All Kinds Of Music For Kids

What do you think of when I use phrases like “painting green skies and orange crushes”…or…”yellow donkeys, purple poodles, or even a blue hippo“?

Kids, right? Well, I do anyway.

I’ve always enjoyed the looks on kids’ faces when I challenge their perception of reality. You start talking about green skies, and their heads turn sideways, and they give you that “wha?” look. Then you get even more of those funny looks when they try to defend the sky as being blue and you give them excellent “scientific research” that proves it’s now green.

Over the years I’ve written scores of songs, short stories, and blog posts with the full intention of sparking the imagination of kids…and having my own imagination sparked by their responses. It’s always been some of the most satisfying writing I’ve done…because the smile of a kid is priceless, timeless, and a gift from God.

Stay tuned,

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P.S. The little girl blowing bubbles is by archanN

Wow…I’ve been working on a bunch of praise and worship songs…about 24 of them I think.

I just did a pre-release to a few chosen friends and family, and the first volume has been received with some very nice compliments. Now, I realize friends and family are always (almost always) supportive, so the raves for my music I get from them won’t necessarily win me a Grammy. But their opinions matter, and I believe if my music really stinks, they’ll tell me. And I’m not a thin-skinned “artiste”. I’m just a singer songwriter, a guy from Colorado, who wants to sing about God, life, hope, and love.

Anyway…I just wanted to let you know I’ll make the CD available here on my website very soon. And if it gets good response, I may add it to iTunes, etc.

Then, I’ll finish up the Volume 2 CD and start again. Be sure and hit that “Join Now” button over there on the left if you’d like to know (before the rest of the public) when it’s ready.

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to all of you ladies who “took one for the team” as you…

withstood the months of labor

withstood the pains of childbirth

fed your babies when they cried at 3 a.m.

fixed “boo boos”

kissed away pain

hugged away frowns

cooked breakfasts, made lunches, and prepared dinners

washed clothes even after laundry was all done

taught truth, hope, and love…and readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic

fought tangled hair, torn pants, and missing shoestrings

remembered birthdays with just the right proportion of chocolate icing to vanilla ice cream

listened to stories of triumph, tragedy, and utter despair (mostly from teenage girls)

made or bought costumes for every goofy event imaginable

went to plays, sporting events, and music presentations…cheering for that one child who was obviously the natural born talent

brought the “something borrowed” or “something blue” to the bride-to-be just at the right time

danced the mother/son dance with the groom who had been her dragonslayer only “weeks ago” it seems

made special homemade desserts for the kids and grandkids when they came over for Thanksgiving

brought an elegant grace to the process of aging

made us believe there’s a forever, a God who loves us, and a knowledge that we’ll have eternity in paradise

A singer songwriter and his ideas are normally a good pair.

But what happens when you get too many ideas? And, what do you think? Can you come up with too many ideas? I’ve read lots of information from lots of helpful people on how to organize, “brain dump“, to-do lists, etc. etc. etc. There have been whole websites dedicated to this. Software developers have produced some wonderful ways to digitally organize thoughts and tasks.

Still…none of these really cool tools address what to do with too many ideas.

And, yes…I believe a creative person of any kind, not just a dorky singer songwriter like me, can come up with too many ideas. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t come up with some “awesome” idea for a song, or an internet venture, or even a piece of furniture I’d like to build. There just isn’t enough time in the day to pursue all my ideas. So…I delegate my brain sections to their respective tasks and endeavor to move forward.

Anyone else have this “problem”? If so, what do you do about it?

I remember reading about a Louisiana politician (who I’m purposefully keeping nameless) who was assassinated. Reportedly his last words were “Please God, don’t let me die. I have so much to do.”  I often think about what could go on my tombstone (should that day ever arrive), and I’ve come up with “Wow…that was fast!“

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Stay tuned,

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Then…he jumped out of a window to his death.

The story was written up in a small article in a newspaper, and a singer songwriter named Tommy Durden read it. He took the article to his friend, a 41 year old English teacher named Mae Axton. And the two of them agreed it might make a good song.

As it so happens, after they co-wrote the song, they got it to a young singer from Mississippi…who happened to be “on the road” at the time. A few months later…with a lot of people saying it shouldn’t be released…Elvis’ rendition of “Heartbreak Hotel” was on the radio airwaves.

