Category: Life

Quick Update on 2021!

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Hi everyone! I’m not sure who will actually be seeing this, but I wanted to give you a quick update on how things are going. First off, I’m happy to announce that my year is going to be full of public performances! Please continue to be safe for you and others, but I am looking forward to seeing so many people in the near future! Also, I have a wonderful baby boy! Check out my Instagram for the cutest pictures you’ve ever seen. Also also, if you’d like to see where I’ll be playing in the coming days/weeks/months, head over to the Events page at the top!

I’ve been working on improving my live shows by incorporating Ableton live in with my Headrush Looperboard. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it, but I’m still practicing and perfecting this new setup. Coming soon!!!

Monte Skelton: 2020 Vol. 1 is Finally Here!

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My friends, the time has finally arrived! Monte Skelton: 2020 Vol. 1 will be available for streaming and digital download soon! In fact, by the time I finish writing this, it’ll probably be ready! 2020 has been wild, let’s just be honest. Personally however, I feel like it has given me an opportunity to reexamine myself, be honest with my feelings, and understand the world around me much better. So Volume 1 is about some things that I’ve learned about recently. Comment your favorite song from the new album and tell me why!

Also, check out this music video to go along with the new album featuring the song ‘Do What Is Best,’ and super featuring some incredible humans in Evansville, Indiana! 🙂

Weekly Livestream Show!

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Well, as all of us are experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic in our own ways, many musicians have had their lives upended. Personally, I am very thankful that I can teach lessons virtually, however, 50-60% of my income comes from public performances and therefore has been nonexistent since the beginning of March. Also, I miss performing live for people! So, for your pleasure and mine, I have been performing live shows on my Facebook page every Sunday at 6pm CST, and then posting those videos the next day on my YouTube page for all to hear. So be sure to check them out, and if you feel obligated to leave a tip for me using PayPal or other digital format, I greatly appreciate it! Here’s the one from yesterday, and the rest are posted as well! Enjoy, and I hope that all of you are staying safe! Show love towards one another!

It’s 2020!

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And way, way past time for me to update this blog, haha. With the other 1, 329, 567,845 things I do, my website has definitely been lowest in my totem pole of priorities. So I was thinking, how can I remedy this? Well, one thing I’m doing is shifting the focus of the website a bit. My blog posts will be just that, an area for me to be me, tell my story in a format that would take longer than 15 seconds to skim through. I’ll update it when I can. When I do, it’ll be worthwhile. The rest of the site will be constantly updated with my videos, music, merchandise, and info on all the projects I’m always involved in.

I’ve been busy writing new music, performing of course, and doing lots of teaching and learning. Navigating my way through my new Headrush Looperboard has opened some new doors in looping possibilities. Searching for growth in my guitar and piano playing has helped me navigate my way through music theory and a better understanding of how to balance the realms of electric and acoustic sounds. So yeah, lots of cool stuff coming your way. Team Skelton will now continue as Skelton’s Montourage, and we’re preparing new tunes, as well as live versions of my originals from My World and Inside My Mind.

Along with all the music and teaching and work, this past year gave me the opportunity to grow as a human being, to understand who I am and how to take care of myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. I cannot stress how important this is, especially to those of us who have always felt like something was always missing. We have to understand ourselves first, then we can fully extend ourselves to others. Some may disagree and that’s okay, this is just where my perspective of live has taken me. There are some really great books and videos that I may recommend in the future, but I want to stress, that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It’s okay to disagree, and it doesn’t make anyone any less or better of a person. It’s just them. Read it again if you need to. 🙂

So here we go! The calendar of events will be updated within the next couple of weeks, and until then, my facebook page is completely up to date with the public events until March. Happy 2020 everyone, keep pushing forward!

PJ Turns 2.

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When I adopted PJ, he was only 7 months old, and I had no idea what I was doing. I went into Evansville’s ‘River Kitty Cat Cafe’ inquiring about adopting a cat, and while I was sitting down, he jumped in my lap and fell asleep without hesitation. So, I guess he adopted me. So here’s to many more years of destroying everything I own, but being the best kitty companion this guy could ask for. Love ya, PJ!

‘PJ’s Song is available on Apple Music, Spotify, Google Music, and many more platforms. It’s from my 2018 album release, ‘My World.’ If you like this song, please check out the rest of the album, and help me share my love of life and music with the rest of the world. Thank you so much!

