Well I'm Danny, and I don't feel like a big introduction so I'll just jump right in. Everyone in today's society wants their cool cell phone, and of course a cool ringtone, as opposed to those horribly lame ones that come default with the phone. I actually had a phone that had a polytone version of the Sex And The City theme song, not to mention other classic little annoying tunes in polytone version. (Polytone being the digital-sounding remakes).

But when it comes down to it, people want ringtones, and even more so, cheap ringtones of songs they like. Most phone companies sell you from their online store, and can range from $.99 to $2.99, depending on if you have a ringtone plan deal with them.

But it's not like you can customize what part of the song, what song, or even the artist, as some phone companies might not even have the artist you're looking for. Even if they do, chances are that unless your favorite song is one of their hit singles, they probably won't have it.

With that being said, I'm going to explain how to get what part, of what song to get on your phone as your own personalized ringtone, and best of all, it's free! There are a couple different ways and I'm going to go through my two favorites and the easiest, most user-friendly ones.

Advantages are that you don't necessary need to be online on your computer, and you don't have to have internet accessibility on your phone, since they usually charge you for it.

Firstly is one I recently found from someone on Yahoo! Answers. They directed me to a site called Ventones. This is all free, so don't worry. First of all, you're going to need to make an account with them. You just need to fill out basic username and password stuff, your 10 digit cell phone number (which won't be charged), and provide an email, which doesn't even need to be verified. Once you've logged in and all, click "Make Free Ringtones" and a page should pop up. At this point, you can upload a song file from your computer, whether it's from iTunes or any other program.

If you don't have the file on there, you can go to Youtube, find a video with the song you want, and upload it from there. Either way, it does take a couple minutes to get the file ready, so be patient. Once it uploads, it gives you a way to edit the length (default at 30 seconds), and at what part of the song you want you to be put into your ringtone. It's relatively easy, simply use your mouse to scroll the little bar, and listen to it and make sure it's the part of the song you like. The site is helpful for any problems, questions, or concerns you might have. After this, you get two options. You can either send it to your phone in a Multimedia text message, but be aware, you do have to have internet access on your phone to download it that way. If you don't, you can save the file to your computer, and either send the file to your phone via bluetooth, or if you have an adapter to connect your phone to your computer, that works fine too. Send it to your phone, and set it as your ringtone, it's easy as that.

A secondary way, and all offline, is if you have Windows Movie Maker, which can easily be found under "All Programs," especially on Windows Vista. Open the movie maker, download the song file from your computer onto the program, and you get full editing, even though it's not a movie, of course. You can edit and crop out a part of the song you want as your ringtone, a lot like how it works at Ventones, and save it separately. Doesn't take long at all, and after you've done this, you simply send it via bluetooth or direct cable connection to your phone.

I personally like the Ventones way better, but try both and see what works for you. There are also other sites like Ventones, it just happens to be my personal favorite. Good luck, and I hope you like your ringtones!
-DG-

Ever since cell phones replaced penknives in the pockets of schoolboys, their impact has traveled far and wide.

As customized ringtones have made it possible to increase the likelihood of recognizing one's own phone from that of someone else, at first, the only option was purchasing tones from the phone provider or other companies. Unfortunately, the ring tones generally cost more than a whole song from iTunes or the sheet music from us at Freehand Music!

Musicians can even record their own ringtones for promotional and personal reasons.

My kids' ringtones don't sound familiar to me, but that's ok - they aren't for me. My ringtones are broken down into certain tunes for certain groups of people.

For my teenagers Danny and Benny, they ring me with Elvis Costello's Accidents Will Happen. Incidentially, my pink RazrV3 is now out of commission because Danny borrowed it and it went through the washing machine yesterday. Appropos? You decide.

Another EC I have is just for my friend Liza, who is a shrink. It's What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding?

For some people who knew me prior to 1991, Nick Lowe warbles I Knew The Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll). For some people, such as my cousin Elva Jo, I hear Jackson Browne's Your Bright Baby Blues.

One bad thing is you generally have to make new ringtones if you get a new phone. I used to have Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire, a song that tended to get me a lot of positive smiles, winks and nods.

Another one that has a similar effect is The Replacements Theme From King of the Hill. That's my "general" ringtone for the cell - or was, as the case may be.

Danny has agreed to do a guest tutorial on how to make your own ringtone a little later today, fair considering the damage to my Razr.

And I'm really happy to see that Freehand has the King of the Hill guitar tab, because Benny has been trying to teach himself the song without the benefit of music, a guitar pick and two missing strings. We'll try and remedy that situation immediately, but this is how far he's gotten.

We'll be back with Danny's helpful tips a little later.

