Category Archives: music for kids

Music for kids by writer singer illustrator Tony Funderburk

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(this is for adults, don’t watch kiddos) One of my collections of real kids songs is called Kiddin’ Around. When it first came out, I sold a bunch of CD’s. Yes, those plastic discs that you actually had to put in a CD player to be able to hear the music. Crazy, right?

The reason I call them real kids songs is real kids enjoy them.

And I’ve got proof.

A teacher at a Christian school in the Denver area told me she’d like to use some of my songs for a presentation her kids were gonna do. She asked if it would be OK. I said…

“Sure. That would be cool.” Or something like that.

Anyway…

The day came for the kids to put on their “show.” And I took my little hand-held digital video camera and went to the school. And I sneaked (some even say snuck) way up in the balcony. The lighting wasn’t great from up there. So, the video quality ain’t that great. But I think you’ll see how cute the kids were anyway.

And it really was cool to see the little people kiddin’ around to real kids songs.

Just in case you don’t see the video, here’s the link:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3rHn_ii2xs)

Of course, this is in no way a guarantee that your kid(s) will enjoy these songs, too. After all you might have kids that don’t like to have fun. How could I possibly know. But, most red-blooded, American kids have enjoyed these songs for a long time. So, there’s a pretty good chance yours will too.

If you’re too old for kids, or even grandkids, you probably still know a special kid or two somewhere in the world. And I feel sure they wouldn’t be mad at you for making sure they have some fun tunes before the rest of their friends do.

Just be sure you don’t share this link with anyone else who has kids. Because you don’t want them to beat you to it.

https://www.TonyFunderburk.com/fundersongs

Stay tuned,

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Elara lived in the star-island village of Millezza (pronounced milletsa, with the accent on the et). I’m sure you never heard of her or her hometown. Because they’re located at the Northwest corner of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Of course, I know you’ve heard of the Milky Way Galaxy.

After all, anyone who lives on planet Earth knows our entire solar system is contained within the Milky Way Galaxy.

I’m just sayin’ you never heard of Elara or Milletsa. Let’s leave it at that. Yeesh.

Anyway…

Elara had a passion for bouquets. But her bouquets were made of the stardust she gathered during her walks through the Millezza Meadows. After she collected her celestial clippings, she’d take them back to her stardust studio to arrange them.

Every little speck shined and shimmered beyond imagination. And far beyond the color spectrum you and I can see. But, to Elara, it was all quite normal. She had been creating her bouquets for thousands of years.

So, it was all in a day’s work.

And, on one of those days, a space traveler, named Evan, landed in Millezza Meadows just as Elara was about to head home with her daily finds. You and I might think that was mighty strange. But Elara had entertained other travelers before. So, she had sort of come to expect visitors once in a while.

As it turned out, Evan was a writer. And he fancied himself to be a musician, too. And he loved to travel through the Milky Way Galaxy writing songs and stories about the stars and the heavens.

Elara invited him to join her for dinner. And without hesitation he simply said, “Excellent.”

That evening, when he arrived at her bungalow, Evan was delighted to see the wide variety of bouquets in lead glass crystal vases. One glowed a deep indigo blossom from within and its edges were dusted with silver like iridescent stardust. Another one shined like a deep, rich violet neon sign. It had tiny threads of luminous gold weaving all around. And it reminded him of a cosmic dawn he had passed through on his travels.

But one stood out from the rest.

Not because of bright colors. In fact, maybe it stood out so much because of the absence of bright colors. And Evan couldn’t take his eyes off it. It drew him in like a cosmic funnel of enigmatic joy. Translucent shards of white light floated, counterclockwise above the crystal vase. But an unseen force held them in their orbits.

Evan felt the irresistible urge to reach out and touch the lights. And as he did, the tiny shards danced across his fingers and around his hand. And they glowed even brighter and lit up his face in full spectrum light.

Elara could see the bouquet’s effect on Evan. So, she told him how the stardust in that arrangement came from the purest and most distant reaches of the Milky Way Galaxy. And she explained how the shards of light had the power to fill creative, inquisitive minds with knowledge and wisdom and stories. It was almost as if they tapped into the mind of the Creator of the cosmos. And she told Evan she believed they actually did.

Then, much to his surprise, she gave him the bouquet.

And once again, without hesitation, Evan simply said, “Excellent!”

