Tom Hunter

I’ve been a dad for 25 years now and still have an 8-year-old at home, so I’ve had lots of time to get to know and love the music of Tom Hunter. For my money he’s one of the best writers of songs for and about children in the country. Kids love his tunes, and so do parents and teachers. They’re clever and fun and touching, and while urging us to see the beauty in nature, to love one another and to rejoice in life, they’re never smarmy. This collection is meant for both kids and adults, especially teachers, and is typical of his work. “Lots of Little Squiggles” is about learning to read (“but then the squiggles and lines become letters and words/ and before you know it you can read”), “Coloring Outside the Lines” about creative freedom, “The Lines on Your Face” about growing old with grace. Hunter’s music is exactly what is called for in the final tune: “May the music we sing make the world a little more worthy of our children.”Tom Hunter presents a family concert Thursday evening, Sept. 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the Senator Theatre to benefit Innovative Preschool.