Rhyme and Reason

OK, here’s your Tuesday morning motivation First, with a show of hands, how many of you even need some Tuesday morning motivation? How about afternoon? Or evening? Well, that’s too bad. I ain’t got none for you. Aw, just kidding. You know I wouldn’t dis you like dat. My Tuesday morning motivation is mostly for my brothers and sisters in the faith. If you’re not one of...

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 tell Siri to “take a note”. Then, I can just copy and paste it into this bl...

Celebrating International Women’s Day I’ve been a staunch supporter of the rights of women my entire adult life. No, I’m not a so-called “activist”. That just sounds silly to me. Because if you need to set aside one day and give it a title like International Women’s Day, you’re missing the big picture. International Women’s Day doesn’t give pro...

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 had any, for some reason I was always able to...

Music and math – it all adds up Way back in my school choir days I remember how much I enjoyed when we started learning about music dynamics. Because dynamics give music so much more emotion and depth. And in this digital age, a lot of those nuances are represented by numbers. So, you could say (in fact, I AM saying) music and math go together like logic and emotions.   Music and math show u...

OK, kids. Let’s talk about the Pythagorean Theorem. It actually sounds more complicated than it is. And writing it down certainly makes it look simple. a 2 + b 2 = c 2  But that looks almost a little too simple. After all, it’s called the Pythagorean Theorem. So, let’s give it a little more respect than that. And here’s what it’s talking about… Do you remember t...

 Ah, the color of music notes The only reason I’m writing about the color of music notes, today, is because I feel like it. There’s no underlying or hidden message. And I’m not trying to get you to do, say, or be anything special. Nope. It’s just because. Because I enjoy the imagery of the color of music notes. And that’s as good a reason to write about something as a...

Going home again Every person on Earth was once a thought in the mind of God. So, you and I originated in Him and that makes Him our first home. Whether you agree or not makes no difference. It’s still true. But only a few (relatively speaking) will ever be going home again. And by that, I mean going home to stay. Only people who put their trust and faith in their Creator will be going home...

Music is dead – yeah, right I was about to do a little research on the Wizard of Google. So, I clicked into the search bar and started typing “music is…” And before I could type anything else, Google delivered up some “suggestions.” One of the main ones was “music is dead.” Of course, I couldn’t resist finding out why that would be a suggestion...

Let’s talk about music and the devil Remember the movie, Footloose? And how the so-called “minister” in a small midwestern town banned rock-n-roll and dancing? Everyone was told music and the devil went hand in hand. So, of course music had to be banned. At least some music. Well, what if I told you there’s something to that whole music/devil connection?   It’s import...

Music is communication of choice by your friendly neighborhood RhymeTender To say music is communication is a bit like saying water is wet. Of course it is! But it’s not simple yada yada communication. Because music is the way people share words, ideas, and emotions on a deep level. Even if they don’t speak the same language. Name something else that can do that. Music is the preferred...

I love the music and memory connection My friend, Brian, and I were talking about starting to sing in front of a group of people and realizing you don’t remember the first words. He told me this happened to him recently. But he was impressed by how the music started, and when it came time to sing the first word, he just remembered. And I surprised him by sharing how my music and memory conne...

Talk about a very good feeling Imagine yourself in God’s shoes for a minute. Back at the time of creation. Those very first six days when He created Heaven and Earth. And everything in them. You’re looking down at it all and how perfect it is. Can you imagine? Wouldn’t it give you a very good feeling like never before? Well, that’s what God said about it. Creating a beautif...

Beware of my brain manipulation superpower Hide your kids. Or at least cover their ears. Unless you’re willing to let them be controlled by my brain manipulation superpower. I’m able to activate their different brain lobes all at the same time. And even their brain’s motor center. They cannot resist my superpower. And there’s nothing they can do about it. (insert evil scien...

Heart throb of the 80s Yeah, I played music for a living back in the 80’s. A bit before that, and a long time after that, too. But those 80’s were a ton of fun. Straight ahead beats. Bright colors and pastels. Pushing up the sleeves on sports jackets. Big hair…on both guys and girls. And back then, the term “heart throb” was still being used a lot. Do an image search...

Is positive reinforcement always positive? Earlier today we were out running errands. And at a traffic light we saw a lady and her dog stop to wait for the green. She looked down at the cute little dude, and he did a perfect dog sit. Then, he looked up at her expectantly, and Elgielene and I both said, “Oh, he’s about to get some positive reinforcement (aka a treat). And sure ’nu...

I captured some moments in time I’ve mentioned before how I spent a year of prolific songwriting in Nashville. It was back in 1992-93. And I was under the mistaken impression that record companies were always looking for something new. No, this isn’t sour grapes. Because I know I’m basically not a country and western singer/songwriter. And the nice folks in the land of the Grand...

Who’s singing songs of love? Most recording artists aren’t singing songs of love anymore. Because most of them don’t even know what true love is anymore. And that’s sad. But not surprising. After all…where in the world can they learn about true love? Certainly not in schools. And unfortunately, probably not even in the homes where they grow up. Because, there, they wa...

Do you trust your gut? And should you trust your gut? Look around the world wide web and you’ll find articles on all sides of that. One says, yes. Another says, no. Others say it’s psychological. And still others say the research is up for grabs. But one thing they all have in common. They’re not talking about your actual gut. When you trust your gut, it’s not a matter of w...

Alone in the universe It sounds so sad. Right? We’re all alone in the universe. Just saying the words brings on anxiety, depression, and a deep, drowning sense of dread. Hit the record scratch sound effect. Not me! I’ve never felt that way a day in my life. Because I have a secret weapon. And I know how special our little, blue planet is. We’re alone in the universe. But we&#8217...

Guacamole Song I’m singin’ the guacamole song today. Because we bought a batch of avocados, and every one of them were excellent. If you don’t like avocados, or especially if you don’t like guacamole, I have to wonder about you. Elgielene made some excellent guacamole, her recipe. And we’ve been enjoying it on some awesome grass-fed beef. Why am I telling you this? An...

Faith and hearing (even without ears) “Hey, Siri. Find faith and hearing online.” Use that command and phrase on your iPhone or iPad, and Siri will give you some interesting results. Not because Siri heard you. Because Siri can’t actually “hear” you. Your voice activates two main technologies, voice recognition and natural language processing. Also, Apple integrates t...

Someday One Day Today is a mighty big day here in the FunderBungalow. Elgielene and I celebrate 30 years of marriage. Yes, to each other. I know some of my knucklehead friends who’d scarcely miss a chance to take a jab there. And I’m sharing the lyrics to a song I wrote to Elgielene for our one year anniversary. Rhyme and Reason Podcastlisteners will hear a nearly 30 year old recording...

Men and Women Are Not Equal “Well, Tony just jumped off the deep end again. Probably gonna tell us how and why men are more important than women.” Yeah, right. That’s exactly what I’m gonna do. Because I’ve never valued the beauty, creativity, love, and emotional connection women possess in vast quantities. And I’ve certainly never personally connected with any...

Come on over to the light side It’s counterintuitive to me. And I wish it was to every musician. I’m talking about going “dark”with the art and craft of music. Darkness is so prevalent in the music business that going to the light side is what makes you counterculture. That’s not just sad…it’s predictable. And I thought cool dudes didn’t wanna be pre...