring something appropriate for Valentine's Day. Who did a lot of love songs? Maybe Bread or The Beatles, or maybe I'll just do '60's and '70's love songs. I don't want to get too sappy, but I don't mind a good love song or three occasionally. Either way we'll have fun, so come on downstairs and help make it a great evening!
That's it for this week. Hope your'e well and happy.
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for the Winter/Spring Exhibition Reception
Where: Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave, Pueblo. 719-295-7200
When: Friday, February 7, 5-6:45 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, February 7, 7-10 pm
So what am I up to this week?
Friday evening I start by playing at the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center 5:00-6:45 for a public gallery opening reception. I haven't played at the Arts Center for a year or so, and I really like the ambience there. If you want to see what's being shown at the Arts Center this winter, then come on down!
Friday night I'm back at Magpies 7-10 (or as quickly as I can make it over from the Arts Center.) The middle hour I'm thinking of featuring something appropriate for Valentine's Day. Who did a lot of love songs? Maybe Bread or The Beatles, or maybe I'll just do '60's and '70's love songs. I don't want to get too sappy, but I don't mind a good love song or three occasionally. Either way we'll have fun, so come on downstairs and help make it a great evening!
That's it for this week. Hope your'e well and happy.
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for the Winter/Spring Exhibition Reception
Where: Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, 210 N. Santa Fe Ave, Pueblo. 719-295-7200
When: Friday, February 7, 5-6:45 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, February 7, 7-10 pm
Monday, January 13, 2014
How Much Do Things Really Change?
I was listening to a James Taylor concert from the BBC in 1970 this morning on YouTube (I've always marveled at James' easy style and manner,) but this morning it made me wonder if life had changed so much that someone like James wouldn't be popular if he were just coming on the scene today. I have no doubt that his music holds up after 40 years, but I wonder if his style is too mellow to even get a first listen by today's ears. Now I know he may not be everyone's cup of tea, but there is an honesty and sincerity in his presence that is very engaging and soothing. I see more current performers like Jack Johnson and Jason Isbell who are mellow too in their own way, and so I think that being mellow wouldn't hold back people from liking James' music today if it were just being released. His choice of topic is still relevant today, as well, in most of his songs. And this makes me think that maybe this old world is more resistant to or tolerant of change than I tell myself. Or maybe things do change, but the common threads that hold us together like love and sharing with other people will always be the same. I find this a comfort as I age and think that I may not be as relevant in the world anymore. I still have hopes of writing more music and traveling more when life allows it, and feeling like I'm a part of the greater whole is key. And so I begin a new year. If you'd like to listen to that James Taylor concert too, you can find it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_Q0zyRADk8&list=FLFEh0O95Z6UE-y_Kog0svXw.
So I am beginning a new year. I haven't made a bunch of plans for the year, although I do have some standing summer performances in Buena Vista and La Veta and Cañon City, and I already have one trip planned to Sedona in May. The Song of Pueblo has already committed to first Fridays throughout the summer. This won't be the year that I start to travel much more, but I'm doing little things to work towards that. I'm hoping to get back to writing more regularly too. Many of you have suggested that some of my blog posts sounded like songs. I think I may actually start to use those as a basis for specific songs that I'll seek your input on if you'd like to participate. We're one big extended family as far as I'm concerned, and the interaction is part of what brings me joy. More on that as we go along.
So what am I up to this week?
Friday night I'm at Magpies 7-10. I've been threatening to do theme nights or theme hours, and I'm going to do that this week for the middle set 8-9. Since I was talking about James Taylor in my blog post, let's do James' songs for the middle set. I have a bunch of old favorites that I think you'll love. Please come out if you can!
So off we go into a new week!
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, January 17, 7-10 pm
So I am beginning a new year. I haven't made a bunch of plans for the year, although I do have some standing summer performances in Buena Vista and La Veta and Cañon City, and I already have one trip planned to Sedona in May. The Song of Pueblo has already committed to first Fridays throughout the summer. This won't be the year that I start to travel much more, but I'm doing little things to work towards that. I'm hoping to get back to writing more regularly too. Many of you have suggested that some of my blog posts sounded like songs. I think I may actually start to use those as a basis for specific songs that I'll seek your input on if you'd like to participate. We're one big extended family as far as I'm concerned, and the interaction is part of what brings me joy. More on that as we go along.