With most computer-oriented "Easter Eggs," you have to figure out a trick to get the surprise. I wasn't planning to blog today, but thought I would offer this as a bonus for the fun of it. And because the Reds won!

No, not communists - the Cincinnati Reds, the team of which I'm a lifelong fan.

Joe Nuxhall, their long-time radio announcer on WLW-AM and the Cincinnati Reds Radio Network died Nov. 15, 2007. Although he had retired due a long battle with cancer, he was no stranger to the broadcast booth up throughout the 2007 season.

Nuxy also holds the distinction of being the youngest player to ever take the field in big-league baseball. The Hamilton, Ohio native was only 15 when he took the mound as a Red June 10, 1944 to pitch 2/3 of an inning. He remained with the Reds for all but a smidgeon of his time as a player until 1966. He started broadcasting the following season.

I was fortunate to be in the stands at Great American Ball Park on Nuxy Day last year - it was a formal tribute on the 64th anniversary of his Major League debut. As usual, one of the things that touched me most was a song tribute that was played along with scenes from his career on the big screens around the park.

When I got home, I tried to find out more about the song, futively Googling but without finding the answer.

Finally, it dawned on me that since I used my trusty Flip Video camera to record much of the festivities perhaps I actually had recorded it.

I had.

The song is "Old Man Joe" by Jake Speed and the Freddies, a Cincinnati folk/blues/bluegrass band. The tune is traditional bluegrass with specially-Nuxhalled lyrics.

Following this post, we'll take you back to your regular blogramming. Thank you for allowing me to indulge myself.

Happy Easter and Happy Passover!

Always naive, that's me.

It's embarrassing when my 16-year-old son starts laughing at me about something - it was just a few days ago when the subject of teabagging came up. I thought it was just something that my conservative friends were talking about but there's quite a bit more to it than that, I see.

Just look around - green tea, white tea, energy tea, compost tea - even MickeyD has Sweet Tea!

Here at Freehand Music, we are always on top of every trend, and we have a bagful of tea songs for every teabagging occasion.

In Let it Bleed, the Rolling Stones sang of "coke and sympathy" but mentioned "jasmine-scented tea." Their peer Sir Paul McCartney sang of English Tea, while Cat Stevens poured Tea For The Tillerman.

The View preferred to travel to Gran's For Tea, while Pete Townshend has apparently substituted Tea and Theatre for at least a portion of his old standby, Remy Martin.

You could reach Nirvana with Penny Royal Tea, while the Red Hot Chili Peppers warn of a Storm in a Teacup. For Sting and The Police, it was more of a sandstorm with Tea in the Sahara.

Jerry Herman wrote a whole series of tea party movements -
The Tea Party: Memories
The Tea Party: Pearls
The Tea Party: Thoughts
The Tea Party: Voices

Strangely enough, many teabaggers forget Herman's poignant
The Tea Party: Dickie .

Richard A. Whiting's Tea Leaves may soon be adapted as a FOX News standard, as it may be played as a FOX Trot.

As I'm a cultural southerner who only drinks ice tea, I'd have to agree with Sister Hazel. It's a Strange Cup of Tea. Or for me, a large glass. With lemon. And strangely enough, unsweet.

For more on the story, here's MSNBC's Rachel Maddow.

I received my first request for advice from Mrs. Naomi Meek of Glade Spring, Virginia, who wrote her woes in the form of a song. She set her lyrics to the tune of Puff The Magic Dragon.

My Husband Has Been Hannitized

When I first got married, we listened to NPR

We watched programs on PBS - were headed for Bill Maher

But something changed my husband from a liberal Republican

To something I can’t comprehend ‘cause he’s no longer fun

My husband has been Hannitized, it’s something I can’t bear

He listens to talk radio and thinks Fox News is fair

He refuses to compost coffee grounds or use recycling bins

Wear green even on St. Patty’s Day because “green” is a sin.

My husband has been Hannitized, he sees me as a threat

I was a conservative Democrat, now I’m something to regret

A movie with Hank Fonda will make him curse and grunt

And he has to always mention he thinks Daughter Jane’s a . . .

My husband has been Hannitized, he also thinks Limbaugh’s great

And anyone who disagrees is an object of his hate

As far as I’m concerned his mind is in the clunker

And he’s metamorphisized himself as this year’s Archie Bunker!

Well, Naomi, I have three responses for you.

The first is another Peter, Paul and Mary song: If I Had A Hammer

The next is a favorite from the Isley Brothers, Fight The Power (Part 1)

The last song would be for Mr. Meek, from the venerable Woody Guthrie - I Ain't Got No Home.

I decided perhaps my readers would like to also try and help her, also by responding musically.

Send a song or songs that you think would help Mrs. Meek from whatever position you like. The Freehanders and I will make our selection and the winner will receive a $25 gift certificate from Freehand Music!