Lanny is a singer-songwriter and is President of the children's record label, Sandman Records. He has released 5 award-winning kids' CDs, each of which follow his label's motto: "DON'T DRIVE PARENTS CRAZY!
Having spent several years banging his head against the walls of Music Row as a songwriter in Nashville, Lanny's son, Alec, was born in 1997. After about 2 months of listening to Barney, Elmo, and other brain-frying lullaby CDs on the market, he decided to write his own: "Dream With Me Tonight - Lullabies For All Ages". Asylum recording artist, Melodie Crittenden, sang the mesmerizing vocals.
The next year he wrote "Dream With Me Tonight, Vol. 2 - A Father's Lullabies". Gene Miller, a former Mercury Records artist, handled vocals on that CD.
As Alec grew up, so did the themes of Lanny's songs. Released in 2006, "Turn Up the Music!" is geared toward 4 - 9 year olds. Lanny himself sang the vocals. That CD has won 8 children music awards.
In 2007, he wrote & sang on "I Like Being Me!" - also for 4 - 9 year olds. His newest CD, "Meltdown", was released in 2009. The CD has 12 all-original, all-groovy songs for 4 - 12 year olds.
His CDs have won over 50 prestigious music awards from Parent's Choice, Teacher's Choice, the Children's Music Web, the Dove Foundation, iParenting, Dr. Toy, and many more.
Lanny recently initiated the first-ever "Pickleberry Pie Very Special Concert Series" for kids at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, CA, and continues to perform at schools, hospitals, and children's fund-raising events. In 2009, in partnership with the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation, he began a series of songwriting residencies in regional elementary schools. In 2007 he was asked to join the Grammy Children’s Committee.
Before becoming a professional songwriter, Lanny was a sea turtle researcher; a magazine publisher; ran 9 marathons (PR: 2:47); has shared the stage with Henry Kissinger, Barbara Walters, & Mike Wallace. His musical influences include The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, & Led Zeppelin (all 3 of whom he saw live in concert) as well as James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Motown, vocal groups like The Carpenters & Manhattan Transfer, CCR, Joe Walsh, and Neil Diamond. He lives in Santa Barbara, CA, with his wife, Holly, their son, Alec, and their yellow Lab, Sam.
Life is Good!