YouTube Channel Review: TOCK.earth

TOCK.earth is the brainchild of New Zealand children’s musician and teacher June Burney and her husband Ian. Together, they have created a charming and thoughtful YouTube channel, Tock-dot-Earth, that blends music, storytelling, and environmental awareness.

At the centre of the project is TOCK, a time-travelling robot on a mission to help save the planet. With a steady beat in his circuits and a big-hearted desire to save the Earth, TOCK guides viewers through a colourful musical world where catchy songs meet powerful environmental messages.

The care and effort behind the project are obvious. Burney and her husband have collaborated with children, families and schools around the world, weaving together a global montage of beautiful clips that give the channel a warm, authentic feel.

There are only about a dozen videos on the channel so far, but teachers would be wise to take notice. This is very much a case of quality over quantity. The creators are not chasing algorithms or trends; their work is driven by a genuine love of music and a heartfelt desire to inspire young people to care for the planet.

The songs themselves are engaging, melodic and instantly accessible. Covering themes such as biodiversity, forests and ecosystems, the channel delivers environmental education in a way that feels joyful rather than didactic. It’s easy to imagine these songs becoming classroom favourites, or perhaps even household sing-alongs.

Two videos in particular stand out.

'Out in Nature' is a beautifully crafted track with a gentle Celtic flavour that celebrates the sensory wonders of the natural world. The accompanying video, told through the perspective of childhood curiosity, captures the lyrics’ invitation for children to experience nature directly through catching raindrops on their tongues, watching autumn leaves fall, or feeling snow in their hands. The video is fully signed for the hearing-impaired, making it inclusive and accessible to all viewers. It delivers these moments with considerable expertise, reminding us that nature’s greatest treasures are freely available to anyone willing to step outside.

Another highlight is 'Habitats', a colourful animated video with a playful Latin-rhythm song. Packed with lively animals and vibrant visuals, the video introduces children to the idea that every creature has a home worth protecting. The melody is infectious, the animation charming and the message clear without ever feeling heavy-handed.

In short, TOCK.earth is a creative project with heart, brought to life on the YouTube channel TOCK-dot-Earth. Through catchy tunes, playful storytelling and beautifully assembled videos, the creators have produced something both entertaining and meaningful. Whether it’s trees, oceans, wildlife, or recycling, each song on the channel nudges young listeners toward a greener future. Perfect for classrooms, living rooms and car sing-alongs alike, TOCK.earth is well worth discovering.

TOCK.earth – music with a mission.

Single Review: Try Again – Tembra Campbell & Mista Cookie Jar (feat. Lyrin Donley)

Tembra Campbell is a songwriter and storyteller whose subject matter centres on nature, imagination and emotional resilience. Through her children’s project, Tembra’s Treeehouse, she creates warm, melodic songs inspired by the natural world, animals and those quiet moments where curiosity thrives. Her music also ventures into mindfulness territory, encouraging children to slow down, take a deep breath and notice the everyday magic that surrounds. While some may dismiss the idea of miracles, Campbell recognises that each day holds its own small wonders, and that children can find comfort in persistence and in not being afraid to try again.

The new single 'Try Again' is really quite superb. It is bursting with the kind of vitality that Dylan reinvented back in the day. The music is built around a shuffle rhythm that playfully spars with a banjo, woven tastefully into the arrangement. The harmonies are excellent throughout, and the arrangement bounds forward with considerable purpose. 

Mista Cookie Jar joins the fun for this barn-dance romp, bringing a confident, rhythmic vocal that adds a fresh contemporary edge to the recording. His contribution introduces a vibrant hip-hop flavour that contrasts beautifully with the rootsy instrumentation, creating an unexpected but thoroughly engaging fusion of styles.

It’s also worth mentioning Campbell’s daughter, Lyrin Donley, who adds her own touch of sparkle, bringing an extra layer of warmth and familial charm to the collaboration. Her voice blends effortlessly into the harmonies, subtly enriching the texture and reinforcing the song’s joyful, communal spirit.

Evoking the gentle warmth of a 1930s recording, a quality that adds to its sense of character and authenticity. The song invites the listener to imagine a stroll down Tin Pan Alley, celebrating its rich musical heritage and evoking a period when music often brought people together during difficult times. One could picture it accompanying the closing scene of a Depression-era American film, where families gathered to 'feed our friends and family',  finding comfort and connection despite life’s hardships.

