Her songs go straight to your heart via intelligent lyrics, powerful solo vocals, intricate acoustic guitar, and a beautifully gutsy bare-bones recording style.

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FOLK: like Joni, FOLK: Gentle



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Mónica Gómez has released three captivating collections of acoustic music -- Storm Before the Calm in 1997, Still Life in 1998, and Coming to My Senses in 2003.

Her songs brim with substance, startling imagery, and intelligent appeal â and the uncluttered simplicity of her recording style preserves the intimacy of live performance.

Mónica Gómez was born in Mexico and raised in El Paso, Texas on the U.S./Mexico border, with a strong background in the power of the arts and the benefits of diversity. More than 30 years experience as a writer, humorist, performer, recording artist and on-air talent converge in easy spontaneity in her concerts, educational programs, and professional presentations. In her eye-opening explorations of art in daily life, Mónica integrates intriguing aspects of the internal martial art of Tâai Chi and the related practice of Chi Gung -- ancient arts with amazing relevance to contemporary life.

As a performer, Mónica brings with her a collection of talents that virtually guarantees sheâll reach every single person in her audience. Perfectly crafted lyrics, a truly beautiful voice, and elegant guitar arrangements draw in her listeners. She delivers material of refreshing depth with easy wit and clarity.

Whether sheâs presenting an inspiring musical keynote address or conducting a bilingual--English/Spanish--workshop in a juvenile detention facility, at some point, sheâll have people laughing or crying, or both.

Since 1995, Mónica has received consecutive annual Special Awards from ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. She is among a select group of artists listed in both the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Heartland Arts Touring Rosters.

An active arts advocate, Mónica has served as a panelist for both the Writersâ League of Texas and the Texas Commission on the Arts. In 2003, she sat on a TCA panel to assist in selecting the first official Texas State Musician.

In May 2001, Mónica was the only solo artist from the U. S. invited by the Peopleâs Republic of China to take part in the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival -- a three-week, seven-city performance tour with artists from around the world.
In April 2002, her poetry appeared in Red Boots & Attitude, an anthology of prestigious Texas women writers. A regular participant in literary festivals, Mónica has presented numerous readings and community workshops, and coordinated spoken word events.

She has appeared at the Kerrville Folk Festival; the Napa Valley Music Festival; and the Chamizal Festival in El Paso, Texas, where sheâs also led numerous Songwritersâ Circles and workshops.

At El Pasoâs Bridge Center for Contemporary Art, she swept all categories of the 1994 Performance Slam Solo Competition; in 1996, she won the annual Poetry Slam, and competed in the regional slam in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Mónicaâs broadcasting experience includes 6-years as a television news reporter with El Pasoâs ABC affiliate, KVIA-TV 7, where she earned accolades for her on-camera presence, scriptwriting and video editing. For three years, she also hosted KELP Radioâs top-rated Medtalk, a live medical call-in program.

In 1995, Mónica was inducted into the El Paso Commission for Womenâs Hall of Fame in the professional category. She was recognized for her coverage of good news and the arts, and for her own artistic career. Mónica has served as Master of Ceremonies for subsequent Hall of Fame induction banquets.

Since 1993, Mónica has moderated the annual live broadcasts of the National Issues Forums on PBS affiliate, KCOS-TV 13. In 2003, she was one of 20 moderators in the U.S. selected to travel to Philadelphia to participate in the national broadcast of âBy the Peopleâ -- a 16-month collaboration by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, PBS, the Kettering Foundation, and the National Issues Forums.