On May 5, 1956 it became Elvis’ first #1 Hit.

Even though we don’t know who the guy was who jumped out of that window to his death…the vast majority of us has heard a version of his story told from “The King” himself.

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I know this may tarnish my image as a world-class cool singer songwriter forever, but I’ll say it anyway…

I’ve never done drugs…not even pot.

Whew! There. I said it. I can see my subscribers fleeing to find another much cooler singer songwriter to follow. G’bye everyone. I hope you’ll come back some day. Please don’t tell anyone else what you’ve read here today. That’s all I ask.

OK…why did I never do drugs? (for anyone who may still be here and reading) Well, I can’t take the credit. I give that to God. Thankfully I connected with Him when I was 13, and I wanted to do things and live life in a way that pleased Him. Don’t get me wrong…I didn’t succeed all the time…far from it. But during my teenage-mind-of-mush years I did pretty well. At least well enough to stay away from the substances that would have changed who I was.

After I became a professional musician and singer songwriter I had lots (and I mean lots) of opportunities to partake…especially pot and cocaine. I remember a time I was playing a very popular spot in Atlanta, Georgia. A very nice looking girl came up to me when I was on break, and said “follow me”. OK…I’m a guy, so I did. We went into another room where she pulled out her cocaine and offered me some. It felt really weird. I said “no thanks” and that I had to get back to work. And lots of times guys would come to tell me how good they thought I was. They’d shake my hand and there’d be a doobie in it. Yeesh. If they only knew how I’d go flush it down the toilet. 

Back in the 80′s these things were commonplace in the circles I played. So I wrote a song about it. If you’re an email subscriber, you’ll get my original hotel room recording mp3. This is it…

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“Never follow babies or animals”

But I don’t care. This is a very nice video, and I think we adults should take the message to heart…

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With a wisp of her breath she sent idea bubbles floating along the mental currents to my mind.

I reached up and caught one, and it popped and words flowed into my brain, down to my fingers, through the computer keyboard and into my digital files.

Then I noticed something awful. Other bubbles were bursting before I could capture them. Then, I did catch another one, but then 3 more burst. This went on for hours, days, weeks, years. In fact, it has never stopped. But I figured something out. I’m only here on planet Earth for a little while. There’s not enough time for me to catch all the bubbles.

I’ll have to leave most of them for paradise.

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…not everyone else in the world is. So…on that level we’re not all equal. And that’s not a bad thing.

I’ve worked a lot of different jobs in my time here on planet Earth. The one vocation that stuck was…singer songwriter. I’ve driven trucks, forklifts, tractors, motorcycles, all kinds of “cycles” and vehicles,  and…I’ve been a finish carpenter, a family photographer, a bartender, a construction detailer, a junk mail machine operator, an awards jewelry maker (don’t ask), a milkman, a college student, a hamburger flipper at McDonald’s, a copywriter, a jingle writer, a voiceover specialist, a grocery store sacker and stocker, a “utility” guy at Sears (I gathered trash and bound it up in those giant bundles…after school and on Saturdays), a hay hauler, a sodbuster, a paper boy, a mortgage inspector, a furniture refinisher, and the list goes on for a while.

And the only one that stuck was singer songwriter. Now, I say all that to say this…all those jobs are honorable work. Any one of them stands on its own merit. But none of them were truly ME. Just like being a singer songwriter isn’t truly EVERYONE. And that’s a good thing. (pardon me, Martha Stewart)

Here’s the thing, though. Since so many people believe they’re singer songwriters nowadays (and because of some awesome technology advances), the value of a singer songwriter and his/her music has spiraled downward. One of the the most important things we need to keep, in order for each person to reach goals (in whatever field they’ve chosen), is freedom.

Sadly, we give more freedoms away with each passing day. They could never have been forced from our hands, but for some reason we freely give them away…like so much loose change.

I don’t want this to happen. But I think I’m in the minority who believes individuals should be left alone to rise or fall on their own merit and efforts. Think of it this way…which country or empire do you know about where freedoms were erased that stayed powerful and effective? Which country or empire ever taxed itself into prosperity?

Which country or empire is admirable when the populace is full of class envy, racial discrepancies, and violent or even murderous tendencies? 