Irresistibly catchy from the first listen, the song circled my head all day, such is the strength of its melodic hook and lyrical charm. ‘Practice makes perfect’ may be a cliché, yet here it feels freshly minted, reinforcing the idea that repetition and perseverance are the true paths to growth. Kindness, resourcefulness and community spirit sit at the heart of this affectionate nod to the past, urging us to ‘trust the process’ because, ultimately, it will all come good in the end.

At its core, 'Try Again' is about patience, resilience and, perhaps most importantly, the sheer joy of making music together. A feel-good anthem guaranteed to lift even the gloomiest of days, it succeeds through its unpretentious charm. Rhythm and melody dance alongside gently instructive lyrics to offer a reassuring message: that life’s challenges can be unexpected blessings, building resilience and fostering hope for the future. As Samuel Beckett famously wrote, “ Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Campbell’s song captures that unrelenting spirit, where we are encouraged to keep dancing despite any odds that may be stacked against us.

Tembra Campbell and Mista Cookie Jar – a message of hope.

Artist Spotlight: Captain Festus McBoyle

Captain Festus McBoyle is an exciting family entertainer and musician from New Zealand who combines storytelling and rollicking melodies, alongside a healthy disregard for musical convention. On stage, he delights audiences with stunning costumes, imaginative sets, and the antics of his colourful crew, including Miss Lucy Drawers and the world’s strongest man, Ebenezer Strong. However, Captain Festus is much more than a costume character. He is a fully realised persona: part sea shanty singer, part comic storyteller, engaging children by inviting them into a world where pirates sing, nonsense reigns supreme, and imagination is very much the order of the day.

Before children become aware that music has rules, they learn that it can also be heaps of fun. That includes loud fun, chaotic fun, silly – or even slightly unhinged – pirate fun. Captain Festus sails straight into that space, where rhythm, story and humour collide, proving that children’s music doesn’t have to be polite to be powerful.

Rather than approaching children’s music as a teaching tool first, he always prioritises the performance itself. The songs feel closer to musical theatre or live storytelling than traditional ‘kids’ songs’, with exaggerated characters, narrative arcs and copious playful asides. The music thrives on the unexpected: lyrics twist and turn, stories veer into absurd territory, and Captain Festus himself rarely behaves as a good role model, in the most likeable way. A true larrikin and master of the absurd, he brings music and mayhem to the masses, pushing boundaries while somehow always coming out on top.

Such irreverence is precisely what sets this artist apart. Captain Festus stands alone, breaking the usual rules of children’s music and providing a refreshing point of difference within the genre. The songs give permission to laugh, question, and delight in this theatre of the absurd, while remaining deeply engaged with language and story. Such a balancing act is no easy feat, but Captain Festus intrinsically understands his audience, cultivating both intrigue and fascination in young listeners along the way.

With his latest album, The Prose and Cons, he doubles down on what he does best: wordplay, theatrical delivery and gleeful excess. The title alone sets the tone: clever, self-aware and slightly cheeky. This is an album that revels in language, where lyrics spill over with absurd detail. Phrases twist unexpectedly, and songs feel more like miniature stage productions than conventional tracks. At the heart of each song is a story, whether spinning a pirate tale or plunging listeners into a nautical misadventure, the songs rely on narrative momentum, vivid imagery and strong character voices.

Captain Festus is never happier than when telling a story, and he even opens the album with a poetic introduction. In the opening track, ‘Brand New Day’, he contemplates the day ahead and all its infinite possibilities. Children don’t just get to meet him, they engage with his infectious personality and look forward with anticipation to the incredible adventures that lie ahead.

The album features a variety of styles and sounds throughout this rollicking journey. ‘A Slight Snag’ is upbeat and lively, almost venturing into ska territory, with lyrics that celebrate repetition and absurdity. ‘Layered by the Plague’ incorporates flamenco influences, complete with Spanish guitar flourishes and theatrical sound effects. ‘Cat Be Free’ offers a slice of country, including yeehaws and cowboy flourishes along the way.

‘Boyle 'em Up’ dives headfirst into bluegrass chaos, including cannibal themes to boot, while ‘Mr Cheese if You Please’ features a piano accordion in full pirate jig mode. ‘Slug’ flirts with heavy rock, whereas ‘Sonnet of the Sad Seahorse’ descends into underwater ambience, complete with ocean sound effects that feel as if they’ve been plundered from a pirate’s locker by Brian Eno.

