Todd Penland

For the amount we've spent on Trump's war in Iran in less than 11 days, we could have funded these things instead. To see the numbers rise in real-time, visit irancost.com.

How Much Is the Iran War Costing You? A live counter tracking the estimated U.S. taxpayer cost of Operation Epic Fury, based on the Pentagon's preliminary estimate of $1 billion per day.

In case you were wondering what this boondoggle is costing YOU:

irancost.com

Please share!

#IranWar

The Long Wait - Todd Penland The Long Wait is a two-act musical that follows the twenty-three-year relationship of Daniel Harper and Miguel Alvarez, a couple living in Texas as the United

The Long Wait is a two-act #musical that follows the twenty-three-year relationship of Daniel Harper and Miguel Alvarez, a couple living in Texas as the United States slowly moves toward #marriageequality.

#musicaltheatre #lgbtq #lgbtqia

The Long Wait todd.penland.net/albums/the-l...

Coming Into Focus - Todd Penland Coming Into Focus follows the course of a single long day that begins with exhaustion and ends with quiet resolve.

Are you an #activist?

Does it energize you, or wear you down?

One morning I woke up completely defeated, so I wrote my way through it. By the end of the day something had changed.

That writing became this album.

todd.penland.net/albums/comin...

#activism #burnout

Videos - Todd Penland Videos

The video for my newest song, "Again and Again". It's a little weird, but this is what you get for $40. ;-)

Again and Again by Todd Penland todd.penland.net/videos/?vide...

Light in the Middle - Todd Penland This album is not a set of answers. It is a record of practice.

My most reflective and gentle record to date. Step inside the thoughts that help me find joy in a world that doesn’t always offer much of it.
todd.penland.net/albums/light...

War, Memory, and the Constitution - Todd Penland There is a timeline here that matters.

As usual, I have thoughts. ;-)

todd.penland.net/2026/03/01/w...

No Kings - Todd Penland “No Kings” is a defiant protest anthem about shared power and collective voice. With driving momentum and chant-ready hooks, it rejects the idea of rule by

#NoKings is a defiant protest anthem about shared power and collective voice. With driving momentum and chant-ready hooks, it rejects the idea of rule by personality, bloodline, or ego.

todd.penland.net/albums/unfin...

You Keep Showing Up - Todd Penland “You Keep Showing Up” is a warm tribute to the friends who refuse to let isolation win. It celebrates the texts, meals, laughter, and steady presence that

A little ditty just for my friends. If you think this might be about you, you're right. <3

todd.penland.net/albums/unfin...

Let Them Talk - Todd Penland Let Them Talk is a conversation that never happened.

This is a song for anyone who ever has been (or is being) bullied. I wish someone had talked to me like this when I was younger. It could have saved a lot of therapy bills. ;-)

todd.penland.net/albums/unfin...

#bullyingawareness #bullyingprevention

I just released a new song called “Redundancy Notice.”
If you’ve ever stared at an HR email a little too long, this one’s for you.

Full song: todd.penland.net/layoff

Eighty One Candles - Todd Penland For Mom, with love.Time changes people. It shapes us, challenges us, stretches us in different directions. But it also reveals what lasts. Through every

For Mom, with love.
Time changes people. It shapes us, challenges us, stretches us in different directions. But it also reveals what lasts. Through every season of our lives, what’s lasted is love. This song is for you.

todd.penland.net/albums/eight...

Todd Penland — Original Music, Albums, Opinion & Streaming Todd Penland is a musician, composer, and writer. Explore original albums, stream tracks, and read opinion pieces on the issues that matter.

The fall of the Trump regime - reimagined as a courtroom musical.

Judgment Day: The Reckoning follows prosecutors, an unrepentant antagonist, and a divided public through an on-stage trial. No verdict given. The audience decides.

Listen:
todd.penland.net/song/judgmen...

Todd Penland

New on todd.penland.net: advanced search across songs, lyrics, albums & posts! Use multiple terms (AND logic), -word to exclude, or word* for wildcard matching. Try it out at todd.penland.net/search!

The Real Danger of AI Isn’t the Machines TL;DR The real question about AI isn’t how intelligent it becomes. It’s whether we build institutions strong enough to protect people from the disruption it causes. If AI creates abundance but we a…

The real danger of #AI isn’t the machines.

It’s whether we build institutions to protect people from the disruption it causes.

If AI creates abundance but suffering persists, the failure won’t be technological — it will be moral.

#FutureOfWork #WealthInequality

todd.penland.net/2026/02/16/t...