None.

At the heart of this is FREEDOM.

Give a singer songwriter (or fill in the blank with any job or profession) freedom, and wonderful, beautiful things can happen.

Take that freedom away, and we’re left with musicians simply playing what they can remember while the ship is sinking and the people are panicking.

Let’s not let that happen to us.

Stay tuned,

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I wonder why so many singer songwriters nowadays are so full of angst.

Don’t misunderstand me…I’m not saying they don’t have a good reason. I’m just wondering why so many of them might have a “good reason” for being so full of darkness and angst. Do you suppose it’s the economy? Or the culture…c’mon, do we really need another cop show or vampire show with death and mayhem in nearly every frame? Could it be that it becomes a case of what’s-good-for-#1 Rockstar-is-good-enough-for-me? In other words…a pack forms behind the lead dog, and they go wherever he (or she) leads. Surely that’s not it.

I know a lot of pop icons would call me lame…or a sugar-coated-do-gooder…or another one of those Christians with his head in the sand and no grasp on reality.

But I really don’t care. I prefer to remain an optimist. After all…if the Christian message is true (and of course an overwhelming amount of evidence says it is), then I’m on the winning team. My Head Coach will lead my team to victory over all other opposing teams. The leader of my pack is not only the True Alpha male…He’s also the Omega Man! And that makes me sing with mostly hope and joy…not mere moaning and groaning.

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He said my song “The Way” was his favorite Christian song. He said he thought it was the “best Christian song out there”. Well, I certainly don’t know about that…but I’ll certainly remember him and those kind words all the rest of my days.

My song was played on a radio station’s annual Easter sunrise service, and I was asked to sing it in several churches. Here’s a video of 

“The Way”

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This is a sneak preview of what “Henry Hippo’s Heartbeat“ can look like when you read it on an iPhone or other eReaders like Kindle, Sony, etc. You’ll notice a clip from Henry Hippo’s Song, too…

Be sure to click on the enlarge button so you can see the preview clearly…

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…and as I look around I see a few references to “buckaroos“. They have some signs up for story time for little kids…which they call buckaroos. Now, this caught my attention because recently I started a project of Western themed lullabies. And I call the project “Bedtime Buckaroos”. 

Do you think I should ask them if they’d like to partner up on some buckaroo music to go with their buckaroo stories? Or would that be too corny? Or should there be lullabies playing during story time…or after…or before? 

What do you think?

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Let’s test how it sounds in context…

Well, I hope you have a beautiful vernal equinox filled with all the sounds, sights, and scents of the vernal equinox. And I hope you vernal equinox into new hopes and dreams…and that new fountains of joy vernal equinox forth with a rush of freshness. What do you think? Sound good?  :-)

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OK…I admit it. I have some opinions about politics.

And I’m absolutely sure that truth trumps party.

And so many of the things I hear politicians say (in all parties) are merely paying lip service to cliché.

In fact…a few years back I wrote a song about it, and it still applies…probably always will. What do you think?

Download “Cliché” Here

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I don’t believe in luck except as an expression or figure of speech.

I also don’t believe in manifest destiny or any other type of pre-ordained destiny.

So…as luck would have it…I do believe in forging your own path. And in creating your own “destiny”.

All that being said…I hope you have the “luck” of the Irish smiling on your head today…and everyday…as you forge ahead.

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This is a clip where young Henry meets Horatio…the older advisor hippo…watch and pass it on…

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Here’s another clip from the video version of my new ebook for kids. Have a heart and pass it along…

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]]> http://www.tonyfunderburk.com/ebooks-for-kids/have-a-heart/feed 0 http://www.tonyfunderburk.com/ebooks-for-kids/can-you-hear-your-heartbeat http://www.tonyfunderburk.com/ebooks-for-kids/can-you-hear-your-heartbeat#comments Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:05:42 +0000 Tony http://www.tonyfunderburk.com/?p=1871 Imagine You’re A Hippo…

And You Can’t Hear Your Heartbeat…

What would you do? Well, here’s a clip from the video version of my new eBook for kids called

Henry Hippo’s Heartbeat

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I’d like you to think about this as you check your Facebook updates, Twitter posts, Google pluses, and YouTube videos today. We’re not gravatars. We’re not profiles. We’re not usernames and passwords. We’re humans. And we really need to focus on being real again. Don’t get me wrong…the social media tools are an excellent tool for communication.