Elara carefully packed the Milky Way Bouquet into a box made of Millezza Meadows mahogany. And Evan put it carefully on board his ship. He understood that he had found something and someone as bold and boundless as the heavens he loved so much.

She understood how much she was giving away.

And they both understood how the gift would be a bridge between their hearts and minds.

Now you know the story behind the tenth song on the Lullabye Bye collection of lullaby songs for kids. And every word of it is as true as your best mid-winter dream.

By the way, you can hear a sample of “Milky Way Bouquet,” as well as all the other songs in the Lullabye Bye collection, here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV4pKjLJWgg)

Then, don’t stop to pick any bouquets. Just jump on over to the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop to get your special kids their very own Lullabye Bye coloring, drawing songbook. And I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. There’s a link, in the book, to download all the songs?

So, download your Lullabye Bye book in the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop right now.

Stay tuned…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

Amelia sat by the window. And the soft glow of the evening sunset shined warm shades of orange and yellow across the nursery. As twilight settled on the crib, she hoped tonight would be different. Because her baby, Lily, had struggled with sleep for a week.

But Amelia decided to try something new. She she gathered her ukulele, her songbook journal, her favorite pen, and her favorite chair into her favorite corner of her favorite room.

And in that soft glow of the evening sunset she wrote a lullaby.

And she started out by softly humming to herself until she found a melody that felt good. And she knew she had to keep it simple so Lily could easily recognize it each night. Naturally the song had to be personal. So, she thought about their times together.

Amelia’s love for minor keys took her to the first and second lines of the lullaby. As she pictured herself holding Lily next to her heart, she wrote:

“Yes, my love, I DO adore you.
Hear my heart. It’s beating for you.”

Then, she thought about how those special one-on-one moments would only go on forever in her own mind. Lily wouldn’t remember them. But SHE would. So, she wrote:

“Private memories we will keep.
But, for now, fall fast asleep.”

Next, Amelia wanted words to help Lily feel safe and loved. So, she wrote the next 4 lines:

Leave the world and cares behind you.
I’ll make sure they cannot find you.
You’ll be safe in slumber deep…
So for now…fall fast asleep.

Two verses were done.

And, almost like a gift from God, the chorus flowed right out of her.

Amelia added one more verse. Then, she rehearsed the whole lullaby a few times so she could tweak the words and melody until it felt just right.

And, as she gently rocked Lily to sleep, in what was left of the evening sunset, she sang the new lullaby. Lily’s little mouth opened into a cute yawn, and her little blue eyes hid behind her eyelids closed. And Amelia felt a more peaceful connection to her baby than she’d ever felt before.

So, as you might imagine, that new lullaby became their nightly ritual. And the one special song to help Lily Fall Fast Asleep into sweet dreams.

OK. Just so you know, I’m actually the one who wrote the song “Fall Fast Asleep.” There might be a mom named Amelia who wrote a lullaby for her daughter, Lily. But any relation or similarities to them, found in this story, are purely coincidental.

Listen to a sample of “Fall Fast Asleep,” as well as all the other songs in the Lullabye Bye collection here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV4pKjLJWgg)

Then, before you fall asleep, jump on over to the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop to get your special kids their very own Lullabye Bye coloring, drawing songbook. By the way, you’ll find a link, in the book, to download all the songs. AND they’re included in the cost of the book. For absolutely no dinero, yen, rubles, dolares, or any other kinds of moolah.

Download your Lullabye Bye book in the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop right now.

Stay tuned…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

What’s with all these hypnic jerks who bug you just when you’re drifting off to sleep. How incredibly rude! And embarrassing. Sort of. Maybe it’s just me.

Have you ever had to deal with ’em as you’re drifting off to sleep?

I mean, can’t they get your attention before that point? Because that’s the part of sleep that puts the La La in La La Land. That moment you relax and start drifting…off…to…slee

Where was I?!

Oh yeah. Those hypnic jerks. Turns out that’s the name somebody gave to those twitches or sudden jerks that happen right when you’re drifting off to sleep. I experience them once in a while. Thankfully I haven’t had to deal with one in public.

But it still feels weird. Even in private. Because it’s almost like your brain got some sort of electrical shock but only passed the twitching jerk to your muscles. No electricity.

