Peter Alsop calls himself a philosopher with a guitar. And while he shares the sensibility and a name with other folk musicians, Pete Seeger and Peter Yarrow, who tap the American spirit and beat the drum for peace, Alsop burrows into the intimate challenges in the American family. The Topanga-based family man has spent 40 years listening to the chords of our lives and addressing all the corners of our psyches with tenderness and gentle humor, without judgment or prescription. Nothing is taboo’sexuality, bodily functions, being different, exploiting privileges, pigheadedness and sanctimoniousness. His songs can be whimsical and humorous and have also guided parents, educators and social service professionals in discussing sensitive issues such as child abuse, loss and grief and chemical dependency. ‘Kids music is a wonderful format to convey messages,’ Alsop says. ‘I wish I could convince kids’ music artists to add value to their songs. He cites a Disney song ‘Plaid, Checks, Polka Dots or Stripes,’ in which the chorus says they like each one just the same. ‘Plaid, checks, polka dots or stripes, what is the pattern that you like? Plaid, checks, polka dots, stripes, every one I like. Now that’s a happy ending,’ sings a little girl. ‘In this song, the message is limiting,’ Alsop suggests. ‘The fourth, unwritten verse should spell it out that we don’t all have to agree.’ A contradiction to the stereotype of the hardscrabble folk singer, Alsop is a New Englander from a prosperous family, who attended Admiral Farragut Academy, majored in religion at Trinity College in Hartford and was well on his way to his Ph.D. in educational psychology until the exigencies of the draft redirected his full-time attention. He was able to secure conscientious objector status through the intercession of his uncle, an admiral. Alsop’s conscience and consciousness have guided him throughout his life and career, often in opposition to his upbringing and education. For many parents and grandparents, his music has found a place in family cultural life. With an affable openness and self-effacing manner, he has delighted children and adults with his songs, engaging them in repetitive rounds, movement and laughter. He came West in 1970, looking for places to perform and was led to the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga Canyon, which changed the course of his life as he became pleasantly entwined with the Geer family. By this time, Will was getting on; he died in 1978, but had lived his principles. An actor on stage and screen (‘The Waltons’), Will was also a dedicated activist who had toured the work camps in the 1930s with folk singers like Burl Ives and Woody Guthrie. He built the Theatricum in the 1950s with his wife, Herta Ware, with the idea of providing a natural outdoor sanctuary for the arts. In 1973, Peter met Geer’s daughter, actress and Theatricum Artistic Director Ellen, and the couple has been together ever since. They have two daughters. Alsop likes to talk about the trajectory of his career through his albums. When he arrived in Los Angeles, friends told him that he needed an album to be taken seriously, so he put together his funny stuff in a live album simply called ‘Peter Alsop’ (1975). ‘My friend said ‘You’re funny, but what else is there?’ ‘ Peter recalls. ”It would help if you did one of two more serious songs.’ I understood the importance of a subtle mix of songs that featured a character with some heart, played against my funny stuff.’ The next album, ‘Asleep at the Helm’ (1977), featured songs all about men. (‘I’ve been asleep at the helm, I’ve lost our way/ Asleep at the helm/ Asleep at the helm/ And I’m afraid that I hurt you/ I was after my own goal. I’m sorry, but it’s true, Y’know, I’m scared to lose control!’) ‘Draw the Line’ (1978) took a turn toward the grim realities of life: the hopelessness of poverty, atomic waste and lost love. About this time, Alsop realized that his political albums had limited airplay, so he separated his themes’children’s songs and adult songs. All told, he has 19 audio recordings and seven DVDs, many of which have won Best Children’s awards from organizations such as Parents’ Choice and the Association For Independent Music. . Early in his career, Alsop played at the folksong festivals with kindred spirits like labor organizer, storyteller/poet Utah Phillips and singers Keith Wolfe and Odetta. ‘But I wasn’t making money as I did as a keynote speaker at marriage and family conventions,’ Alsop says. ‘There, counselors, teachers would buy two sets of everything I put out because they’d use it in their practice.’ His latest album, ‘Disciples of Perfection’ (2010), treats the threat to our social agreements (‘So-So Security’); the self-satisfaction of the privileged (‘I’m Lucky and You’re Not’); and the strength and wisdom of women (‘When the women say NO! Life is in danger/When the women say NO! You’re not the Lone Ranger! When the women say NO! Stop the rape and abuse’.’). Alsop is always looking for a path towards getting young and old to think about the bigger picture, to treasure the family, the community and the environment. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 10 years ago, Alsop began to think about the ‘what ifs.’ ‘With the threat of more terrorist attacks, the consensual social agreements [law and order, food supply, housing] that have any value would be muddled. And cities wouldn’t be a good place to be.’ With that in mind, Alsop searched for a place out of the city and found 40 acres on the Klamath River, 1′ hours from the nearest town, encircled on the north side by Douglas fir. The compound, equipped with a house, a barn and room for 20, is now a conference center, where Alsop offers seminars to educators and social-service professionals, including licensed clinical social workers, alcohol and drug-abuse counselors and nurses. One of his most popular seminars is ‘Sculpting with People,’ which uses artists to help people move towards more life-affirming ways of living on our planet. Alsop is heartened by the increased number of musicians who perform kids music. ‘Young people who were into rock and roll are now having kids, so they are moving into kids music,’ he says. ‘This supports healthy parenting and positive goodwill for community.’ (The next Peter Alsop Kids Koncert features Gwendolyn & the Goodtime Gang at 11 a.m. on Sunday, August 21 at the Theatricum Botanicum.) For more information, visit peteralsop.com.
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