So what am I up to this week?
Friday night I'm at Magpies 7-10. I've been threatening to do theme nights or theme hours, and I'm going to do that this week for the middle set 8-9. Since I was talking about James Taylor in my blog post, let's do James' songs for the middle set. I have a bunch of old favorites that I think you'll love. Please come out if you can!
So off we go into a new week!
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, January 17, 7-10 pm
Monday, December 30, 2013
Mind Shifting to the New Year
Well, my mind is shifting a little as we approach the new year. I had pangs of loss for the Christmas season that surprised me a couple days after Christmas, but those were soon replaced by the wonderful feeling of rebirth and the excitement of new things to come in a fresh year. It's amazing how the mind can shift gears so quickly! I get so worked up for Christmas, and so immersed in the seasonal music, that I don't quite know what to do with myself when it's over. I tell folks every year that they should enjoy the holiday with gusto so they don't miss out on the joy it can bring. And it did bring me a lot of joy this year. Between the family visits and new faces and parties and singalongs, I thoroughly enjoyed the season and let it wash over me. Unfortunately I also got a cold for Christmas Day, but the sniffles are just about over, so no worries. I'm not sure what the new year will bring, but it's always a tabula rasa (a blank slate) full of possibilities. I hope you see it that way too!
So I had a surprise on Saturday night. (I sent out a quick note to you yesterday with the news that I'll be DJ'ing at the La Veta Inn for New Year's Eve.) When I off-handedly asked the Inn what they were doing for New Year's Eve I didn't expect to end up DJ'ing for them, but that's how it went down. One thing led to another, and before I knew it I was dreaming of how much fun we could have. I don't DJ very often, but there was a day when I did do it much more - DJ'ing on weekdays and playing with a band on weekends. I loved to play interesting alternate versions of popular songs, and I enjoyed diving deep into my album collection to pick out gems that would surprise and delight my audience. I didn't always have a dancing audience, but I did have an interested audience that thought of me like a radio DJ - programming music to set a mood and tell a story. I really enjoyed it and missed it when it ended 25 years ago. So I'll be doing it for New Year's Eve again, and I think it's going to be a blast! I'll have a kickin' sound system, some flashing lights, a crystal ball, and a collection of 28,000 songs for your listening pleasure. And yes, I'll bring my guitar and be ready to play some songs as well if folks would like. They'll have free champagne at midnight and their usual menu of tasty steak and fish, and I'll start the tunes at 7:00. If you don't have plans, please come out and celebrate with me.
Then Friday I'll be starting the new year at Magpies 6-9. I'm still toying with the idea of doing theme sets at Magpies for the fun of it. If this interests you, then give me some suggestions of what you'd like to hear. My ideas so far are: Dan Fogelberg, John Denver, jazz standards, Beatles, old country western, cowboy, historic, folk songs, etc. We could really dig into this and do some fun sets! I look forward to seeing friends and having a fun night!
I'd better sign off. There's lots to do to get ready for tomorrow night. Happy New Year!
Tom
Details:
Who: Tom Munch
What: DJ'ing, and maybe playing & singing too
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Tuesday, December 31, 7 pm to midnight
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, January 3, 7-10 pm
So I had a surprise on Saturday night. (I sent out a quick note to you yesterday with the news that I'll be DJ'ing at the La Veta Inn for New Year's Eve.) When I off-handedly asked the Inn what they were doing for New Year's Eve I didn't expect to end up DJ'ing for them, but that's how it went down. One thing led to another, and before I knew it I was dreaming of how much fun we could have. I don't DJ very often, but there was a day when I did do it much more - DJ'ing on weekdays and playing with a band on weekends. I loved to play interesting alternate versions of popular songs, and I enjoyed diving deep into my album collection to pick out gems that would surprise and delight my audience. I didn't always have a dancing audience, but I did have an interested audience that thought of me like a radio DJ - programming music to set a mood and tell a story. I really enjoyed it and missed it when it ended 25 years ago. So I'll be doing it for New Year's Eve again, and I think it's going to be a blast! I'll have a kickin' sound system, some flashing lights, a crystal ball, and a collection of 28,000 songs for your listening pleasure. And yes, I'll bring my guitar and be ready to play some songs as well if folks would like. They'll have free champagne at midnight and their usual menu of tasty steak and fish, and I'll start the tunes at 7:00. If you don't have plans, please come out and celebrate with me.
