photos and videos Archives - Tony Funderburk

It was fifteen years ago, next month, that some friends of mine attempted to put together and display the largest protest sign ever. The event took place in Golden, Colorado (near Denver) to send a message to the Democratic National Convention held in that city. And, according to the Guinness Book of World RecordsTM they succeeded.

According to American Right to Life, an abortion abolition organization, the sign “…weighs more than 2,700 pounds and was sewed together with more than four miles of seams connecting 2,400 sheets. And backpacked onto location and unfurled by 44 letter carriers with spotters a mile away to ensure proper letter placement.”

And the group added, for anyone concerned about environmental impact, “After three hours ARTL removed the DNC Sheets Of Shame and left the area cleaner than it had been.”

And the width wasn’t accidental. If you weren’t there, or you’ve never seen the sign, here’s a music video:

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I was juggling three jobs, at the time, and was only able to make it to the mountainside (with my video camera) as they were coming back down. The higher elevation in Colorado can really tax your breathing. But everyone was walking back down with smiles on their faces, praises to God, and even some singing. Pretty cool.

At that time in history, abortion had already claimed the lives of at least 40 million Americans. And, sadly, many millions more have been murdered in the fifteen years since then. That’s despite the efforts of most pro life organizations to establish, market, and support abortion regulation. A horrible plan. With obviously horrible results.

I saw a meme that drove home this point. It had a picture, from some time in the 1850’s I think, of a slave with chains on his neck. And the text that went with the picture said that he was not a person. Next to that picture was one of an unborn baby. And the text that went with it said, “And now this isn’t a person either.”

You and I, and every other person who has ever lived on this beautiful blue planet, are human beings. People. Persons. Not “viable persons.” And not “self-sustaining persons.” Just persons. Made in God’s image and likeness.

So, even if the largest protest sign ever didn’t stop the killing, every person has equal value and a…

When tiny seeds take root in tiny eggs,

I was an unborn child until the day I was born.

Everyone has a right to life.

(Repeat)

When you’re born, and someone lets you live,

Give yourself some room to think about

Everyone has a right to life.

(Repeat…modulate up then repeat twice more)

Let’s defend the innocent and life.

© 2008

Stay tuned,

The post Largest protest sign and some friends of mine appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Dream Town. I remember playing a multi-timbral sound on my fairly new Korg Triton keyboard several years ago. And the ethereal setting immediately set my imagination in motion. It was one of those magical moments songwriters love almost as much as anything. At least I do.

If you’re a songwriter, you know what I mean when I say the song flowed out and fell into place. Basically, as I played around on the keyboard, the lyrics slid right into the melody. And I didn’t even have to compile a collection of sounds to get the feel I wanted.

They were just there. So, all I had to do was let my fingers go with the flow. And before I knew it, the song was born. And even though it was one of the first songs I composed for the personalized songs for kids I used to sell, it ended up closer to the end. Because it just sort of felt natural (maybe even supernatural) to end up in…

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And now…where you will go

The rain…falls on your hand

You can’t get there with open eyes.

Instrumental

And there…’round that sweet bend

So go…and don’t you look back

Chorus…inst…end

© 2001-2023

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The post Dream town is off the map until you take a nap appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

The most serious issue facing our nation and the world isn’t fiscal. It’s physical. And it isn’t gun control or rock-n-roll. It’s mind control and your very soul. The most serious issue this world faces starts in the heart (which is not to be trusted, by the way, so don’t blindly follow your heart). But I want mine to be an optimistic voice in the middle of all the doom and gloom talk. Not to diminish the reality of the doom and gloom. But to be a reminder of the Hope we have.

“The Belly Song” celebrates life. And how it begins in a belly, so to speak. Here’s the video I made for a song. It’s part of my music for kids. But adults have told me they get a kick out of it, too. And I hope you’ll enjoy the optimistic voice approach. Feel free to let me know, either way. Here ya go…

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I dearly love that I’m alive. Don’t you? And I don’t take it for granted. Well, not all the time anyway. I get to think, live, laugh, and love. And I believe it’s every person’s right to have those same gifts.

And every person started somewhere. It wasn’t in a hospital. Every person starts life in a mother’s womb. That’s one of the easiest things in the world to prove. Where things get muddy (for those who are easily confused) is how soon can we say a person is a person in the womb.

Personally, I have no problem saying a person is a person from their very beginning.

But maybe you can’t say for sure WHEN your personhood begins. You still know, without a doubt, WHERE it begins. And for now (despite the efforts of freaky so-called scientists) that’s still in a mother’s womb. And I know all it took for me to exist outside my mother’s womb was for everyone to leave me alone inside my mother’s womb. Mom and Dad and doctors and society let me get from point A to point B. No one chose to abort that life-affirming process.

Simplest biology lesson there is. Any questions?

I hope you’ll join me with your own optimistic voice and remember we ALL were belly babies. Once upon a time.

Stay tuned,

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The post Optimistic voice for the only PRO choice appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Norwegian Wood, by the Beatles. Scarborough Fair, by Simon and Garfunkel. We Are The Champions, by Queen. And even She’s Always A Woman, by Billy Joel. Those songs all have something in common. Do you know what it is? Well, I won’t make you guess. They’re all performed in 6/8 time.

6/8 time is a meander, not a walk.