I read somewhere that when you sleep soundly, your body is basically paralyzed. And they said that, for the most part, even during the most active dreams your muscles stay relaxed and still. And if someone watched you at that time they wouldn’t even be able to tell.

But, apparently, there’s also this thing called “brain battle.”

You’ve probably heard of R.E.M. sleep. No, not the 80’s band. The rapid-eye movements during sleep time. During that time your eyes can “follow” the activity you dream about. For example, you see an airplane fly by in your dream. And your eyes follow it across the sky.

Rapid-eye movements, in your dream world, escape the normal sleep paralysis. And they show up in the awake world. If you’ve ever seen a sleeping person’s eyes move, you got to watch them as they dreamed.

But then the brain battle part happens when hypnic jerks come to town. Those movements don’t reflect what’s going on in your dream. In other words, just because you dream of riding a bike, it doesn’t mean you’ll start to move your legs in circles. In fact, those jerks seem to be evidence that your motor system can still control your body, a little bit, as sleep paralysis starts to kick in.

So, it appears to be that the part of your system that helps you sleep sometimes sort of battles your system that helps you stay awake.

Well, aren’t you the complicated little creation?

But guess what’s NOT complicated. The simple instrumental lullaby called “Drifting Off.” Listen to a sample of it, as well as all the other songs in the Lullabye Bye collection, here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV4pKjLJWgg)

Science shows these lullabies can help you get rid of the hypnic jerks. Remember, trust the science. It’s just good science.

Then, jump on over to the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop to get your special kids their very own Lullabye Bye coloring, drawing songbook. By the way, you’ll find a link, in the book, to download all the songs. AND they’re included in the cost of the book. That makes ’em, shh, eff are E E.

Download your copy of the Lullabye Bye book in the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop right now. And enjoy the experience with your kids or grandkids tonight.

Stay tuned…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

I remember learning the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep prayer way before I “went to school.” Naturally, I didn’t get the full meaning of it, at the time. Because I was a little kid. I just loved the sound of the rhyme.

“Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep.”

Did you ever learn that one? And when I say “one,” I gotta add that I didn’t realize there were several versions of that little poem. Here’s the famous version I learned.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

After I got older I started to think of that one as a little bit morbid. Or pessimistic. So, when I found this next version, I immediately liked it more.

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
Angels watch me through the night,
And wake me with the morning light.

Not that dying in my sleep, and going to be with the Lord in Heaven is morbid or pessimistic. Quite the opposite. But that first version still seems pessimistic to teach to a little kid who’s just getting started in life. You can see that, right?

And this third, longer version, takes it a step further.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
Bless the bed that I lie on.
Four corners to my bed,
Four angels round my head;
One to watch and one to pray
And two to bear my soul away.

No, I’m gonna go with the second version. Because it’s filled with hope for a new day. But I guess I’m just a hopeful romantic. Or, in this case, hopeful optimist. Of course, I’ve read the ending to the bestselling book of all time. So, I know there’s massive logic to feeling optimistic. And it’s nice to lie down to sleep that way.

But, believe it or not, some kids don’t wanna lie down to sleep.

Gasp! Can that be true?! Yes. And I hear tell that some of them fight nap time with all their might. I know older people think, “Fight nap time? Why?!” But put yourself in a kid’s place. They’ve got a whole world of brand new things to learn. And sleep just robs them of time to do that.

I wrote a song about a kid who doesn’t wanna lay down to sleep. And when you read or hear the three verses, you can almost see a little kid who’s fighting sleep with all he’s got. He thinks he has good reasons, too. And you almost can’t argue with his logic. But he’s also losing the battle of mind over nap time.

That’s why the chorus says:

Now I lay…lay me down,
Blink and wink, my dreams come and take me.
Now I lay…lay me down,
If I’m gone too long, come and wake me.

So, I referenced two famous bedtime poems in the chorus.

I’m sure you could easily see the connection to Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep. But did you notice the “nod” to another famous one, when I said “blink and wink?”

Anyway…

Listen to a sample of “Now I Lay Me Down,” as well as all the other songs in the Lullabye Bye collection here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV4pKjLJWgg)

Then, after you have a nice nap, jump on over to the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop to get your special kids their very own Lullabye Bye coloring, drawing songbook. By the way, you’ll find a link, in the book, to download all the songs. AND they’re included in the cost of the book. That’s called Fuh-Ree.

