Ep. 167 - Howdytoons Music For Kids | Mike Whitla and Bryan Ward

Multi-award-winning musician Mike Whitla is the wizard mastermind behind Howdytoons, known for its heavy metal-inspired “dinosaur rock” songs and animated videos for kids. There are now four YouTube channels under the Howdytoons brand, featuring work in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Across the brand on YouTube, Howdytoons has had more than a BILLION views, with 10 million more added per month, and currently has more than a million subscribers. Mike’s wife, Lisa, died by suicide in 2019, leaving him a widower with two sons, now ages 19 and 16. Mike is trying to destigmatize suicide bereavement as well as grief stigma in general. Mike’s sons are musicians and his older son, Jake, is also a composer whose work is heard on the upcoming Howdytoons album, Dinosaurs and Monsters. Howdytoons content deals with an array of complex social issues such as belonging, loneliness, and loss. Mike Whitla believes that, rather than shying away from complicated or difficult issues, kids' content should boldly address complex emotional topics to help children and families deal with challenges in a caring and truthful way. Make sure you check out the YouTube Channel and the music in the links below. Dad Up! Dad Up YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/DadUpPodcast Dad Up Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dad-up-podcast/id1486764562 Dad Up Website: https://www.daduptribe.com/ Dad Up Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daduppodcast/ Dad Up LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/Daduptribe Howdytoons LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/howdytoons Howdytoons Website: http://www.howdytoons.com/ Howdytoons YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/Howdytoons Mike Whitla Instagram: https://instagram.com/whiiiiiiitla Howdytoons Facebook: https://facebook.com/howdytoons Howdytoons TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@howdytoons.official