Monte Skelton- Album Release, and the Week Ahead

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For me, this year has been full of growth in every single way.  Growth in understanding the world outside of my normal everyday perspective has been a major part of that.  My schedule has been full of teaching lessons, performing in new places, and sharing all the love and smiles in the world with old and new friends and family.  I’ve also been working on a very bold, very fresh new album, which I have entitled ‘<My World>’, to be released September 1, 2018.

This album is 11 tracks, and I would say, an upgrade from my 2017 project .  This time around, I decided to truly embrace the things that make me who I am.  You’ll notice a very unique blend of analog and digital instruments in these tracks, a quirky blend of soulful and nerdy, which pretty much paints a picture of my personality.  <My World> tells a story- A very optimistic beginning quickly gives way to reality and how lonely that can sometimes feel.  However, quickly you learn how to make the best out of reality- that’s where you find true wisdom, true happiness, and true love, all in its many forms.  You will hear this shift in tonality and intensity throughout the album.   This album also features vocal tracks.  ‘Nothing Left,’ beautifully sung by Maigyn Jackson, begins a story of heartbreak and loneliness, followed by a period of ‘Recovery,’ with vocals by Justin Purdy.  ‘Recovery’ is about having those walls up that we all have, but then realizing those walls may not be as thick as we thought, with the right person.  There is one song in particular that I felt I really wanted to sing on my own.  Continuing from the songs from ‘<Inside My Mind>’, I wrote a song named ‘Chapter 3- What is True Love?’  This song features Eric Duke playing percussion along with some djembe, talking drum, and hand drum work of my own.  This song probably took me the longest to make, with over 81 tracks of percussion, ukulele, guitar, flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, bass, and vocals.  I have NEVER sang on a song before… so this is going to truly be a step outside of my comfort zone.  Of course, a major part of my happiness recently has been my kitten PJ, so you know he has a track dedicated to him on the album!  So, yes- it’s called ‘PJ’s Song,’ and you’ll hear me playing it at my performances now!!!!

This album has tracks featuring me playing saxophone, EWI, and bass.  Altogether, I believe I have played a total of 21 different instruments to create the full project.  It is truly a special album for me, and it is my hopes that it has a positive impact on whoever decides to listen to it.

I want to send a special thank you to all those who have supported me to this point. I hope that you can make it to one or both of the special events this week, and I hope you can catch the interviews! Here’s a brief rundown of what’s to come:

The Week Ahead- 8/27-9/1

Monday- Local Lifestyles with Ange Humphrey on WEHT, 10am

Tuesday- 91.5 FM WUEV, 5pm

Wednesday- Facebook/YouTube Live, Time TBD

Friday- Best Day Ever with Gretchin Irons on WEVV, 8:40am

Friday- Album Pre-Release Event- CK Newsome Center, Evansville, IN

6:30pm- Doors Open

7:00pm- Interview/Livestream on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram

Live open question and answer after the interview

Saturday, September 1st- Front Porch Festival, 611 SE 1st St. Evansville, IN

5:00- Festivities Begin

Thank You Everyone!

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Thank you all so much for your continued support of all of my projects throughout the years.  Because of your love, I have sold well over 200 CD’s locally!  I truly would not have the joyful, blessed life that I have now if it weren’t for the love and support of my family, extended family, and friends.  And of course, I cannot leave out what God has done for me, which is everything.  I am thankful to my family for teaching about all the loving things that my God, Jehovah, does for not just me, but all of us.  I’ll never forget that.  And though situations change over time, God’s love for us never changes, as ours shouldn’t either.  Rest assured, I will always be the joyful, positive person that I am and nothing will stand in the way of that.

That being said, I am taking most of December off from performing because I have been dealing with some anxiety and depression issues.  After burning the candle at both ends for a while with the album, gigs, teaching, and business building while also trying to keep up with my own health and personal life, it’s time to take a little breather.  So far, I’ve really enjoyed being able to get back into a good routine again.  2018 will be full of public performances and awesome experiences, and I’m very much looking forward to it!  For those of you who are my Facebook/Instagram/Snapchat friends, I’m going be posting a lot more so you can keep up with what’s going on in the life of Monte, and I’ll keep the site updated with upcoming events, projects, and educational resources (coming soon!)

To those who are my friends and family forever, thank you, and love you so much.  And to the Devil and his cohorts:  Let us never forget that what doesn’t kill us, only makes us stronger.  You all have made me a better, happier, stronger, and more realistic person.

KEEP MOVING FORWARD.  WHEN IN DOUBT, IMPROVISE. AND MUCH LOVE TO ALL OF YOU.