Tom Carlson in Central Park on 4th of July

Tom Carlson is a songwriter, singer and musician based in Tehachapi. His music tends to combine elements from traditional American folk music, Kern County's rich country music influences and from the cowboy ballads that he grew up listening to. Carlson has played fiddle for most of his life. A hobby that brought him to stages throughout the western United States, playing with bands and, as a youth, competing in Oldtime Fiddle competitions. It was while he was attending college in Northern California that Tom began to hone his guitar playing and began regularly writing songs. Several years ago, he and his wife moved back to Tehachapi and Tom started work on a studio album in his spare time. The album, titled "San Joaquin Waltz," was completed in early 2023 and features 11 of Tom's original songs. Tom enjoys performing frequently at local venues and continues to work on new recording projects.