But c’mon people! They should never be a replacement for real-live-face-to-face communication. Otherwise the pasteurization, homogenization, and sterilization of society leads even the Christian remnant to believe in self…in a skewed Christian cool. And that ain’t never gonna do anybody any good.

Here’s a humorous video to illustrate my point. Feel free to disagree and leave me your comments…

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I decided to make my site look a little less ominous by adding a lot of white and reducing the black space.

What do you think? Improved? Or should’ve left well enough alone?

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Once upon a time there was this world. And it was good. And beautiful. And pure.

Fast forward about 6,000 years…and we have this world. And it’s not so good. It’s messed up. And purity is long gone.

All around us are stories of tragedy, catastrophe, and calamity. Thieves, liars, and murderers.

But I don’t think we should throw our hands up in the air and give in. Or leave the fixing to politicians who’d rather line their pockets from the wealth they redistribute.

Choose life and fight back, and…

Click Here To Download The Song

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I love alliteration, and I use it often in my songwriting. It seems like a natural fit to the way a voice and words go together.

In my song “The Pure Place” you’ll find alliteration in every line except two. And there’s a reason those two lines don’t have it, but I won’t go into that. In the first line you’ll see me clamoring for the clean life…and never quite succeeding. I used “clamor” because I think we need to be louder in our protests for getting back to the “clean life“. A life not so filled up with profanity and sexual innuendos. And we should clamor for this even if we never quite succeed.

And, of course the “high ground that’s higher than the sky” is merely a reference to my connection to Heaven.

Notice I didn’t say A love-life…I said THE love-life we all need. A love-life with your wife or husband or kids or other family or friends is great. But it’s temporary. And it doesn’t give you eternity. THE love-life can only come from your Creator. Look into it. You might thank me one day.

“The wonder that lives in my mind’s eye” is merely the dreams of paradise…and I wish for that even in the midst of this current reality.

The Pure Place that “glitters like gold…never hot or cold”…where the light shines on my face and there’s “no dreams I’d ever have to chase” and “no bad that we could not erase”…  These are more references to eternal life in Heaven; the paradise our Creator has made for those who love Him.

The reason I’m “searching for the sanctity that I never do quite find” is that I’m a flawed and fallen mortal in need of a Savior. So my sanctity can only be found in Him…but thank God for that because I fail daily in my efforts to be better…to myself and my neighbor.

Even though “I’m longing for the living days that never, ever end”…I know how wonderfully blessed I am to be in this life here and now. It’s a gift. And the more I can keep my mind around the idea of the gift the more I can enjoy this glorious life in this troubled world.

“Thinking so theatrically” is a metaphor for wishful thinking…or…daydreams…but I qualify it by adding that I also “use my mind” (acknowledge what’s real, too). That way I can “quest for the quintessence of my Forever Friend”.  That’s another way of saying I seek the perfection of Jesus.

So…there you have the story behind the lyrics to my song “The Pure Place”. I hope you enjoyed it, and I’d love to read any comments you have.
Listen to “The Pure Place” using my streaming music player there on the left. Just scroll down till you see the title and click on it. The whole song is there to listen to for free.

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I’ve been having a blast (and working my brain overtime) producing the first of my ebooks for kids.
I don’t want to say what the title is…or what the book is about…or anything just yet. But I will say I hope to
have the ebook available in the iBookstore very, very soon…maybe even the last of this month or the first of March.

So…please tune in and watch for further updates. I’ll be working on some surprises.

Stay tuned,

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Intuition?

Gut feeling?

Conscience?

Whether you know it or not, your Creator installed some important software on your human hard drive.
Christians know this as the…

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Check out this story about a very pro life decision made by a couple and how a song by Kenny Loggins proved to be much more pro life music than just a top 40 hit…

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My lingo is easy to understand. It’s really just about the music.

So…those of you who follow me on Twitter…everything else is the same, and…
all my tweets and links are still there. I just needed to use a new name so it’s easier to
remember and won’t be confused with other Tony Funderburks who are doing odd stuff out there.

