Here’s a music history challenge for you. I’ll bet you can’t tell me the 5 songs I’m including in this fairy tale and why they’re grouped together. If you need a hint, leave me a comment. Once upon a time there were two bridges. One bridge went over water, and the other went over clouds. It was important to choose the right bridge because … The rest of the story…
Category Archives: Tony’s Daily Devotional
What’s this obsession with the dark side of music? I remember when I was growing up how music was so much about fun and storytelling and sharing reasons to be glad to be alive. Now, there’s just so much darkness to it all. Well, maybe not all…but so much of it that it seems that way sometimes. For instance…I get Google email alerts for … The rest of the story…
Coloring Video
I made a coloring video because I had a little kid ask me how I draw into my computer… I made the coloring video to show part of the process. The art of making art using only a digital pen and tablet is almost magical to me. So I can only imagine what it must seem like to a young, inquisitive, spongy little mind. … The rest of the story…
Green Monkey: Another Kiddin Around Song And Video
If you can see a Green Monkey in the video below, you either had too much lime Kool-Aid, or you’re tuned into my wacky imagination and music. A few years back I had CD’s of my personalized music for kids in several Denver, Colorado area kids’ stores. I sold thousands of them and decided to become my own distributor here on the TF website. … The rest of the story…
Kiddin’ Around. It’s one of the CD’s in my children’s songs collections… …and a lot of people have gotten it for their kids. Thank you all for that, by the way. But I remembered, this afternoon, that I had some videos of kids dancing (with the choreography help of their teacher) to 2 of the 10 songs on the CD. I haven’t shared these … The rest of the story…
I’m working on some animation to add to my ebooks for kids… Don’t get me wrong…I doubt I’ll be giving Pixar a run for their money. But I’m having a very good time learning these new animation skills. In case you hadn’t noticed…kids love animation. And they also love cartoons. And there’s more and more research showing how ebooks for kids with animation or … The rest of the story…
Kids Need Music And Imagination OK…I’m not tryin’ to say your kid’s life will be completely better because of music. And I’m not sayin’ your kid won’t have trials and tribulations in this life if he only listens to music. But I am sayin’ your kid will have access to the ultimate imagination machine if he or she’s exposed to a good variety of … The rest of the story…
Your Heartbeat…can you hear it?
Imagine if you couldn’t hear your heartbeat… …and that’s the predicament young Henry Hippo found himself in. He couldn’t hear his heartbeat, and he was pretty sure it was pretty important to have a heartbeat. So, he decided to do something about it. Back when I was attending the Institute of Children’s Literature, I had an assignment to write a story using an … The rest of the story…
I’m a writer-singer-illustrator…writing for kids …and it’s true. That’s who I am and what I do. (sometimes adults, too) But through my years online I’ve created several identities for myself. I now believe it was all sort of gently nudging me in the direction of where I started out way before there was an internet. But in the early days of my online marketing … The rest of the story…
Read My eBooks For Kids On Kindle Paperwhite
If you like the Amazon Kindle platform for reading ebooks for kids, then you’ll probably really like the new Kindle Paperwhite. (watch the video review) I’ve already published two ebooks for kids on the Kindle publishing platform, and I’m in the middle of illustrating my third, “Music Pajamas“. If you already have a Kindle or if you get the new Kindle Paperwhite, please check … The rest of the story…
I’m A Singer Songwriter, and… …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 … The rest of the story…
Real Talking Points Or Cliche
Politicians And Their “Talking Points” I Think They’re Mostly Just Cliché 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 clic. In fact…a few years back I wrote a song about it, and it still applies…probably always … The rest of the story…
Still Small Voice
A Still Small Voice In Your Head And Words Written On The Tablet Of Your Heart 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… Stay tuned, No-cost, low-cost, and premium ways you can show your support… Tell everybody you know to subscribe to Tony’s Daily Devotional … The rest of the story…
How Does A Singer Songwriter Start Making Sense Of It All? When you were a kid, did you ask “why” about a lot of stuff? Or do you have a kid or kids who ask a lot of “why” questions? It’s cool how kids have a natural curiosity about how the world works. And here’s my musical attempt at answering some of those “why” … The rest of the story…
3 Tips For A Good Night’s Sleep Just in case you’re having a difficult time getting enough sleep… Here are 3 tips from a singer songwriter that are almost guaranteed to cure your troubles: Turn off the TV…or at least only turn it to the political channel… 🙂 Go to bed at the same time each night (or day)… Listen to some lullaby songs or … The rest of the story…
Black Friday From A Singer Songwriter‘s Perspective OK…admittedly I’m a guy. So maybe I’ve never been a shopaholic because I’m such a stereotypical guy on the issue of shopping. In my role as a singer songwriter, I’ve written about shopping on more than one occasion…but I don’t believe I’ve ever given it a “plus” in my ledger. So, Black Friday doesn’t really affect me … The rest of the story…
On A Beach Long Ago…or… A Day In The Singer Songwriter Life… Have you heard any of those marketers who talk about working on your laptop on a beach? Of course, most of that is hype and silliness. It can definitely be done, but most hard-working entrepreneurs don’t live that life. However; that being said…I used to live a life very much like that…the … The rest of the story…
Lullaby Songs And My First “1”
Lullaby Songs Hold A Special Place In My Heart Through a reasonably random set of circumstances, this evening, I stumbled upon the lyrics to an old Welsh lullaby… “All Through The Night”. (see below) That song has a very special place in my musical life. It was the very first song I ever received a “1” for in solo vocal competition. If you’re not … The rest of the story…
Wanna Hear This Singer Songwriter On Drugs? I know all musicians are supposed to be tortured souls who need to escape the confines and restrictions of this mortal, flawed world. I know we’re supposed to be seekers always searching but never truly finding. And I know we’re supposed to be experts on the myriad of ways to “expand the mind”. I know…but…I never. Nope, I’ve … The rest of the story…
Highlighting Words In My Singer Songwriter World If you’ve visited my blog before, you may have noticed that I’ve written a lot of music for kids. Well, in the past 6 months I’ve been writing some stories for kids, and some have even been included in my podcast. (and I haven’t been podcasting a lot lately…oops) I’ve enjoyed working with a writing coach who’s helped me learn a … The rest of the story…