I read another article about brain cell connections to music. Yeah, I’m a nerd when it comes to that kind of information. And I love a quote from that article that said, “Neurons that fire together, wire together.” Of course the scientist who said that was talking about how brain cells communicate with each other by “firing” messages through junctions called synapses. And when … The rest of the story…
Category Archives: Tony Funderburk
Let’s see. There was one bassist. Three cellists. Three violinists. And one pianist. Yeah, that about covers it. An eight-piece ensemble that started out, in second class, as a three-piece ensemble and a five-piece ensemble. Second class were their accommodations. Not their character or talent. Yeah, these were the kind of classy musicians who played for teatime gatherings. And other sort of hoity toity … The rest of the story…
95 years ago, today, October 6, a quirky little guy said, “”Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain’t heard nothing yet.” And the crowd went wild. You probably already know I’m talking about Al Jolson. And you probably already know he was the guy who made movie history when “The Jazz Singer” premiered as the first “talkie.” Yeah, after all those silent movies, … The rest of the story…
Hey, you know what would be a lotta fun? Let’s talk about the evolution of music. Are you with me? But let’s don’t do it in my boring musician way. Let’s start with a discussion about it I found on a government website. Yeah, I’ve got your undivided attention now. Right? Check out this interesting paragraph on the evolution of music. “Music is a … The rest of the story…
Just about everybody has a bedtime routine. It makes sense. Because humans are creatures of habit. Like brushing your teeth and changing into pajamas. Those activities just become something you do without having to put a lot of thought and effort into them. And then maybe you read a little and turn off the lights. Boom. You’ve got a bedtime routine. Good for YOU. … The rest of the story…
I’m happy to celebrate when a church moves in the direction of rightly dividing the word of truth. But you almost never see that anymore. In fact, most establishments calling themselves churches move in the opposite direction. Sometimes the move is speedy. And often it’s slow enough to be almost unnoticeable. Like when a report says a church moves by the hand of God. … The rest of the story…
It’s unimaginably cool. But you and I actually have the breath of life from God in us. Uh-oh. I’ve already given you the clue that’ll probably make sure you get an A+ on this pop quiz I’ve got for you. I know. Nobody likes a pop quiz. But, no worries. Because I KNOW you’re gonna pass it now. OK, here’s the introduction to and … The rest of the story…
You’ve been a person your whole life. If you’ve lived a few (or several) decades, hopefully you’re getting pretty good at being a person. Yeah, it’s an ongoing struggle. But somebody’s gotta do it. Right? But let’s begin at the beginning and see where it takes us. Even if you can’t say for sure when your life started, you know without a doubt, the … The rest of the story…
Imagine if you could breathe underwater. Just think of the places you could go. How do fish breathe underwater? Well, they actually have a wonderfully designed system of gills that capture the oxygen from the water as it passes through. So fish don’t have to hold their breath like you and I do. But what if you didn’t have to hold your breath? Yeah. … The rest of the story…
Music is an aural expression of life. From babies in the womb to the silver-haired citizens, music is an amazingly comforting language. I’ve shared a lot of information about the health benefits of music and sound. But it doesn’t benefit only the listener. And I know this from a lifetime of aural expression. Whatever musical gifts and talents I have are gifts from God. … The rest of the story…
Hypnopompic hallucinations. No, there are no drugs involved. You might have experienced them, even if you’ve never heard of ’em. Because they can occur in that transitional time between sleep and fully waking up. And they don’t have to include scenes of terror. After all, it’s not like everything in life mimics Stephen King books. My hypnopompic hallucinations almost always involve music. And I … The rest of the story…
OK, I know you’re shopping bags are at the ready. And you can’t wait for the stores to open. So, I won’t keep you long. You’ll have plenty of time to celebrate the birthdays of those small creatures. Of course, you might be the oddball who doesn’t know which small creatures I mean. I’ll give you some hints. They were first introduced to the … The rest of the story…
OK, I heard it again. And without mincing words (who does that anymore?) I gotta say I’m insulted. Because people keep saying they “miss the old hymns in church.” And they say things like, “Only the old hymns stay true to the Bible.” Or something like, “Music, in churches these days, is repetitious ME focused drivel. Modern songs just seem to leave out the … The rest of the story…
OK, stop me if you’ve heard this story (yeah, as if you could stop me). This story took place six thousand years ago. In a place very, very close to where you are right now. In fact, it took place exactly where you are right now. And it’s about the beginning of our little, blue planet. But before the story begins, let’s get an … The rest of the story…
Would you believe, in all my criss-cross traveling days as a professional musician, I never visited the Grand Canyon. Nope. I still haven’t seen it up close and personal. And I just read an article, and watched some videos, that piqued my interest to go see that big hole in the ground. Because of the fascinating information about cross-beds. That’s why I titled this … The rest of the story…
I am NOT a liberal. Although I AM liberal. And that might seem confusing at first glance. But it makes total sense AND it’s the sensible way to be. But only when you understand the difference between the word, liberal, and what passes for liberal ideology. And, in that case, Inigo Montoya said it best, “You keep using that word, I do not think … The rest of the story…
“There is nothing wrong with your television set. You are about to participate in a great adventure. You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the inner mind to, The Outer Limits.” That was part of the opening to the old TV show from back in the 60’s. Boomers remember The Outer Limits. Everybody else probably feels like they live … The rest of the story…
Don’t do good deeds just because you might help an archangel unaware. Or any other kind of angel for that matter. In fact, don’t do good deeds, or good works, or just plain good stuff for any self-serving reason. And that might be more difficult than you think. The archangel unaware part is something I made up. But it’s based, at least a little, … The rest of the story…
Violin anatomy is basically the same across almost all models. Except for those cool, modern ones you see contemporary players dancing around with on stages and streets. And there’s quite a bit more going on that you might notice at first glance. I have more appreciation for violin anatomy because of a picture. Someone, on a social media channel I follow, shared a picture … The rest of the story…
On one of the social media channels I follow someone posted one of those positive memes about Donald Trump. Here’s the text from the picture… “Two days after the 9/11 attack real DonaldTrump was at Ground Zero with hundreds of workers that he paid out of his own pocket to help find and identify victims. This was long before he was even thinking of running for POTUS.” And … The rest of the story…