Then Friday I'll be starting the new year at Magpies 6-9. I'm still toying with the idea of doing theme sets at Magpies for the fun of it. If this interests you, then give me some suggestions of what you'd like to hear. My ideas so far are: Dan Fogelberg, John Denver, jazz standards, Beatles, old country western, cowboy, historic, folk songs, etc. We could really dig into this and do some fun sets! I look forward to seeing friends and having a fun night!
I'd better sign off. There's lots to do to get ready for tomorrow night. Happy New Year!
Tom
Details:
Who: Tom Munch
What: DJ'ing, and maybe playing & singing too
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Tuesday, December 31, 7 pm to midnight
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, January 3, 7-10 pm
Monday, December 23, 2013
Merry Christmas!
Christmas is just about here, and I think I paced myself just about right. I may have peaked a little early in my Christmas spirit, but the feeling has lasted, so I think I have just enough to get me through the week. I hope you are enjoying it too. This year the thing that has hit me the most is just how meaningful it can be to share and sing the Christmas songs together. I've done several singalongs this season, and I'm so gratified at how much people have come to me and said that it made their Christmas season. Christmas is about many things, but the community aspect and the shared experience seems to be very close to our hearts. I don't know if it's the memories from those songs and the places we've been when we've heard them or just the fact that we all know them and share a common history and culture. It's pretty special. And it doesn't seem to matter what your religious background is - I even had a Buddhist friend say how much it meant to him to sing the old songs together. Maybe we should try this with non-Christmas songs during the year as well. Maybe Mitch Miller had it right all those years ago, and the Golden Bee and all the piano bars over the years have tapped into this too. But I do think the specialness of the Christmas songs has something to do with the meaning of the experience I've felt this season in these singalongs.
So I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Just go with it!
So what I am up to for gigs this week? I have family here, so I only have one public gig to tell you about. Saturday night I'll be at the La Veta Inn 6-9. Last Saturday I had a really nice group of folks at the Inn, and it was snowing lightly outside and felt so warm and delightful by the fire (as the song says.) I'm betting this week will feel just as great in the magical week between Christmas and New Year's. Come on out if you can!
Merry Christmas!
Tom
Details:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Saturday, December 28, 6-9 pm
So I hope you have a wonderful Christmas. Just go with it!
So what I am up to for gigs this week? I have family here, so I only have one public gig to tell you about. Saturday night I'll be at the La Veta Inn 6-9. Last Saturday I had a really nice group of folks at the Inn, and it was snowing lightly outside and felt so warm and delightful by the fire (as the song says.) I'm betting this week will feel just as great in the magical week between Christmas and New Year's. Come on out if you can!
Merry Christmas!
Tom
Details:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Saturday, December 28, 6-9 pm
Monday, December 16, 2013
Favorite Christmas Music
I've been grabbing some moments of silence around the house and in the car to listen to some of my favorite Christmas music, and I thought I'd share some of my favorite albums and songs here. Please write back and share your favorites with me too! Among my favorites are Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" album, Vince Guaraldi's "A Charlie Brown Christmas" album, Bruce Cockburn's "Christmas" album, the song "Colorado Christmas" recorded by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and written by Steve Goodman, "David Grisman's Acoustic Christmas" album, "Dr. Demento Presents the Greatest Christmas Novelty CD of All Time" album (a little twisted, I admit,) Peter Kater's "For Christmas" album (great piano,) Handel's "Messiah," Tuck Andress' "Hymns, Carols, and Songs About Snow" album, anything by Bing Crosby, and Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite." There are way too many others to mention, but there are a few I listen to every year. It's such a joyous time filled with so much music, goodies, stories, and traditions!