Probably all the best classical composers wrote music in 6/8 time at least once in their lifetimes. Because they understood the power contained in that gentle sway of notes.

One 6/8 song, I discovered to be a new favorite, is called “Song For Sienna,” by Brian Crain. Check it out in this YouTube video link:

There isn’t a ton of instrumentation to Brian’s song. But the notes, combined with the time signature, pull you in. And, if you’re a musical note to word picture person (like me), you’ll take off right away.

But, as always, I’m not sharing this with you because I want to promote Brian Crain’s music. Because I don’t even know Brian. I have no idea if he’s a Christian. There’s no mention of it on his website. So, my guess is, he either isn’t, or he’s a middle-of-the-road “believer.”

And that doesn’t diminish the quality of “Song for Sienna.” I still like it very much. Because it’s a great example of how music, the second best gift from God (first being Jesus, of course) is the quintessential communication tool. I’m confident that God gave us music simply because it delighted Him to do so. And I hope, if you haven’t already decided God is real, and that He loves you, that you’ll do that today.

And enjoy the beauty of 6/8 time for all time.

Stay tuned,

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The post 6/8 Time Doesn’t Have To Rhyme appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

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 to see how you can stir the emotions of an entire audience simply by removing 1 note from each bar of music.

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Whether Anthony Hopkins knows it or not, his wonderful composition didn’t originate in him. Oh sure, he’s the one who composed the music notes and either wrote them down or recorded them. But ultimately he, and everyone who enjoys this piece, needs to acknowledge the Creator of music.

God.

We humans don’t truly “create” anything. It was all created already. We can re-create, procreate, and manipulate. But we can only do that using what has already been created. Music and arts are part of creation. Part of that which was created from nothing. Only God can create something from nothing. Something can’t create itself from nothing. It’s observable in science, so this isn’t some purely theological theory I’m tossing out here.

When I watched the original video, where Mr. Hopkins got to hear his composition played by an orchestra for the first time, I was reminded of how much I deeply love musical arrangements like “Sir Anthony’s”. And I smiled as I watched the audience members sway to the flow. And I got the sense he was truly and humbly moved by the outpouring of adoration. It must have been a compliment he’ll never forget. Nor should he.

My hope, for him, is that he gives thanks to God for giving him such a delightful musical gift. It would be a great pleasure to speak to Mr. Hopkins about the experience…even if I have to wait to the fully eternal part of my life…because that would mean he trusted God, too.

Ah, but pay me no mind. I’m just a sentimental ol’ dude over here tapping his toes in 3/4 time.

Be sure to jump on the one-of-a-kind The TRUTH today, and I’ll send you some free rhymes and reasons right away. Music, a book, and lots of good faith, hope, and love stuff.

And share with everyone you know. Don’t keep these goodies all to yourself.

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The post Music and arts and where it all starts appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

Imagine you’re sixteen. You’re just beginning to look like the adult you’re becoming. You have your whole life ahead of you. Now, imagine you’ve just been told that your whole life might be only another year. Maybe less. Lots of young people would immediately use it as an excuse to wallow in self-pity. But Jeremiah Thomas kept smiling. He knew there’s a God. A Savior. For anyone who chooses to trust and believe. And when Jeremiah reached the end of the road this week…in his battle with cancer…he went to be face to face with his Savior.

The Bible says “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” And no matter who you are…man, woman…young, old…rich, poor…Christian, atheist…you will “fall into the hands of the living God” when you die. Am I making it sound scary, yet?

There’s a way to avoid the “fearful” part. Believe. And trust. Not just anyone or anything. And certainly not the universe or some other non-living entity. Trust Jesus. Don’t just do it because I say so. Test my assertions. Open the Bible and actually read and study it. Not to simply attempt to discredit it, but to honestly see what it says. Jeremiah Thomas was raised on the Truth in the Bible. So when he came to end of the road a couple of days ago, he fell into the hands of the living God. But he was received with the eternal love only Jesus can give.

Is your end of the road far off or close?

Most people don’t know the answer to that question. If you’re one of them, ask yourself this: “If I die today or tomorrow, what’s gonna happen to me?” And if you don’t know the answer…it’s a fearful thing.

Be sure to jump on the one-of-a-kind The TRUTH today and get my latest words, music, and voice delivered to your inbox instead of having to come looking for them all the time.

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The post End of the road where you lay down your load appeared first on Tony Funderburk.

I made a coloring video because

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.

When I was a wee lad back in the old country (midwest and southwest America), there was no such thing as digital drawing tablets. The closest thing we had was the Etch-a-Sketch. By the way…coincidentally, as I wrote that last line…I checked for the link to Etch-A-Sketch and found out the the inventor, “Andre Cassagnes, has died at age 86”. How weird is that?!

Anyway…I guess since I always loved toys like the Etch-a-Sketch…and I always enjoyed drawing…it was only natural that I’d eventually find my way to the wonderful world of digital doodling. And I’m really glad I did. It’s given me the freedom of artistic expression I needed to add to my ebooks for kids, blogging, and music videos.

Without further ado…here’s a short coloring video showing how I get the color and drawing into the computer…

Stay tuned,

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My books are also on Amazon.com or Apple Books

Grab yourself an un-cool T-shirt

Or how about some music for believers, dreamers, and thinkers

The post Coloring Video appeared first on Tony Funderburk.