A personal favourite is the wonderful ‘BABY RAP’, a collaboration with Secret Agent 23 Skidoo. The track blends a noticeable country vibe with what sounds like hip-hop-style rhythmic vocal patterns and additional DJ scratching. Though I admit I’m not an expert in hip-hop, for me the music creates something of a genre mash-up that feels both unexpected and oddly fitting. The song is playful, rhythm-driven and delightfully strange, with the Captain fully immersing himself in its chaos. A slide guitar competes with an unrelenting beat, where traditional rules are seemingly thrown out of the window. The song exudes a vibe slightly reminiscent of ‘Walk This Way’ when Aerosmith and Run-DMC shared the spoils in the 1980s.

Another standout track is ‘Holding the Baby', a rollicking glimpse into pirate domestic life – exaggerated, swaggering and intentionally over the top. If you’re looking for political correctness, you won’t find it here. The song is acutely aware of its anti-feminist pirate bravado, but plays it for comic effect rather than taking a political stance. In contrast, ‘Full Sails, No Glamour’ presents a live rendition of a pirate’s lament, adding emotional depth and reminding listeners that even comic characters can possess dramatic nuance.

On this album, Captain Festus reminds us that children’s music can be strange, theatrical, and joyfully subversive. Always pushing the boundaries of acceptable entertainment, he succeeds because he is unafraid to experiment. Much like Roald Dahl, he recognises that children are more perceptive than often credited, able to understand both light and dark, and to appreciate the humour in each.

All in all, The Prose and Cons is an intriguing album from an unusual artist who manages to educate and entertain in equal measure. For young listeners, his story-driven songs foster listening stamina, comprehension, and imaginative thinking, without ever feeling like a lesson. Captain Festus exists outside any traditional music lane, unafraid to push the envelope and experiment where necessary. The arrangements are bold, the themes unconventional, and the humour aimed squarely at entertaining both adults and children alike. Self-deprecation is the order of the day, placing humour above protocol, where ‘there’s no glamour at all'.

Captain Festus McBoyle – always outside the box.

Artist Spotlight: Donna Dyson – Spotty Kites

I first met Donna Dyson through Brisbane's music scene, and it quickly became clear that we shared more than just a love of music – we shared a respect for the power of a well-crafted song. Interestingly, our paths are almost mirror images in reverse: I was a rock musician and songwriter who became a teacher later in life, while Donna was a teacher who became a songwriter. That intersection of education and music is what makes her work so compelling.

Spotty Kites is the label under which Donna composes children's music. She collaborates with a range of artists who perform her songs with care. Her music has made a considerable impact, frequently charting at number one on the children's charts and earning numerous music awards over the years. Her influence has spread far beyond these shores, with her songs performed in family shows worldwide.

Donna is something of a powerhouse when it comes to songwriting, and the word prolific hardly does her justice. She's written a staggering number of songs, all with a clarity, warmth, and sophistication that leave them accessible to school choirs, teachers, and families alike. Even after facing a life-changing illness that left her partially sighted, she continues to create at a pace that feels almost impossible, her ideas landing with precision, always hitting the mark.

In addition to her songwriting career, Donna is also the author of several well-received educational children's books and shares her creative world through her growing YouTube channel. She has recently turned her attention to building that platform, including recording a forthcoming album titled Classic Nursery Rhymes, set for release this year. While nursery rhymes may seem like a departure from some of her more intricate original compositions, they sit squarely within her broader educational mission: literacy through music.

This year alone is shaping up to be remarkable. Alongside Classic Nursery Rhymes, Donna is preparing to release Celebrate All, currently awaiting a confirmed date as production wraps up. In total, she has four albums and one EP scheduled for release this year, as well as a string of singles – her creative momentum shows no sign of slowing.

Her catalogue continues to expand, now approaching nine studio albums, with themes ranging from Christmas and Easter to days of the week and bedtime stories. She runs a substantial creative team, manages a vast body of work, and somehow still finds the energy to generate new material at lightning speed.

One of her most imaginative ventures is Nonna Donna, a character and creative concept that blends storytelling, education, and performance. It is a natural extension of everything Donna has been building: literacy, music, and personality combined. As Nonna Donna formally launches in 2026 with an even stronger focus on advocating literacy through music, it feels less like a new chapter and more like the next summit. Watch this space!

For me, knowing Donna is a lesson in resilience, creativity, and generosity. She shows that music and education aren’t just careers – they’re a way of shaping the next generation, one song at a time.

Donna Dyson – a musical powerhouse.