So now what am I up to this week?
I'm playing every day and every night at different Christmas parties and gatherings, but the two public performances I have will be Friday and Saturday night.
Friday I'm doing a Christmas Singalong at Magpies 7-10. I've always wanted to do a community singalong during Christmas, and this is a good way to do this - except this will be just friends and family which is extra-special! I'll have song sheets with big printed lyrics (for us old folks who need our glasses!) This will be a blast! Come get in the spirit!
Saturday night I'll be at the La Veta Inn 6-9. I haven't played at Christmastime at the Inn for several years, so I'm really looking forward to seeing my good friends in La Veta and sharing the Christmas cheer. If the weather's nice and you're up for an evening drive, then come on down and enjoy the wonderful ambience and good friends at the Inn for the evening!
I hope to see you this season, and if I don't get to, then have a wonderful holiday!
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, December 20
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Saturday, December 21, 6-9 pm
So now what am I up to this week?
I'm playing every day and every night at different Christmas parties and gatherings, but the two public performances I have will be Friday and Saturday night.
Friday I'm doing a Christmas Singalong at Magpies 7-10. I've always wanted to do a community singalong during Christmas, and this is a good way to do this - except this will be just friends and family which is extra-special! I'll have song sheets with big printed lyrics (for us old folks who need our glasses!) This will be a blast! Come get in the spirit!
Saturday night I'll be at the La Veta Inn 6-9. I haven't played at Christmastime at the Inn for several years, so I'm really looking forward to seeing my good friends in La Veta and sharing the Christmas cheer. If the weather's nice and you're up for an evening drive, then come on down and enjoy the wonderful ambience and good friends at the Inn for the evening!
I hope to see you this season, and if I don't get to, then have a wonderful holiday!
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, December 20
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Saturday, December 21, 6-9 pm
Monday, December 9, 2013
Taking Care
I heard a good interview with Jony Ive from Apple this past week and posted a quote on Facebook that has me thinking quite a bit about an aspect of life I find interesting - taking care. The amount of care a person takes reflects a lot about that person's character. Jony Ive was talking in reference to the amount of care a person takes in designing a product for use by others, but I think it extends in to the care we take in everything we do. Taking care is not just done for the pride of the person giving, but it also shows respect for the receiver of the care. I see this in many things I do every day, from my cat who wants down as soon as she senses that I'm not giving her 100% of my attention, to my audience who starts to lose interest when my heart is not 100% in the delivery of the song I'm performing. Taking care requires focus and being present in the moment. Jony said that getting it right is something we do for each other. This kind of taking care ultimately shows love for everything from our fellow humans to our surroundings. I think this is a very worthwhile endeavor. What else is life about other than caring?
So what am I up to this week?
I have a couple of private Christmas parties I'm looking forward to. I used to do quite a few more of these, but I'm not the best marketer in the world, so I haven't done as many in the past few years. I really enjoy them though! My one public gig this week is something everyone can attend - an online concert.
Friday night I'll be doing a UStream concert from our living room 7-8 MST (mountain time) that will feature seasonal favorites. This time of year has always meant a lot to me, especially since music is so much a part of the season - from Christmas songs to winter songs and favorites I learned when I got my first guitar for Christmas 37 years ago. These UStream concerts are a lot of fun since you all can enter the chatroom and give me requests as well as chat with each other. I should do them more often! The address from your computer is http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tom-munch-live, and you can even watch from a smartphone or tablet with the free UStream app you can download from your app store. If you can't make it at 7:00 mountain time, I will record the show at the same address so you can watch it at your convenience (except without the live chat of course.) I hope to see you there!
That's it for this week. I hope you are enjoying the holiday season.
Tom
Details for this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing
Where: online on UStream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tom-munch-live
When: Friday, December 13, 7-8 pm MST
So what am I up to this week?
