Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul And Kathy Tucson Loves Music.
Hi Paul and Kathy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Tucson Loves Music began in 2022 with a simple frustration: Paul Munsen couldn’t easily find live music in Tucson.
A retired software engineer, former musician, and newcomer to Southern Arizona, Paul quickly realized that information about the region’s live music scene was scattered across countless websites, social media pages, venue calendars, and other sources. Drawing on his technology background, he began building a prototype website designed to bring that information together in one place.
As the concept grew, Paul worked with the University of Arizona’s Immersion Learning Program, where faculty and student programmers helped explore and develop techniques that strengthened the platform’s capabilities. Over the following years, Tucson Loves Music continued to evolve, with Paul developing and retaining ownership of the proprietary code behind the platform.
Today, the website remains a constantly evolving technology platform designed to curate and organize live music information throughout Tucson and Southern Arizona. In addition to events, TLM connects audiences with musicians and bands, live music venues, and the many businesses and professionals that support the music ecosystem—from sound and staging companies to recording studios, printers, music stores, and other industry resources.
Paul and Kathy Sinnott first met several years ago through their work with a nonprofit music organization. In 2025, Kathy officially joined forces with Paul, bringing leadership experience from the community service and higher education sectors, along with a lifelong belief in music’s ability to connect, unite, and uplift communities.
Since joining Tucson Loves Music, Kathy has become involved across virtually every aspect of the organization, with a particular focus on education, community partnerships, and creating meaningful real-world opportunities for students and emerging professionals.
What began as Paul’s solution to a simple problem—“Where can I find live music tonight?”—has steadily grown into something much broader: an effort to connect the people, organizations, businesses, students, musicians, venues, and audiences that together make Southern Arizona’s music community thrive.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like any growing organization, we’ve faced our share of challenges. One of the biggest is technology itself. The digital landscape is constantly changing, and developing the coding necessary to find, curate, and organize live music events from many different sources is an ongoing challenge. Fortunately, we have a talented group of programmers who continually work to improve the platform and adapt as technology evolves.
Another challenge is finding the right path for growth while remaining true to the community we serve. From the beginning, we have been mindful that many working musicians face financial challenges of their own, so we are careful not to build TLM in a way that places unnecessary burdens on them. Instead, we continue to explore ways to expand our reach, services, and opportunities while keeping the needs of the broader music community at the center of what we do.
That has challenged us to think creatively about partnerships, sponsorships, community collaborations, and educational initiatives that allow us to expand what we offer while keeping our focus where it belongs—on supporting musicians, venues, students, audiences, and the many others who make up Southern Arizona’s music ecosystem.
For us, growth has never simply been about becoming bigger. It’s about finding meaningful ways to bring the music community together, create opportunities, and build something that strengthens Southern Arizona’s music ecosystem for the long term.
We’ve been impressed with Tucson Loves Music, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Tucson Loves Music began as a way to make live music easier to find, but it has grown into something much bigger: a community hub connecting and strengthening Southern Arizona’s music ecosystem.
Our goal is to bring people together—musicians, venues, fans, students, educators, businesses, media, and community organizations—and create connections that lead to meaningful relationships, collaborations, and opportunities.
Our technology platform helps people discover live music, musicians, venues, and music-related resources, but our work now extends far beyond the website. Through original media, live programming, community partnerships, and educational initiatives, we are creating new ways for people to participate in and contribute to the music community.
We are especially proud of our growing internship and educational programs. By giving students hands-on experience in areas such as technology, film and media, marketing, journalism, business, and event production, we are helping them build real-world skills, professional relationships, and portfolios while also helping develop a stronger workforce for Arizona’s growing creative economy.
What sets TLM apart is our community-first approach. We aren’t simply promoting live music—we’re connecting people, developing talent, creating opportunities, and helping build a stronger music community for the future.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Paul developed several startups during his career as a software engineer, and he brings many of those lessons to Tucson Loves Music: live in the moment, stay calm when challenges arise, and don’t be afraid to adapt.
Building something new rarely follows a straight path. We’ve learned that you don’t need to have every step mapped out. Listen to your community, surround yourself with good people, stay flexible, and be open to opportunities you never anticipated.
We also wish we had known just how much our original idea would evolve. What began as a solution for finding live music has become something much larger—building relationships, creating community, developing partnerships, and opening doors for others.
Perhaps the biggest lesson has been that relationships matter. Some of our greatest opportunities have come simply from bringing the right people together.
And finally, never underestimate the power of music. It connects people, builds community, and sometimes, music really does heal everything.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tucsonlovesmusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tucsonlovesmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TucsonLovesMusic/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TucsonLovesMusic
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@tucsonlovesmusicofficial
