Pete Tonna
Pete Tonna (aka Poete) is a songwriter from Sydney. More specifically a lyricist, who teams up with vocalists, producers, and multi-instrumentalists to create his songs. He has a strong passion for writing songs that make a difference — lyrics that inspire and uplift, and songs that bring others closer to the heart of God. He has a catalogue including over 1500 written and co-written works in many genres. Pete believes his calling is to write positive music and creative content to inspire others in a time when media is saturated with such darkness. Pete it also an author — a few releases to date, and several more in the wings; books that inspire and illuminate the written word.
1. Tamika: I know you are an avid songwriter, and I hear you have written more than 1500 songs, spanning over the last twenty-five or so years! What a huge effort! Tell me, how did you begin your songwriting journey and what keeps you writing?
Pete: I had no idea what I wanted to do after I completed high school. I remembered the verse about seeking, asking and knocking and so I asked God to show me what he wanted to do next in my life. I started listening to music at that time, but I certainly wasn’t musical. A thought came out of nowhere to start songwriting. I dismissed it. I thought it was ridiculous, thinking, ‘what do I know about songwriting?’ I couldn’t sing or play an instrument. However, as time went on, the thought and feeling became stronger and stronger, and it wouldn’t go away. So, I surrendered to it and penned my first song, a not-so-very-good rap song. But after writing it, I found that I loved the process and the outcome of a song that told a story. Since then, I’ve just kept writing.
2. Tamika: I came across your music very recently, after attending the Tasmanian-based ‘Bible Society Word Songwriting Showcase’ via live-stream. Your song ‘I Surrender’ was featured at the beginning of the program and had a significant effect on me (I have written a blog post about that here and you can listen to Pete’s song ‘I Surrender’ here). Tell me about the story behind this song.
Pete: I wrote ‘I Surrender’ after a dark period in my life. I had something like depression. I realised I had an unhealthy desire to control everything and make everything work out the way I wanted it to. It was a turning point in my faith. I was learning to let go and trust God more for the opportunities and outcomes in my life. And so, I decided to trust God more and wrote a song about it in that dark period of my life. I wanted to communicate to others that hear this song, that we need to trust God more with every aspect of our lives, especially when it’s not what we expected.
3. Tamika: I hear that you do not sing, play an instrument, or produce your songs. I find this quite inspirational, as we all have gifts given to us by God in different areas, and when working effectively as the body of Christ, we can minister to people in amazing ways using those gifts. Where do you find the right people to collaborate with to bring your song lyrics to life?
Pete: There’s nothing special with how I go about looking for producers to work with. I’ve worked with producers for over 10 years. I basically research online for local producers. I look for ones who can sing, play an instrument and produce. I bring the lyrics and melody and I direct them how the song should be sung; I allow space for their creative input, of course. That’s how the songs are made.
4. Tamika: Is it a challenge to find time to write new songs? Is there a place or routine you have that inspires those new songs, or do they just come to you?
Pete: I usually have to carve out times to write, otherwise the busy world gets in the way. There’s a saying, ‘Don’t wait till you’re inspired to write, write till you’re inspired.’ I think that applies to anything in life, really; sometimes we just have to start doing it, otherwise it may not come about at all. Other times, song ideas and melodies just come to me. I could be walking down the street; it may come to me in dream. So, for me, it’s a bit of a mixed bag.
5. Tamika: Has there been a defining moment or time where your purpose in Christ became obvious to you? What do you feel your purpose in Christ is?
Pete: No, I wouldn’t say there was a defining moment for me. I’ve had many rejections over the years, which always plants a seed of doubt. But as the years went on, I found peace with what I’m doing, always allowing God to bring across something new in my path if He wills, which He has. The pandemic severely limited my songwriting opportunities. So, my attention turned to book writing. I’ve kept notes over the years about things I’ve learned in the word and also inspirational fictional stories. I’ve been putting these together the last few years, and although I am still writing songs, it’s book writing that has taken the front seat recently.
6. Tamika: Has it been difficult for you to come to a point in your life where you can live out that purpose with confidence? Or have you always been confident in that purpose?
Pete: Over the years, I would say, I did struggle knowing what my purpose is. It’s only been of late that I can say with confidence that I know I am meant to be writing, not only songs but inspirational and educational books. My confidence in my purpose is closely related to my relationship with God. The more I’ve grown in that area, the more I know myself and my purpose.
7. Tamika: Has your songwriting taken you to any places you didn’t expect?
Pete: It has. I didn’t think I’d co-write a whole album, but I did that for a local artist a few years back. I receive messages of how people enjoy and are inspired by my songs, which is truly humbling. One that stands out, is a performer in the USA who does prison ministry, who sang ‘I Surrender’ to the inmates there. He said they loved it and responded favourably to it. I never would have thought that one of my songs would be sung in a prison, and that’s quite incredible to me.
Tamika: If we would like to hear your songs, find out more about you, contact you personally or keep up to date with your songwriting ministry, where can we go?
Pete: My website is the best place to go. I go by the pseudonym, ‘Poete’. The website is www.poete.com.au
You can also find me here:
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@poetesongs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/poetesongs
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjabb2kWGdGsgBAqdxehKkQ
Website: https://www.ourfather.com.au/