I have a couple of private Christmas parties I'm looking forward to. I used to do quite a few more of these, but I'm not the best marketer in the world, so I haven't done as many in the past few years. I really enjoy them though! My one public gig this week is something everyone can attend - an online concert.
Friday night I'll be doing a UStream concert from our living room 7-8 MST (mountain time) that will feature seasonal favorites. This time of year has always meant a lot to me, especially since music is so much a part of the season - from Christmas songs to winter songs and favorites I learned when I got my first guitar for Christmas 37 years ago. These UStream concerts are a lot of fun since you all can enter the chatroom and give me requests as well as chat with each other. I should do them more often! The address from your computer is http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tom-munch-live, and you can even watch from a smartphone or tablet with the free UStream app you can download from your app store. If you can't make it at 7:00 mountain time, I will record the show at the same address so you can watch it at your convenience (except without the live chat of course.) I hope to see you there!
That's it for this week. I hope you are enjoying the holiday season.
Tom
Details for this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing
Where: online on UStream http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tom-munch-live
When: Friday, December 13, 7-8 pm MST
Monday, December 2, 2013
Getting Psyched for Christmas
I played my first show of Christmas songs last Friday, and I'm always interested in how my psyche adjusts to being in the Christmas spirit again. I have a strict rule of not doing Christmas songs before Thanksgiving. It's hard to explain, but it really messes me up to hear songs that are out of season, whether they're Christmas songs or summer songs or whatever. I find as I get older that my brain isn't as flexible as it once was, and encountering things I don't expect can throw me into a funk that I have a hard time bouncing out of. And so the change into Christmas songs and the Christmas spirit is something I encounter with curiosity each year. I tell folks I play for that the Christmas season goes by so fast that if you don't get in the spirit when the season is here then you'll miss it completely. I tell myself that too. And the truth is that I love the Christmas music so much, and it is so much a part of my life, that it is very easy to fall into the songs each year. And then the challenging part is to let myself get swept up into the joy and emotion of each song. I have to remember that my joy of the song is important to how much my audience gets out of the song - and I owe it to the song to perform it well. So I venture out into the season with my heart full of song and my head full of the love of the season!
I also have to mention that Jen and I have been delving into old Muppet movies and TV shows since we both finished the biography of Jim Henson by Brian Jones. He was quite a guy, and was taken from us too soon at the age of 53. His giving spirit and gentle philosophy of life is an inspiration to me. There are a bunch of Muppet Christmas shows that are a treat this time of the year, so we can watch the Muppets and get into the Christmas spirit at the same time. A bonus!
So what am I up to this week?
Friday I'm back at Magpies 7-10 for an evening of friends and fun! I find that some folks don't want to hear Christmas music just yet, so I will temper my seasonal enthusiasm with other favorites. Since I've been reading about Jim Henson and the Muppets I have been listening to Paul Williams who wrote several songs for the Muppets, so you can expect to hear a few of his songs. I also love a bunch of '70's songs that the season reminds me of, so I'll be singing those as well - Simon and Garfunkel, Jim Croce, James Taylor, and many more! Come on out!
Sunday I'm playing for the Pueblo Zoo Christmas event called Zoolala 5-9. This promises to be a blast! It's at Park East restaurant (just east of City Park) with the evening going from cocktails to dinner to ElectriCritters at the zoo with a shuttle. I plan to lead a sing-a-long of Christmas songs probably from 7-8 depending on how the night flows, and I'll be performing favorites before and after that piped into several of the rooms. This is a fundraiser for the Zoo. The cost is $75 apiece for zoo members and $85 apiece for non-members and includes dinner, one signature cocktail, goody bag, ticket and shuttle to ElectriCritters at the zoo. You need to call 719-561-1452 ext. 206 to RSVP or visit the website - http://www.pueblozoo.org/zoolalabegins.html - for more info and to RSVP. I can't wait!
I'm also playing a lot of Christmas shows for different nursing and rehab facilities, so if you have someone in one of these facilities you may see me as well.
Almost forgot! I'm planning to do an online UStream concert very soon. I'll send out more ASAP!
