The Kitchen Musician ~ September 2026

Hello Friends,

Lots of news, some great shows coming up, and a new song to share with you. Join me in the kitchen!

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Index

  NEWS:
  THIS MONTH’S MUSIC: “Rising Flower Moon”
  UPCOMING SHOWS
  FEATURED NON-PROFIT: Force Multiplier

Tom and Margo on their 50th wedding anniversary – Jaffrey, NH

News:

Big news is that Margo and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. How did THAT happen? We celebrated with a kind of “busman’s holiday”, as it took place on the day of my presentation at The Amos Fortune Forum, shared with good buddies Cosy Sheridan and Charlie Koch. While not a typical way to celebrate one’s anniversary, we had a great time demonstrating and discussing the “how and why of songwriting” to a full house of about 200 in the historic 1775 Meetinghouse in old Jaffrey Center, NH. For those who missed it, you can watch the 90 minute program at this link. The reception after the program included a large and delicious anniversary cake. Yum!

Later this month I have several shows with political themes, with the “big one” being our second “Fight Back with a Song” concert (see details below). Below is the promo video that I made this morning outside our Jaffrey, NH cabin. And don’t miss my return to the Homegrown Coffeehouse in Needham, MA in October, shared with Cosy Sheridan!

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UPCOMING SHOWS

Sept 23, Wednesday, Beverly, MA, 7:00 pm at The Cabot Theater. “Voting Is No Joke!” A Voting Variety Show, a free, nonpartisan Community Conversation at The Cabot that celebrates the power of civic participation through laughter, music, and shared experiences. Hosted by comedian John McClellan, I join acclaimed storyteller Judith Black and others.

Sept. 27, Sunday, Harvard, MA, 4:30 pm. Following a successful Fight Back with a Song concert in June, I have teamed up with Nashoba Indivisible and Force Multiplier for another one with all new artists. Join Reggie Harris, Sol y Canto, Chris & Meredith Thompson, Danielle Miraglia, Eric Kilburn and me as we sing to raise awareness and funds for worthy Democratic candidates to flip the House and Senate. Full details, seat reservations and donate at fightbackwithasong.org.

Sept 30, Wednesday, Newburyport, MA, 6:00 pm. a night of songs for a good cause – Boston Immigration Justice Accompaniment Network (BIJAN), featuring: Esther Friedman, Lindsay Monroe, The Lied To’s (Susan Levine, Doug Kwartler), Tom Jordan, Chris LaVancher and me. At Newburyport Brewing Company.

Oct. 17, Saturday, Needham, MA, 7:30 pm. Cosy Sheridan and I return to the venerable Homegrown Coffeehouse, assisted by Charlie Koch and Seth Connelly. We had a full house last time we played here two years ago, and this should be another great one. If there is one Tom Smith show to attend this year, this would be it. Join us!

Nov. 8, Sunday, Northampton, MA, 4:00 pm. Songwriter showcase with Dave Dersham at Ana Bandeira Chocolates.

All show details can be found at upcoming shows.

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This Month’s Music: “Rising Flower Moon”

“Flower Moon” is the traditional name for the full moon that occurs in the northern hemisphere in May, at the height of spring. It gets its name from the abundance of blooming flowers at that time of year. It is an excellent metaphor for the abundance of new songs that bloomed during a weekend songwriting retreat I took with my friends in Penobscot Bay, Maine this past May. I love songwriting retreats and workshops, which often inspire ideas for new songs, however it usually takes a long time after these retreats and workshops for my songs to be realized – but this retreat had a special magic.

We had great accommodations and super food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We had the entire place for ourselves. There was no formal agenda. We ate together and then spent much of each day separately or in pairs working on new songs or just walking by the bay. In the evenings we gathered in the large living room and shared what we were working on – sometimes the very beginnings of a song idea, and sometimes a song that was more fully formed. In every case, each offering was honored and feedback offered if requested. It is a beautiful experience to share the creative process with talented and trusted friends.

On Saturday night I went to bed with the image of the full Flower Moon rising over the bay as my friends shared new songs or song ideas. The next morning, I was the first to rise and sat alone in the living room with my cup of coffee. My friend Lindsay’s guitar was leaning against the couch so I picked it up started picking a few chords when I discovered that it was tuned in “double drop D” – a tuning that I haven’t played in a long time. The melody for a new song just rose from the guitar with no effort at all. It seemed to match the emotion of the Flower Moon and the shared songwriting experience of the previous night, so I just opened up my heart and accepted the lyrics that attached themselves to the melody. I have heard songwriters describe the rare experience of simply writing down a song that is handed to them by the muse. That is exactly the experience I had with this song.

“I wish everyone could have this, without judgement without shame 
To create and share with others not for treasure, not for fame
But for the joy of doing it. Is it not enough?
I think that is what most people would call love“

Steady on, friends!

Tom

(If so inclined, I invite you to leave a comment by scrolling to the end of this page.)

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Featured Non-profit: Force Multiplier

“Force Multiplier, an independent, all-volunteer organization, can help you maximize the impact of your political investments of time and money. We guarantee that 100% of your donations goes directly to the candidates and groups you choose to support.”

“We work on three intersecting fronts:

• We support candidates in competitive races to win the House and build power in the Senate.
• We fight autocracy by supporting litigation groups that uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and organizations that prevent election interference both nationally and locally.
• We educate and engage voters online and on the ground.”

Please consider donating to our “Fight Back with a Song” funds, carefully researched by Force Multiplier. Note: While Force Multiplier does have non-profit status projects, these specific donations go to candidates and are therefore not tax deductible.

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