Guitarist Tom May performs National Anthem at Mav’s Game

Before the Dallas Mavericks beat the LA Clippers on February 10, 2022, in Dallas, Texas, local acoustic guitarist Tom May won over the crowd with his inspiring rendition of the National Anthem.

A combination of patriotism and humility, characteristic of the man, informed his performance to the largest audience of his musical career.

“I really didn’t know what to do with the arrangement,” said May, the son of a WWII paratrooper. “It seems like it should be played fairly close to normal as far as tempo, chords, etc. because people might be singing with it. I tried to change it just enough to make it interesting but not enough that the focus would be on the arrangement and not the anthem itself.”

About the experience of performing the National Anthem, Tom said, “All of the people working at the Mav’s game were so nice. Everyone from my contact to the sound guys, ushers, and security.

“They explained the process beforehand and had everything timed based on the clock on the scoreboard. While I was playing, I blocked out the cameras that were five feet in front of me. I was nervous but ‘good’ nervous. I was surprisingly relaxed, which is good for a guitar player. It never turns out good if your fingers are tense.

“I played the anthem without any errors until the last five seconds, but if you listen, it could almost be viewed as a musical choice as opposed to a mistake. I was one fret off, and I was able to slide down to the right note. It kind of fit in with the four successive diminished chords I played next, before the final chord. I threw that in to show my musical theory knowledge”, Tom winked. “As a matter of fact, a friend of mine who is a great guitar player texted me and said he loved what I did for the ending. I think I will go with it being an artistic choice, not a mistake.”

Playing by ear and making it up as he goes along is a skill Tom has honed over a lifetime. Reminiscing about another event where he was to play patriotic songs, Tom said, “I didn’t realize until I got there that the event was for a young man going into the navy. His grandfather was swearing him in. So, I listened to ‘Anchors Away’ on YouTube and was able to play it when he walked in.”

Tom May has been playing guitar for 56 of his 61 years, heavily influenced by the music of Chet Atkins and Tommy Emmanuel.

‘My dad gave me an old Stella guitar when I was five years old. It was an ugly guitar with terrible action. My cousins gave me a Chet Atkins album for my birthday a couple of years later. Instead of lessons, I would listen to the album and try to play what he was playing. I was probably nine before someone told me Chet Atkins played with his thumb and three fingers, and since then, that’s the way I have played.”

May quietly pursues his music, picking up a gig here and there, accompanying singers, and enjoying playing for friends and family.

“I love playing songs from church,” said May, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I especially like the harmonies that they have. I have recorded 15 or 20 church songs. I don’t get an opportunity to play them very often, so usually, I play them at home during quiet time or when I am just thinking.”

“I like the freedom of doing what I want when I play for a singer or myself,” said May, who often composes songs in his head. “My wife is constantly telling me to stop tapping my foot when sometimes I have a song going on in my head and don’t even realize it.”

One of his most memorable performances was when he played at Winston’s Beach Club in San Diego. “A former member of the band Lovin’ Spoonful happened to be there,” said Tom. “I played my version of ‘Daydream’ for him, which was one of their songs that came out in 1965.”

Like most musicians, Tom has a story about his favorite guitar. It took him a lifetime to find it, but it was true love when he did.

“I’ve spent most of the last 50 years alone with my guitar just playing for myself. Most of that time was on a Gibson acoustic my parents got me when I was ten. Then about thirty-two years ago, my wife bought me an acoustic guitar for my birthday. It was a nice guitar, but not one I would have chosen for myself. It was kind of like when I bought my wife a sewing machine. I thought it was great, but she returned it after a week.

“I kept the guitar and played it exclusively until a couple of years ago when I bought the first acoustic guitar I picked out myself. It was not the guitar I was looking for, but when you go to play guitars at the guitar shop, you look for two main things: sound and feel. In the past, I would have bought a Taylor or Martin, but I saw this Maton acoustic that was exactly what I was looking for.

“After I brought it home, I did a little more research. Maton is a combination of the owner’s last name, May, and the word ‘tone’. Every guitar has a sticker on the inside with the model and serial number. It turns out that this was a custom model and the sticker on the inside says the model is ‘May T’. Besides having the perfect feel and great sound, I feel like the guitar was meant for me.”

Tom’s music can be heard on YouTube HERE and at various venues throughout North Texas.