That's it for this week! May you be filled with the joy and love this season brings.
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, December 6, 7-10 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for Zoolala, the fundraiser bash for the Pueblo Zoo!
Where: Park East restaurant, 720 Goodnight Ave, Pueblo. 719-561-1452 ext. 206 to RSVP
When: Sunday, December 8, 5-9 pm
I also have to mention that Jen and I have been delving into old Muppet movies and TV shows since we both finished the biography of Jim Henson by Brian Jones. He was quite a guy, and was taken from us too soon at the age of 53. His giving spirit and gentle philosophy of life is an inspiration to me. There are a bunch of Muppet Christmas shows that are a treat this time of the year, so we can watch the Muppets and get into the Christmas spirit at the same time. A bonus!
So what am I up to this week?
Friday I'm back at Magpies 7-10 for an evening of friends and fun! I find that some folks don't want to hear Christmas music just yet, so I will temper my seasonal enthusiasm with other favorites. Since I've been reading about Jim Henson and the Muppets I have been listening to Paul Williams who wrote several songs for the Muppets, so you can expect to hear a few of his songs. I also love a bunch of '70's songs that the season reminds me of, so I'll be singing those as well - Simon and Garfunkel, Jim Croce, James Taylor, and many more! Come on out!
Sunday I'm playing for the Pueblo Zoo Christmas event called Zoolala 5-9. This promises to be a blast! It's at Park East restaurant (just east of City Park) with the evening going from cocktails to dinner to ElectriCritters at the zoo with a shuttle. I plan to lead a sing-a-long of Christmas songs probably from 7-8 depending on how the night flows, and I'll be performing favorites before and after that piped into several of the rooms. This is a fundraiser for the Zoo. The cost is $75 apiece for zoo members and $85 apiece for non-members and includes dinner, one signature cocktail, goody bag, ticket and shuttle to ElectriCritters at the zoo. You need to call 719-561-1452 ext. 206 to RSVP or visit the website - http://www.pueblozoo.org/zoolalabegins.html - for more info and to RSVP. I can't wait!
I'm also playing a lot of Christmas shows for different nursing and rehab facilities, so if you have someone in one of these facilities you may see me as well.
Almost forgot! I'm planning to do an online UStream concert very soon. I'll send out more ASAP!
That's it for this week! May you be filled with the joy and love this season brings.
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: Magpies, 229 S. Union, Pueblo. 719-542-5522
When: Friday, December 6, 7-10 pm
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing and singing for Zoolala, the fundraiser bash for the Pueblo Zoo!
Where: Park East restaurant, 720 Goodnight Ave, Pueblo. 719-561-1452 ext. 206 to RSVP
When: Sunday, December 8, 5-9 pm
Monday, November 18, 2013
Giving Thanks
I'm thinking about Thanksgiving and being thankful, and about family and caring for others this week. I know Thanksgiving is over a week away, but I do a fair bit of reminiscing with the folks at the facilities I play for during the whole month of November as I try to engage people in a meaningful way, and so Thanksgiving is on my mind all November. I usually ask them about their favorite thing about Thanksgiving. The responses vary from food to the family gathering to football to the Black Friday sales frenzy. Everyone has a little different tradition, and we talk about that as well. And giving thanks works into that too, with some folks sitting down and making a list of the things they're thankful for. It seems a shame that Thanksgiving has been reduced a bit over the years to a brief visit with family before the big show of the Christmas season. I still refuse to sing Christmas songs before Thanksgiving - wanting to give Thanksgiving its due. I wish there were more Thanksgiving songs. I tend to sing "Over the River and Through the Woods" as well as the old hymn, "We Gather Together." Sometimes I stretch the Thanksgiving motif a little to play "Turkey in the Straw." I'll also sing "No Place Like Home for the Holidays" since it mentions traveling and getting some homemade pumpkin pie. I have one story I always tell too that I enjoy. I'll share it here.