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This link will be good for 2 weeks for a free download of my latest recording called “Your Love Restored My Soul“.

When you click on the link, it should start downloading immediately. So you should be able to find it in your downloads folder.

Get it while it’s available. And be sure and leave me a comment on it after you’ve heard it.

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Use this code to embed this lullaby songs music player on any kid or toddler related site you like. Free, easy, and fun…

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Just made another nice step toward publishing one of my eBooks for kids on the iBookstore…

Animation!

For updates and how and when and where to find it and get it…

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Well, let’s see…it’s sort of like this…

• If you wanted to actually go to the Super Bowl, it would cost you a bunch of money.
• Obama’s a fool because he thinks God would OK his tax hikes for the rich.
• And since both of those things cost too much, I’m gonna give you free music.

Why? Because I’m so benevolent? No…just because I want you to see if you like it. And hopefully if you do, you’ll become a fan. If you like the music, please feel free to pass it around to any and all you want. The link below is to a .zip file which is pretty big. So wait for it. But once you get it downloaded you’ll have access to 13 of my original songs. They’re from my “Do Right” CD from 1996.

Be sure and let me know what you thought. Of course, I hope you enjoy ‘em.

Click Here For 13 songs from “Do Right”

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Story Time Podcast Episode Eleven

Today’s story time podcast rerun is “A Lesson In Faith“.

Enjoy, and drop me a line telling me what you thought, and…keep the faith…    

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Story Time Podcast Episode Ten

Today’s story time podcast rerun is “The Lion’s Story“.

Enjoy, and drop me a line when you feel like the king of the jungle…    

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Story Time Podcast Episode Nine

Today’s story time podcast rerun is “Dragon Rock“.

Enjoy, and drop me a line when you extinguish the fire breathing…    

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Story Time Podcast Episode Eight

Could you give all you have and all you are for your friends. That’s exactly what happens in “The Cloud“.

Enjoy, and send me a comment when you get in out of the rain…    

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Story Time Podcast Episode Seven

Don’t have too much peach cobbler. You’re liable to see things…like maybe some “Elves On A Rowboat“.

Enjoy, and let me hear from you once you’re back on shore…    

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Story Time Podcast Episode Six

You find out who your real friends are when you walk around with nothing on and no one tells you. At least an emperor found out in “The Emperor’s New Clothes“.

Enjoy, and let me hear from you once you get dressed…    

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Story Time Podcast Episode Five

Get out your hammer and nails. You’re about to listen to “The Story Of The House That Jack Built“.

Enjoy, and let me hear from you once you get your roof attached…    

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Story Time Podcast Episode Four

If an old woman whose nose is long and crooked invites you into her gingerbread house…don’t go. That would be such a “Hansel And Gretel” thing to do.

Enjoy, and let me hear from you once you listen to the story…

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Story Time Podcast Episode Three

This is the story about “The Golden Goose”. I’m sure a lot of you grown-ups have heard it. But maybe some of you “kids” haven’t.

So…enjoy, and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

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Story Time Podcast Episode Two

Here’s the second story time podcast I presented last year. It’s a fairy tale from Grimms brothers.

Let me know if you let any kids hear it…and what they liked or didn’t like. OK?

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It’s been about a year since I released a series of what I called the story time podcasts. They originated on another site I used to have called Ton-O-Fun Tunes. But I just didn’t want to perpetuate two blogs and identities, so I put everything together here.

And I’ve added a lot of new “fans”, “followers”, and friends to my blog and social sites in the past year. So…I thought it would be fun to serve ‘em up again so new visitors could enjoy. Below is the link to the first episode. And keep in mind…if you subscribe to my iTunes podcast, you could get this kind of stuff automatically. But anyway…please share these with any kids you have who might need a little extra encouragement to go to sleep.

Story Time Podcast Episode One

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…Or does it look more like a man of espionage and covert intrigue?

Just askin’…feel free to leave your comments, positive or negative, below.

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Well…I don’t think that’ll happen for at least about 1007 years. But I’ve decided to line up some ambitious goals for 2012, and I hope to accomplish them even if my estimates are wrong.

