Words and Music Archives - Tony Funderburk

Music and Arts When you put a forward slash between numbers, they can become a fraction. For example: 3/4. But the language I love the most makes different use of that arrangement of numbers. In music and arts composition, 3/4 time means there’s a beat missing…so to speak. And it can turn a collection of notes into a strikingly simple, yet beautiful creation. It’s inspirational t...

Crazy mama is so mean. Don’t understand her routine If you live in Florida (or several other states in America), you might be familiar with Bahama Breeze. It’s an island-themed restaurant with live island music. They used to have a couple of their restaurants in the Denver metro area, and I became one of their main featured acts. Songs I played included music by Bob Marley, Jimmy Buffe...

We win when we choose the right team Back in 2009 I was in the middle of my three years as a music leader for a small Denver area church. It was (and is) a church with a strong, abolitionist, pro life foundation. And they were leading the charge to establish the personhood of the child in the mother’s womb. That whole movement was not only up against the abortion industry but also the other...

I might be right. Hey, I’ve been right before. Any time you and I disagree on something, there’s the possibility (even if it’s only a tiny one) I might be right. At least from our limited human perspectives that’s true. You might think I’m wrong about something. And I might think your opposite opinion is wrong. But then…there’s the truth. The truth won&#82...

Drifting sands are rhythm in my hands This morning, like too many mornings this year, I woke up before getting enough sleep. And I’m dealing with some issues that restful, recuperative sleep would help. So, of course, I decided to wallow in my misery and make a list of all the things people better watch out for around me today. Not! No, I started thinking about some of the lullabies for kids...

Drawn to You – the story behind the song In late 1986 I wrote the lyrics to a song about a girl I hoped to meet. I called it “Drawn to You”. After working and reworking the music a few times, I finally decided to record the song in 1989. And I was in a tiny motel room near the beach in Corpus Christi, Texas. Fortunately I had my trusty Yahama 4-track recorder, and I got busy layi...

Jeremiah Thomas – abolitionist, fighter, teenager As far as I can tell, Jeremiah Thomas is about 16 as I write and record this. During those few years, he has been a courageous voice for unborn children. He has understood that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God. And so every human being, from the moment of conception, has the God-given right to life. Jeremiah has b...

Can poets and writers be action igniters? In a word…Yes! Words and music have been at the center of my life for as long as I can remember. There’s nothing more satisfying than writing a new book, poem, or song, playing it for someone for the first time, and getting a smile or a nod of approval. And I remember how much I loved studying famous poets and writers when I was in high school....

Sunday Morning Hymn I invite you to sing along with this old Sunday morning hymn…with an “up” beat. This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears all nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; His hand these wonders wrought. This is my Father’s world,...

It’s important to know why you are here Life can challenge you more than you’re prepared for so many times. And it can be easy to give up hope…if you don’t have a firm foundation and an eternal perspective. In other words, if you don’t have something (and more importantly someONE) to look forward to, it’s easier to give up. And that’s why you are here. To...

Are you willing to do something for God today? I promise, it won’t be for nothing. You may be asking what you can do for God. I hope that’s the question anyway…and not a question of why. The answer is simple, really. Consider what you’re good at. Then figure out how to use that in a way to spread the message of God’s love in your circle of influence. It doesn’t...

In this episode of The Truth in Words and Music Podcast” I talked about bad stuff and who’s doing it, getting up early and the best way to start, Psalm 23, and biomarkers. You can go back and read the articles that go along with the podcast, or you can simply sit back and enjoy the audio version. Ain’t America great? You have all these choices, and the best part is”it&#8217...

This week, on the Truth in Words and Music Podcast, I talked about tithing, condemning, mending broken hearts, and understanding women. Now that’s a combination of topics you shouldn’t miss…right? It may not all tie together with a nice Christmas bow, but…hey! Wait a minute! I gotta tell you Merry Christmas . I hope each day this week is a gift you take into your heart and...

This week, on the Truth in Words and Music Podcast, I talked about hope, trust, rejoicing, good deeds, and God’s hearing. I shared lyrics to one of my old songs, and when you tune into this podcast episode, you can hear a hissy, 4-track cassette demo version of it. You don’t wanna miss out on the opportunity to poke fun at my clinkers. As always…if you like what you’re hear...

In this episode, Tony talks about dark days, indecision, pot, how the wind blows and a baby grows, and even colorblindness. And yet…it’s all positive and upbeat. Seriously. Stay tuned, P.S.   Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. For other awesome ways you can help me get these messages out to others… Discover my ebooks on  Amazon.com  or  Smashwords Get my P...

Episode 129 of THE Truth in Words and Music Podcast is ready to listen to. Tony talks about hypocritical love, being true to yourself, giving your all to God, and what to do when you’re feeling down and out. If you haven’t already subscribed, the link is below. Stay tuned, P.S.   Your support for my Words and Music means the world to me. For other awesome ways you can help me get these...

Your life is important. Your life is valuable. Your life matters. And those are reasons why you shouldn’t wish your life away. Are you doing that? Well, ask yourself if you wish everything was different. Ask yourself if you wish you weren’t living where you are…or doing what you do for a living…or looking like you do…or anything else you might wish to be different. Th...

Do you look at the world and wish for better things? I hope so because the world is hurting in a big (and eternal) way. But guess what? It’s nothing new. This world has been a place of hurting for 6000 years. All you have to do is read history books, and you’ll discover that’s true. As I look around me, I find that what I wish for is the same thing I wished for almost 28 years ag...

Do you feel like this world is getting darker and darker? I sure do. In fact, I see evidence of it all around. Skulls and crossbones on cars and clothing and even cake. Vulgar, profane, useless language fills the air…I guess taking over the space where cigarette smoke used to be. Wars break out on almost a daily basis. Violence seems to be the normal way to handle disagreements these days. Y...

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Don’t tell anyone else. It’s just between you and me. OK? Good. The secret is…I haven’t been playing music with all my might for the past few years. I used to practically live for music. It was the way I made a living. Then, things got weird in the venues, and I took a turn. But I decided to get back on the music highway. I read a q...

It isn’t always easy to do the right thing”is it? And it certainly isn’t always easy to know the right way to go. Life is full of choices. And, if you’re like me, there are times you don’t make good choices. But there’s a way you can do better. There’s a place you get help to go the right way? Wanna know what it is? Keep reading” There’s a plac...

Ahh…citrus, music, sunshine, sparkling water…it’s refreshing just to say the words. Or in this case, write the words. (I said ’em out loud, too, so I could see how they sound) Do you love the scents of lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit as much as me? I doubt it, but if you do, I suggest you stop reading this and go find some fruit or essential oils to smell right now. Gue...

I’m inserting a podcast player so you can play some music for grownups . I call it that because I’ve spent a great deal of my time for the past few years writing music for kids , ebooks for kids , and even articles with bedtime stories for kids. And since I’ve spent the vast majority of my music career writing, playing, and performing music for grownups…I wanted to be sure...

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 a variety of topics in the world of mu...

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. While I was still selling them in retail...