----------
A TURKEY STORY
When I was a young turkey, new to the coop,
My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop,
Then he sat me down, and he spoke real slow,
And he told me there was something that I had to know;
His look and his tone I will always remember,
When he told me of the horrors of ..... Black November;
"Come about August, now listen to me,
Each day you'll get six meals instead of just three.
And soon you'll be thick, where once you were thin,
And you'll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin.
"And then one morning, when you're warm in your bed,
In'll burst the farmer's wife, and hack off your head;
"Then she'll pluck out all your feathers so you're bald'n pink,
And scoop out all your insides and leave ya lyin' in the sink,
"And then comes the worst part" he said not bluffing,
"She'll spread your cheeks and pack your rear with stuffing".
Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat,
I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,
And decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked,
I'd have to lay low and remain overlooked;
I began a new diet of nuts and granola,
High-roughage salads, juice and diet cola,
And as they ate pastries, chocolates and crepes,
I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes,
I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed;
But 'twas I who was laughing, under my breath,
As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death;
And sure enough when Black November rolled around,
I was the last turkey left in the entire compound;
So now I'm a pet in the farmer's wife's lap;
I haven't a worry, so I eat and I nap,
She held me today, while sewing and humming,
She smiled at me and said "Christmas is coming........"
----------
That story always pleases.
This idea of giving thanks for all the things we have that we know we don't deserve is a good one. The world can be a scary place, and the warm embrace of family and a gathering with food and comfort is something to truly be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!
So what am I up to this week?
Friday I'll be playing an evening at the La Veta Inn in La Veta 6-9ish. I always enjoy the Inn around the holidays, and I haven't gotten to play there at this season for several years, so I'm really looking forward to it! The weather forecast is a little iffy right now, so cross your fingers for safe travels for me and anyone else who ventures out that night.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Friday, November 22, 6-9 pm
----------
A TURKEY STORY
When I was a young turkey, new to the coop,
My big brother Mike took me out on the stoop,
Then he sat me down, and he spoke real slow,
And he told me there was something that I had to know;
His look and his tone I will always remember,
When he told me of the horrors of ..... Black November;
"Come about August, now listen to me,
Each day you'll get six meals instead of just three.
And soon you'll be thick, where once you were thin,
And you'll grow a big rubbery thing under your chin.
"And then one morning, when you're warm in your bed,
In'll burst the farmer's wife, and hack off your head;
"Then she'll pluck out all your feathers so you're bald'n pink,
And scoop out all your insides and leave ya lyin' in the sink,
"And then comes the worst part" he said not bluffing,
"She'll spread your cheeks and pack your rear with stuffing".
Well, the rest of his words were too grim to repeat,
I sat on the stoop like a winged piece of meat,
And decided on the spot that to avoid being cooked,
I'd have to lay low and remain overlooked;
I began a new diet of nuts and granola,
High-roughage salads, juice and diet cola,
And as they ate pastries, chocolates and crepes,
I stayed in my room doing Jane Fonda tapes,
I maintained my weight of two pounds and a half,
And tried not to notice when the bigger birds laughed;
But 'twas I who was laughing, under my breath,
As they chomped and they chewed, ever closer to death;
And sure enough when Black November rolled around,
I was the last turkey left in the entire compound;
So now I'm a pet in the farmer's wife's lap;
I haven't a worry, so I eat and I nap,
She held me today, while sewing and humming,
She smiled at me and said "Christmas is coming........"
----------
That story always pleases.
This idea of giving thanks for all the things we have that we know we don't deserve is a good one. The world can be a scary place, and the warm embrace of family and a gathering with food and comfort is something to truly be thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!
So what am I up to this week?
Friday I'll be playing an evening at the La Veta Inn in La Veta 6-9ish. I always enjoy the Inn around the holidays, and I haven't gotten to play there at this season for several years, so I'm really looking forward to it! The weather forecast is a little iffy right now, so cross your fingers for safe travels for me and anyone else who ventures out that night.
Best always,
Tom
Details this week:
Who: Tom Munch
What: playing & singing
Where: La Veta Inn, 103 W. Ryus Ave, La Veta. 719-742-3700
When: Friday, November 22, 6-9 pm
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