I won’t say what they are specifically, yet, but they include a bunch more songs, some books, more live music performances, and something I’ll call TonyFun 7.0 (hey…nobody’s a 10)

So, my recommendation is that you sign up for my emails (“Tune In” button there on the left) because you’ll be among the first to know about free music, schedules, and more. Now…I gotta get back to work on this crummy TonyFun software.

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]]> http://www.tonyfunderburk.com/christian-singer/singer-songwriter-and-the-end-of-the-world/feed 0 http://www.tonyfunderburk.com/christian-singer/singer-songwriter-for-free http://www.tonyfunderburk.com/christian-singer/singer-songwriter-for-free#comments Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:48:45 +0000 Tony http://www.tonyfunderburk.com/?p=1614 Check Out My Singer Songwriter Site On Your Smartphone

If you use an iPhone, or any Droid or any other kind of smartphone, type  TonyFunderburk.com in your mobile browser. You should go automatically to my mobile website. And the first thing you’ll see (after the header image that is)…is a streaming music player. I’ve installed over 40 free songs for anyone in the world to listen to.

Go check it out on your smartphone and let me know how it worked for you. You can even copy the embed code and put it on your own site.

And let me know if there was anything you didn’t like about it. Deal?

Thanks, and…

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I just found a demo I used to send out for booking my act in clubs. This particular demo showcases songs by Kenny Loggins, Smashmouth, Commodores, Sting, Sheryl Crow, and The Eagles.

Just thought it might be fun to share the “copy songs” stuff from another space/time continuum.

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‘s Voices

Well…when I’m not singin’…I’m still talkin’

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Pardon My Spin Zone

Who do you think cares more about your life? And the life of your family?

You? Or the government?

I bet you were able to answer that question much faster than I was able to ask it. You know who cares more…YOU! So stop leaning on the government for assistance of any kind. We all need to work harder and smarter to see to our own prosperity. And we need to learn the difference between sharing and stealing. Huh?!

Yep…

Even if a majority says it’s OK to steal (tax) from me to give to someone else, that doesn’t make it right. When the government gives it a benevolent sounding name, they’re just using their own “putting lipstick on a pig” tactic. And keep this in mind…”the government” isn’t a spiritual entity. It’s made up of people. People who can’t even figure out how to keep water systems safe…much less how to distribute wealth fairly.

Don’t thirst for a bail out…

Consider this: Ana Navas-Acien, MD, PhD, assistant professor and researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University and her team of collaborators analyzed data from 788 adults age 20 and older. Their urine was tested for traces of this toxin. They found…

• Participants with type 2 diabetes had a 26% higher arsenic level than people who did not have the disease.

• Those with the highest levels of arsenic were more than three times as likely to have diabetes than those with the lowest levels. Drinking water can be contaminated with arsenic in some mining areas and in areas with inappropriate arsenic waste disposal… also, air pollution can be an additional source of arsenic exposure in certain areas.

Just think how much more efficient and effective our country would be if taxes were used to keep the utilities infrastructure safe from pollutants and poisons. And if our tax dollars were used to keep bridges safe…and roads safe and smooth, and night lights shining, and a military with state-of-the-art equipment to defend us against all aggression. Personally I’d be thrilled to pay taxes for that. And it could all be done for approximately 5% of each person’s earnings. Amazing huh?

But…

• A government who takes my money and gives it to corporate idiots who’ve run their businesses into the ground? No.
• A government who takes my money and gives it to bankers and insurance company owners who’ve squandered their assets? No.
• A government who takes my money and gives it to people who won’t work, or others who spend it on abortions, or others who spend it on athletic shoes, or flat screen TV’s, or satellite radio and mp3 players for their cars…No, No, No, and No.

Those things cause envy, bitterness, and resentment. Like a famous TV doc says “how’s that workin’ for ya?”

This isn’t a partisan rant. I’m not a Re(po)publican or a Demo(lish)crat. I’m not a Liber(scare)ian or a blind and foolish anarchist. I’m just a small business owner who’s tired of having his money stolen and given to others by politicians playing Robin Hood to buy votes. It’s wrong (and it always will be) to take from one to give to another. That’s not charity…it’s thievery.

Your personal economy is where you should be focusing. And we all need to open our eyes to the lies and deception of thinking anyone in Washington D.C. gives a good hoot about how we feel. They only care about how much they can get away with. Their never-ending tax and spend agendas prove it year after year.

