Tunes on Tuesday: Pelican Cove

Why this tune? Here’s another song from this year’s 50/90 project, inspired by another morning walk around the Pelican Cove Condos on St. Croix. I saw the sign for the condos as I returned and remembered that I had seen an actual pelican off the beach a few months before. The phrase “I saw aContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Pelican Cove”

Tunes on Tuesday: Sunflower In The City

Why this tune? My wife, who always has good ideas, offered me a way to get out of a songwriting rut and feed the creativity engine. She suggested looking for song ideas on my morning walks around the neighborhood. That inspired this week’s tune, triggered by sunflowers growing in a nearby community garden. It’s aContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Sunflower In The City”

Tunes on Tuesday: In The Lounge

Why this tune? You never know what songs will resonate with people, and when. I wrote “In The Lounge” in 2011, when I was still traveling frequently for my job at Nokia (remember them?). I usually introduce it as a “lounge song about lounges,” an ironic tribute to the dubious perks of frequent fliers. TonyContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: In The Lounge”

Tunes on Tuesday: Hey Iguana

Why this tune? I wrote “Hey Iguana” on St. Croix in the afternoon after lunch with Amy K. Bormet and her trio (Angel Bethea and Karine Chapdelaine), who were on island for a residency at the Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts in Frederiksted. Amy informally challenged me to write a new song for aContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Hey Iguana”

Tunes on Tuesday: Island In The Sea

Why this tune? This week I’m previewing the lovely lyrics video for “Island In The Sea,” which you can see this Friday 3/25 at 10 AM EDT on my YouTube channel, when the song is released on all major (and some minor) streaming services. “Island” is in part a love song to my favorite islandContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Island In The Sea”

Tunes on Tuesday: Pi Day

Why this tune? I’m publishing Tunes On Tuesday on Monday this week to celebrate Pi Day (3.14), the annual celebration of our favorite mathematical constant and the food it inspires. I wrote my musical tribute in 2015, a more special Pi Day when the year filled out another two digits (3.14.15). I was a bitContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Pi Day”

Tunes on Tuesday: Snowfall

Why this tune? When you’re looking for inspiration for a new song, there’s always the weather. This song was inspired by the snowstorm that blanketed Washington, DC earlier this month. I saw an opportunity to try out some creative ways to describe the snow in words and music, and capture some of the sense ofContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Snowfall”

Tunes on Tuesday: Next Slide

Why this tune? Sometimes the journey from idea to completed song is fast and direct. This week’s tune was one of those. It was triggered by a presenter on yet another online work meeting calling for the “next slide.” That reminded me of the countless slide decks I prepared and presented over my long technologyContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Next Slide”

Tunes on Tuesday: Bend Don’t Break

Why this tune? This week’s tune is another work in progress, a song inspired by our island second home of St. Croix, which I’m planning to record with a talented group of musicians from the island. “Bend Don’t Break” encourages us to face our problems and challenges with flexibility, taking inspiration from the palm trees,Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Bend Don’t Break”

Tunes on Tuesday: Mi Yimalel

Why this tune? Last year around this time I released a collection of eight short interpretations of Hanukkah songs, one for each of the eight days of the Festival of Lights. The oldest arrangement in the collection is one I’ve played with for several years, a jazz version of the Hanukkah classic Mi Yimalel (מיContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Mi Yimalel”