Promise and Peril Promise and Peril is a concept album about artificial intelligence – not as abstraction, but as arc. The first half of the record explores the promise: augmentation, acceleration, collective …

My new concept album Promise and Peril explores #ArtificialIntelligence from cathedral-building optimism to #RedundancyNotice and the quiet loss of control. Human-conceived. #AI -collaborated. You decide whether that’s #Promise or #Peril.

todd.penland.net/albums/promi...

Eternal Vigilance Is Not Optional The removal of the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument by the Trump administration is not an isolated act. This flag was not decoration. It was a symbol of our history and our struggle.…

The removal of the Pride flag from the Stonewall National Monument by the Trump administration is not an isolated act. Read more...

todd.penland.net/2026/02/13/e...

1787: An Imperfect Union 1787: An Imperfect Union is a 14-song concept album about how the United States Constitution was actually formed: through secrecy, bargaining, leverage, exclusion, and conditional consent. Rather t…

Just me geeking out over another chance to combine my love of history and musical theater. Have a listen. Learn something new maybe? And enjoy the music!

1787: An Imperfect Union todd.penland.net/albums/1787-...

I'm Not Shy [Verse 1] I’m quiet in rooms that don’t go anywhere I listen longer than I speak I don’t jump in just to prove I’m here I wait until there’s something for me Some people think that means I’m hiding Or

This song has really taken off on SoundCloud. I wonder who it's about? ;-)

soundcloud.com/todd-penland...

Graven Images is a five album series documenting #evangelical #Christianity choosing power over faith. Scripture was known. The contradiction was clear. The damage and aftermath are recorded.

on.soundcloud.com/kP94KlAuIRzX...

The #evangelical #Christian movement embraced the most vile leader in US history for one reason: #CultureWar wins. Winning mattered more than character, truth, or their claimed values.
They sold their souls for political power, choosing the illusion of control over persuasion.

Have you checked out my Uplifting Song of the Day?

open.spotify.com/track/49Mqzb...

The Cost of Caring The Cost of Caring is an autobiographical album about a single day and the emotional terrain that comes with choosing to care in a world that never stops asking for more. It traces the quiet decisions

The Cost of Caring is a new autobiographical album about a day in the life of an animal #rescuer (in my case #parrots). It could easily apply to anyone in a caring profession. It documents the ups and downs, the happiness and the heartbreak of this type of work.

soundcloud.com/todd-penland...

Companies that run #ICE detention facilities:

CoreCivic, 5501 Virginia Way, Suite 110, Brentwood, TN 37027
601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 720 South, Washington DC

GEO Group Inc., 4955 Technology Way, Boca Raton, FL 33431
One Park Place, Suite 700, 621 Northwest 53rd Street, Boca Raton, FL 33487

This is the company that contracts #ICE flights. Feel free to share

LOCATIONS

CSI Aviation, Inc.
3700 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107
2503 Clark Carr Loop SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106
6006 Reese Creek Rd, Killeen, TX 76549
9615 Wright Dr, Midland, TX 79706

www.csiaviation.com

Holding the Middle

By far the most "personal" album I've recorded so far. But I think there's something in here that will touch others who are also going through major, unexpected, untimely life transitions. I hope listening helps as much as making it did.

open.spotify.com/album/1MjpoM...

Intermission [Verse 1] He slapped his name in gold across the header of the door Then wondered why the silence came a-pacing 'round the floor The dressing rooms are haunted by the songs they won't be singing The

#Breaking news: the @kennedycenter.bsky.social is going dark for “renovations.”

Naturally, I wrote a song about it.

Intermission 🎭
on.soundcloud.com/wpQdpVbX1Ul2...

Thank you to everyone who has been sharing my music online. I just topped 70,000 plays in less than 30 days! I'm pretty damned excited about that, and you helped me do it. Thank you again!

We Lift Our Voices [Verse 1] We came in early, before the light, with words we couldn’t leave behind, no script to read, no easy way, just breath and names and borrowed time. The room was holding something back, the ai

Hope everyone is feeling powerful today and joining in the shutdown. I wrote this one specifically to honor the day.

on.soundcloud.com/YjQdHMjZWQDz...

Protest Music 2026 One of the ways I stay sane in these insane times is to write music about it.

#PROTEST MUSIC FOR 2026

I used to complain about the lack of new protest music for the insane times we're living in. Instead of complaining, I wrote some. I wrote a lot! Listening to this helps keep me in the fight. Maybe it will help someone else too.

soundcloud.com/todd-penland...