If you’re a small business owner, or an employee, I believe in you…the worker, the entrepreneur, the risk-taker, the dream builder. And I don’t believe that spirit can be held down for long unless we just give in. Never, ever, ever, never, never, never, ever, ever, ever give up.

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Wanna Write? Well…Unleash Your Imagination

Don’t hold it back…just let it run wild in the wide open spaces and high and pure places.

See It And Say It

Whatever way or style you’d say it out loud…that’s the way you write it down. Nothing to be afraid of here. You’re just letting the waters flow. Your mind becomes a clear, “babbling” (no pun intended) brook. Words flow between quiet banks and bump over rounded rocks. Every so often a duck or goose drops in for a splash and a snack on some minnows.

Now; you jump out of the water, dry yourself off, and run through the meadows so fast your hair starts on fire. As you turn around you see the water’s all dried up, too. Now what do you do? Blazing hair and no water…

Hey…it’s your daydream. Put it out with that honey in that maple tree right over there. Duh.

OK…now wake up.

Alright. That was just an exercise in fantasy and make-believe. Your flights of fancy don’t have to go anywhere near that far. Or they can go farther. The point is…let your mind open up and flow. You’ll almost feel the blood cells expand and take in more oxygen. You’ll come back to your white page or white screen with renewed vigor. You’ll let your words go and get it done. And the best part is…you’ll also have some more original writing to put in your notebook.

Now, get back to work you creative monster. It’s time to write.

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A Singer Songwriter Ponders A Most Beautiful Gift

Have you ever pondered music? I don’t mean thinking about the notes or the beat or the even the instrumentation.

I mean have you pondered it?

(To ponder: to weigh carefully in the mind; consider thoughtfully: He pondered his next words thoroughly.)

Think about what music is…

• It’s intangible.
• It’s really indefinable.
• It has no shape, yet it shapes thoughts.
• It has no function of its own, yet somehow helps us function

Music has the power to stir emotions…

…And of its own accord can’t fulfill any of them. It isn’t necessary to perform our daily duties, but how many places of business do you find with no music. I certainly don’t remember many. Music can’t comb your hair, brush your teeth, or tie your shoes, but it can ease you through those mundane tasks and make you forget about the time.

You don’t need words to enjoy music. You don’t need status. You don’t even need people around. It isn’t poured from a bottle, shaken from a cannister, or even dolloped from a 5 gallon bucket. Still; it can be as refreshing as champagne, spicy as cayenne, and rich and decadent as gold ring homemade vanilla ice cream. (you Texans will really know what I mean by that last reference)

Music appeals to fewer than our five senses, but it also appeals to more than our senses. When you study musical structure, it makes perfect logical sense. But when you try to explain why it “moved” you, very often you can’t quite convey it satisfactorily.

It wasn’t because it smelled, tasted, felt, sounded, or looked so good. It was what it did to your cerebral cortex. Or maybe it hit you in the “gut”, but it didn’t actually hit you, and it wasn’t actually your “gut”. See what I mean? You can’t put your finger on it. In fact you can’t touch it at all. You just know. You know?

Why in the world am I going on and on about music? Thanks for asking.

Music is an almost perfect way to ingrain an idea into the mind. Because without exception there has always been this common chord. (like my musical metaphor?) People love music! No surprise… It’s extremely versatile, dependable, believable, and yet inexplicable.

As a singer songwriter I take the same octave countless other musicans use and create my little piece of semi-immortality to satisfy…what? Me? An audience? A paycheck? All of the above? None of the above? The answer is yes to all the questions. I’ve written songs for each of those purposes. And each one was satisfying in its own way because each one involved the intangible little friend of mine. I’m not sure why I’m so moved by this unseen companion, but I do know this:

Music is a gift from God. It, and your thoughts, can never be stolen from you, forced out of you, or driven away from you…as long as you want it; you’ve got it. How incredible is such a gift. Yeah, we could live without music, but…

It wouldn’t be nearly as joyous an existence.

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A Singer Songwriter‘s Take On…”Stuff”

We humans are funny creatures. Especially those of us who’ve been fortunate to have been born in a “free” society. Americans, especially, tend to be very image-bound and sound byte- gagged.

