Martin Gilmore Music - October 2026
The remnants of a hurricane are raining down on Denver today, and you can feel autumn in the air. It’s my favorite season (which I think is the case for most songwriters), and I’m looking forward to crisp air, changing leaves, sweaters, and all the rest of it.
September was the beginning of a busy stretch for me. I played a wonderful show with my friend George Ensle at Society Hall in Alamosa, Colorado, taught a very fun Wernick Method bluegrass camp at Swallow Hill, played up in the high country at The Old Gallery in Allenspark, and finished out the month at the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance Conference in Austin, Texas.
While I was there, I was elected president of SWRFA. I’m excited to take on the role because I really love the organization and what it can do for musicians. It’s a great place to meet other artists, connect with venues and festivals, learn about the music business, and find some community in what can sometimes be the lonely world of being a professional musician. If you’re involved in folk and roots music in the southwestern United States, I’d encourage you to check it out.
Onward and upward.
October Shows
October is very full, with shows in the Mid-Atlantic and back home in Colorado.
October 10 - Delaware Valley Opera Center | Lake Huntington, NY
I’ll be playing a singer/songwriter show at the Delaware Valley Opera Center. I’m very excited to get back to this part of the country, I haven’t been out that way for shows since my bluegrass band played the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival many years ago.
October 11 - The Store | Hop Bottom, PA
This will be a solo concert and potluck at The Store. The potluck starts at 12:30 and the show at 2:00.
If you know anyone in that part of New York or Pennsylvania, tell them to come hang out! I’m also hoping to catch some of the leaves changing while I’m there. Like I said, autumn is my favorite season.
October 15 - Swallow Hill Music Association | Denver, CO
I’ll be playing a songwriters round at Swallow Hill with Jackson Emmer and Megan Burtt. These are some seriously heavy-hitter songwriters. We’re all multi-award-winners, and I like being onstage with folks who know how to get it done. This should be a really good night. Don’t miss it, and please buy your tickets early!
October 16 - TACAW | Basalt, CO
Jackson, Megan, and I will take the songwriters round up to TACAW the following night. If you need an excuse to head into the Rocky Mountains and see the aspens changing, this would be a pretty good reason for a road trip.
October 19 - YouTube Live Q&A | 7:30 PM
I’ll be doing a live Q&A on my YouTube channel. We’ll talk about guitar, songwriting, bluegrass and folk music, music history, and probably whatever else comes up. I’ll probably play a few songs too. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and you should get updates when we go live.
Upcoming Workshops & Camps
There are also a couple of special teaching events coming up that I’d love to put on your radar.
November 6–8 - Songwriting Santa Fe | Santa Fe, NM
I’ll be teaching at a wonderful three-day songwriting camp called Songwriting Santa Fe at the Audubon Society in Santa Fe, New Mexico, presented by Queen Bee Music Association.
We’ll have classes, guided writing time, and opportunities to perform, with instruction on songwriting craft, writing from prompts, editing songs, developing your creative resources and writing habits, and much more.
And we get to do all of it in Santa Fe. I’m always inspired there. Come hang out with us!
December 12–13 - Wernick Method Jam Camp at Swallow Hill
I’ll also be teaching another Wernick Method Jam Camp at Swallow Hill, from 9 AM-4 PM each day.
It’s a great place to learn the basics of bluegrass jamming, meet people to play with, develop your repertoire, and dip your toe into the bluegrass world. Bring an instrument you’re comfortable with, or try something new. We’d love to have you.
Thea is a Light Blue - Now on Vinyl!
I’m still pretty excited about this one.
Thea is a Light Blue is finally available on vinyl, pressed on beautiful translucent sapphire blue. It looks great and sounds awesome.
The first pressing is just 100 copies, and each one comes with a limited-edition sticker identifying it as part of the original pressing. These aren't only the first vinyl copies of this album, they're the first vinyl records I’ve ever pressed as a solo artist.
The Songsmith Series Is Back
Each week, I write and record a new song and paid subscribers get to hear it. Subscribers at the higher tier also receive a monthly lyric and chord book containing the songs.
It’s a chance to hear songs while they’re still developing, get a little view behind the curtain of my writing process, and help support me in making more music at the same time.
8,000 YouTube Subscribers!
One other milestone I’m really happy about: my YouTube channel recently passed 8,000 subscribers, and my most popular lesson has now been watched more than 150,000 times.
The channel has gradually turned into a real community of musicians, music lovers, and learners, and I’m very proud of what it has become.
If you haven’t spent much time there, check it out starting with my most-viewed lesson. There are lessons on bluegrass guitar, songs, practice material, music history, performances, and plenty of other stuff. And, of course, like and subscribe if you haven’t already!
Happy autumn! Enjoy your sweaters, colorful trees, crisp air, cozy houses, and whatever else you love about this time of year. It might not be everyone’s favorite season, but I just love it.
Thanks, as always, for listening and following along.
Martin
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