He and I are connected on the social media channel, X. The “he,” of which I speak, is Bryan Duncan. And, for those of you who aren’t aware (or just don’t care) X is the platform that used to be called Twitter. But Elon Musk bought the platform. And he likes to add the X label to his businesses, so … The rest of the story…
Tag Archives: singer songwriter
Here’s a snippet of one of those songwriter stories I get a big kick out of. It’s about Cindy Walker. What?! You never heard of her? Somebody oughta bing your noggin. Check this out. In 1940, Cindy Walker, at the age of 22, accompanied her parents on a business trip to Los Angeles. As they were driving down Sunset Boulevard … The rest of the story…
Have you heard any of those marketers who talk about working on your laptop on a beach? Of course, that’s just so much hype and silliness. I’m not saying it can’t be done. But most hard-working entrepreneurs don’t live that life. So why does so much hype, like that, get spread all over the internet? Because it sounds so cool. … 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 … The rest of the story…
In 1977 I bought a cassette and an album of the same music from the same musician. It was the “Celebrate Me Home” collection by Kenny Loggins. It was (and is) an exceptional project. And it helped springboard me even closer to making melodies and singing for a living. If you’ve never listened to that album, do yourself a favor … The rest of the story…
Lay Lady Lay? Are you kidding me? Bob Dylan is one of those people who was very fortunate to have been born in America. (psst…I am, too. But for much different reasons) Because with that voice, and some of those songs, he might have been imprisoned for crimes against the state in other countries. Mr. Dylan recorded Lay Lady Lay … The rest of the story…
Way back, when I was but a wee lad with a mind of mush, I found daily joy in the sound of me own voice (not sure why I remember that with an Irish brogue). And that might seem a bit arrogant, but allow me to explain and expound. My own voice was my instrument of choice. Most guys I … The rest of the story…
Way back in ’92-’93 I made the songwriters-in-the-round circuit in Nashville. Yeah, the one in Tennessee. And about 10 years ago, I shared a quick story about one of those nights when I sang a roses song. This is how I described it… ~I was almost always the only keyboard player on showcase nights. One of those nights I took … The rest of the story…
Imagine if you wrote a song and it became popular enough to be played on local radio. And then, more and more people liked it. So, it actually made it to the “music charts.” And then, what if your song rose to the Top 10 charts and stayed there for a week or two. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Yeah, I’d … The rest of the story…
If you’ve been following along with me here at TonyFunderburk.com for a while, you might recall that I spent a year in Nashville. Yeah, the one in Tennessee. Elgielene and I went there, after a couple of years on the road, because I wanted to make the songwriter rounds. And, as it turned out, Nashville had (and probably still has) … The rest of the story…
My songwriting for hope has a much broader scope And when I say, songwriting for hope, I’m not talking about a person’s name. I’m talking about actual hope. Yes, it’s a real thing. In spite of all the negativity media and social media channels are putting out. And it’s always available. But most people don’t have a clue where to … The rest of the story…
An old song with a musical interlude Way, way back in my songwriting life, sometimes I’d worked on something “more than just a song.” And now, when I go through my old notebooks, I see how little I remember about those pieces. Like the words I’m gonna share to a song I composed in 1981. It even included a musical … The rest of the story…
My songwriter journal Over the years I’ve seen my songwriter journal go from a spiral notebook to what your reading right now. This blog post. I remember carrying my nineteen cent Bic pen around in my teeth like a chewed up cigar. And my trusty notebook in the seat of my car next to me. But now I can just … The rest of the story…
I’ve enjoyed writing music for kids Kids give enthusiastic response when they hear music they like. Some will even flip their lids. For those of you who can’t remember far enough back, that means they go crazy. Metaphorically speaking. And that’s part of why I spent so much time writing music for kids. Even though my wife and I never … The rest of the story…
Custom t shirts online? Are you kidding me? Way, way back in the 20th century, I was a freshman in college in Manhattan, Kansas. It wasn’t a large city, but I had been living in a tiny town for a year before that. So it certainly had a more diverse and active culture. (hmm…that sounded like yogurt, but I digress). … The rest of the story…
A little story about lip syncing Quite a few years ago, I was playing music in a local club in the Denver metro area. There was a nice crowd, and for the most part, they seemed to be diggin’ up on what I was layin’ down. (That’s cool musician talk for “they liked it”) But there was this one guy … The rest of the story…
My years in the spotlight had quite a humble start For a young singer songwriter, a chance to be in the spotlight, even for just a few bucks, is something you gotta take. And that was me, way back in the early 70’s. After a couple of years teaching myself how to bang out some chords and riffs on the … The rest of the story…
One of the definitions of “patina” in my computer dictionary says: “an impression or appearance of something: he carries the patina of old money and good breeding”. Well, I’m not from “old money” and “good breeding” is in the eyes of the beholder. But I agree with something I read on Seth Godin’s blog about patina…it’s earned. He talked about how shiny … The rest of the story…
Band Names
What’s In A Name? Just a few days ago I was thinking about all the dark sounding names for bands I see and hear nowadays. And I wondered why so many bands feel the need to be so dark and gloomy. But the other side of the spectrum is just as bad…all syrupy sweet and goofy. Coincidentally I came across … The rest of the story…