First, we see what seems to be the definition of success, and we measure ourselves against it. When the dollar amounts are staggering, or the beauty is beyond fantasy, or the “stuff” is piled up on TV, we feel pitifully inadequate.

But we are not the sum total of our dollars, beauty, or “stuff”. We’re not the sum total of our monikers we wear through this life. We’re not the sum total of the varied opinions about us. Those don’t make us, and they shouldn’t break us.

• Work to produce…not for the money.
• Play to relax…not to escape.
• Laugh to enjoy…not to cover up.
• Love to give…not to acquire.
• And live to be thankful…not to compare.

You are the sum total of where you position yourself for eternity.

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You know what?

If you’re not there already, you should think seriously about becoming debt-free this year. Work on it with short term, medium term, and long term goals in mind. Not having tons of debt will make it easier to invest in yourself and/or your business. You’d be amazed at all the places you may be losing money…when you really should be paying yourself and achieving your goals of financial freedom.

If you want some inspiration, or if you think you’d like to drive “free cars”, you’ll want to see this VIDEO

I love the slogan: “drive free…retire rich”.

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Oh, you think you can? Think again. You need your health. It’s not just something that’s nice to have around. It’s the core essential to any job you do or any career you have.

Now put down that diet cola and repeat after me…I want to be healthy. ( I want to be healthy) I need to be healthy (are you repeating after me?) If I’m not healthy, I’m no good to anyone. (say it…it’s true) And if I’m healthy, I can overcome obstacles in my mind, body, and work.

OK. Do you believe it?

Well…believe it. Chew on this. You eat fast food everyday. You don’t exercise. You definitely don’t drink enough water, and even when you’re drinking it, it’s mixed with tea or coffee. And you think you can take your little one-a-day so-called vitamins and keep the bad times away.

Wrong.

You gotta stay well. People are depending on you to do your best. And when you’re constantly reaching for a tissue to honk your nose…or running for an umpteenth bathroom break…how much good work are you getting done? Have you seen a recent commercial where the guy doesn’t know how to get dressed or make breakfast or even get in his car? Turns out he gave up smoking, and he’s having to re-learn how to do everything without a cigarette in his hand.

Don’t be like that guy. Stay well. Be well. Start now. Be happy. Grin. It’s good for you. And you’ll keep your mind free to think up all kinds of things to write about.

It just worked for me.  :-)

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The thing any singer songwriter dreads most has happened. I caught a cold…or it caught me.

And it’s been beating me up for a week.

I haven’t been this under the weather in a long time. I’m not telling you this to get you to feel sorry for me. (although if you do, that’s OK) I’m just posting it so you’ll know why I haven’t been around for a bit. But I didn’t wanna miss out on the chance to wish all of you a Happy New Year. I hope you’ll stay safe and have a bunch of fun ringin’ out the old year and ringin’ in the new.

I’ll be working on getting this ringin’ out of my ears.  

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Well, I hope each and every one of you had a wonderful, happy, fun, Merry Christmas. Thanks to all of you who signed up to get my 3 new original Christmas songs. I hope you were able to enjoy and share them with all your family and friends. I’ll extend the offer up to 12 more days for anyone who might just now be finding this…click the “Tune In” button over there on the left, type in your email address. That’s it. Easy.

Now, my extended wish is that you’ll all stay safe this week and into the New Year’s Eve celebrations. I’m anticipating a jam-packed 2012, and I’d like to know you’re all going to be around for it.

Remember to keep in touch. Feel free to leave comments here on my blog, or connect with me on Facebook and/or Twitter using the links below. And keep listening and watching for new music. I’ve got some in the pipeline I’m excited to share. Every supporter gives me the drive and momentum to create new material. You’re awesome!

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As we’re nearing the home stretch of the Christmas gift buying time, let me make a quick and simple suggestion…

Don’t get caught up in the frantic, hectic chaos. Remember…a cookie delights a kid more than almost anything. And smiling people are much nicer to be around than frustrated shoppers…any day of the year, much less Christmas.

So…sit down, have a nice warm beverage, a cookie or cake or scone or whatever. Think about why you’re even celebrating Christmas, and enjoy every moment you can. You probably don’t have nearly as many moments as you think or would like.

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