Download your copy of the Lullabye Bye book in the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop right now.

Stay tuned…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

It’s triple digits temps around here again. Multiple triple digits already. And multiple more to come. As a next-door neighbor used to say, “It’s brutal.” And if you don’t have the convenience of modern air conditioning, I can’t imagine you’ll rest easy when it’s 80 degrees at night.

In order for me to rest easy it’s gotta be cool at night.

Maybe that’s some sort of connection to being born in Colorado. I don’t know. But I DO know I’m a big fan of the guy who invented air conditioning that cools a whole house. Because triple digits and weather just ain’t cool, man. (pun completely intended)

Speaking of cool. Have you ever read the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening?” It’s a classic by Robert Frost.

And have you ever seen the movie, “Telefon” with Charles Bronson and Donald Pleasance?

Since Robert Frost was born in 1874 and the movie Telefon debuted 103 years later, you might think there wouldn’t be a connection. But some lines from Mr. Frost’s poem made their way into the movie. In fact, they were code words. And when secret sleeper agents answered their phone and heard them, they’d be triggered into doing terrible things.

But the poem is about a peaceful pause alongside a snowy wooded area during a sleigh ride home.

And the last words are the famous ones used in the movie:

“The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.” ~Robert Frost

OK, as long as we’re on this poetic ride, I’ll share a few lines from William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” A blurb I read, that described what he’s writing about said the poem “portrays the restorative power of nature.” And that it “recounts the speaker’s encounter with a field of daffodils, which brings a sense of calm and tranquility.”

“For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.”

Yeah, you really get your words’ worth from Mr. Wordworth. We don’t talk like that anymore. But I’d much rather hear that kind of talk than the f-bomb-riddled stuff you find literally everywhere these days.

Here’s the last poetic punch I’ll throw at you. I wrote these lyrics in the song “Rest Easy.”

Rest easy dear child.
May your dreams all be mild.
Rest easy dear one,
For this time of your life is soon gone.

Listen to a sample of the song here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV4pKjLJWgg)

And then I know you’ll want to scoot on in to the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop to get your special kids their very own Lullabye Bye coloring, drawing songbook. By the way, you’ll find a link, in the book, to download all the songs. AND they’re included in the cost of the book. So that makes ’em Fa-Ree.

Download your copy of the book in the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop right now.

Stay tuned…

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Tony Funderburk Posted on by

If you’ve ever seen the movie “Forrest Gump” you might remember seeing a feather dance around him and his surroundings at the bus stop. Of course, I’m sure you’re all savvy enough to know that little feather didn’t make all those moves all on its own. Right?

I read an interesting description for how they made that feather dance.

According to the transcription for a video, it went something like this:

“You could use a man in a green suit to puppeteer the feather. But Mister Green can’t fly. And so the feather  sequence was done by first filming the entire shot without the feather. And then filming a  feather on a wire in front of a blue screen and then superimposing and animating its position on top of the footage. However, aside from it needing to make reflections on a car, or on a wet pavement, the feather still needed to transition from superimposed to real. And this is where vFX came in handy. On the original plate they lent a real feather against Tom Hanks’ shoe which was then digitally painted out. Then, by using a cg feather, they were able to  make the transition from blue screen feather to cg feather and then finally animate it to fall and be crossfaded into the real feather.

If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t know what I’m talking about, check it out. And you’ll get a visual feel for an instrumental song included in the Lullabye Bye collection. I didn’t have that scene in mind when I put the music together. But after I read that description of how they did it, it fit kinda nicely.

Feather Dance is one of four and a half instrumental lullaby songs.

And it has soft, plucky sounds dancing around to the rhythm of somewhat subdued percussion. So, it’s just right for little ears to take in as little eyelids get a little heavy.

Oh, and if you wondered why I said four and half instrumentals, you should get yourself a copy of the Lullabye Bye coloring, drawing songbook. Because hidden somewhere in the book is a link to download all the songs. And they’re included in the cost of the book. So that makes ’em Fa-Ree.

You can download your copy of the book in the Rhyme and Reason Bookshop.

Or you can hold off till you get to know me better. And you can do that a lot faster when you jump on the The TRUTH. Join the growing band of believers who enjoy my books, daily rhymes, songs, and videos about the Rhyme and Reason and power of God’s love.

Stay tuned…

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