Peter Alsop‘s SONGS TO CHEW: Recent Episodes
peteralsop
Humor, wisdom & commentary by Peter Alsop on his award winning songs and stories; some by his friends, some for kids & families, some for teens and adults!
I wrote today's 'Song To Chew' for our Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. It's called SMALL BRIBES. Thought he might need some advice about how to stay out of trouble. I haven't released this song on an album yet, but I've got a 'soon to be released' YouTube video with Uncle Sam singing it to him. (He looks and sounds a lot like me!) I'll let you know if I hear back from Justice Thomas. If you have something you'd like to offer him in return for leaning his Supreme Court decisions a bit more toward caring about non-rich citizens, drop me a note and I'll see if he might be interested! Glad you stopped by. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is YECCH! from my “Wha'D'Ya Wanna Do?" album. I play this song at almost every family concert because almost veryone loves screaming "Yecch!" at the top of their lungs! It's a 'scream-along' so you can join in with us! It's full of make-believe and playfulness, and it's an example of how story and oral tradition grab our attention and engage us. There is an air of danger when we face unknown monsters. When adults laugh with kids at "yecchy" stuff, kids recognize a kindred spirit. They know I'm not going to be a 'judgmental' adult if I'm willing to sing a gross song like this, and they're more likely to listen to what I have to say. "Booger-humor" is as basic and as old as the pun and poop jokes! The fun comes from watching 'normal' adults get 'grossed out' by mentioning snot or slime! It's got elements of rebellion in it that appeal to those of us who doesn't always accept the family rules about 'being polite'. We can be "gross" in defiance of the socially accepted norms and still not get in any trouble. Kids often find themselves in overwhelming or abrasive social interactions, and they actually 'need' to embrace fantasy as a way of checking out from the usual 'family zoo' energy. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is LET'S FACE IT! from my “In The Hospital" album. It addresses facial disfigurement, and all the unsettling emotions that we go through when we feel that we're different than others around us. It's difficult emotionally, whether we're an adult or a child, to figure out how we're going to behave when others stare at us and feel uncomfortable. We have to cope with our own feelings of being left out and rejected. Maintaining a healthy, positive self-image is a lifelong process for all of us. Children born with physical "differences", or who become physically "different" are particularly vulnerable to the reactions of others. These reactions strongly influence how we feel about ourselves. We need all the support we can get, so that we don't accept a negative self-image of ourself. And this happens with our skin color too. Nowadays black kids, and tan, yellow and white kids with freckles all get treated together in hospitals, and it wasn't always that way! People's attitudes and behaviors change slowly, but they do change!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is INSPECTION. I wrote it with Penny Pefley, one of the pediatric nurses who helped us make our “In The Hospital"album. My buddy Bill Harley and I 'rap' this one. Our personal privacy is challenged regularly in a hospital by doctors, nurses and assistants who want to make sure we're okay. They even wake us up at night to make sure we're sleeping soundly! Today's kids are taught that it's their body and they can say "No!", but this all changes in the hospital. We can feel trapped, helpless, and angry as stranger after stranger invades our privacy. We want to honor a child's sense of self-worth by answering their questions and making safe space for their feelings to surface. They have a right to know what's happening to them. Some hospitals have child-life staff who support children when parents can't be there, to be sure the child receives age-appropriate explanations for things that are done. We never, ever tease, but enjoying a good laugh decreases stress and helps us get beyond some tough situations. Being in a hospital becomes easier if we remember we're all going through this together in the hope of returning to good health. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is JUICE, from my “Stayin Over" album. It's an uncomplicated song, about the complicated concepts of 'love' and 'energy'. When we feel we’re not loved, we feel empty, and we search for any kind of 'juice' to fill us up, like booze, sex, drugs, money, food or approval from others. But when we’re actually filled up with 'love', we don't have to go on that search. We can pass on that love and energy we have to others. We learn to love others from being loved. Children act morally when they understand feelings, it's not just about 'following rules'. The best way to teach kids about feelings, is to be open about our own feelings with them. As they gain the ability to "feel" for others, they will make decisions about how to behave, based on their own feelings and understanding of what's going on. Our caring behaviors come from treating others, as we would like them to treat us. (Sound familiar?). When we have "juice", we pass that "juice " along! I’m Peter Alsop. Sure would appreciate you telling others about this podcast, and I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today we'll 'Chew' on the title song from my STAYIN' OVER album. Do you remember the first night you went to 'stay over' at a friend's house? Maybe it was a camping trip with other families. These adventures are loaded with memories and lessons we learned from our social interactions with others. It's a big step in independence for most kids. When we do it, we face separation from our own bed, blanket, our teddy bear, and from our parents. Some kids are nervous about wetting our bed, or getting teased because we're afraid of the dark. It's important to let kids know they can make their own decisions about sleeping overnight at a friend's house. Slumber parties allow kids to take part in the creation of the "group stories" that become a part of our childhood. We learn about friendship by spending time and sharing feelings and adventures with our friends. And having fun is great health care! I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is WIGGLE. It's a song about freedom! We all “wiggle” when someone won’t let us do what we want to do. 'Being alive!" means that in one form or another, we just need to "wiggle"! Some of us wiggle emotionally because we don't want to be 'pinned down'. Some wiggle physically because we'll jump out of our skin if we can't get down and run around and chase the kitty cat! And some of us do "ethical wiggling". Politicians do it; business people, religious people too! Legislatures make laws to eliminate as much 'wiggle-room' as they can, because when there's a lot of 'wiggle-room', there's room for mis-understandings and prevarications. It allows 'wigglers' to "speak or act in an evasive way." It's instructional for us grown-ups to remember what's like being in 'kid shoes' once in a while. This song is to remind us that, rather than get upset with a wiggly kid, we can practice having patience. When we allow them some 'wiggle-room', we remember how important it is for us,and for those little 'inner kids' inside the big grown-ups around us. I’m Peter Alsop. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen & subscribe to my Songs To Chew = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = be one of my patrons and support my music!
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs or downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is THE PRIZE from my “Did You Walk?" album. It's song lyrics without any music, so actually, it's a poem. We're constantly being taught that it's important to 'come in first', to 'win the game', to 'win the race!' Some of us do it to get approval from others. Some think we have to do it so we can become financially independent and better able to care for ourselves and our loved ones. To have a kinder, more sustainable way of surviving on earth, we need to learn how to be inter-dependent with one another. That means we share resources and build awareness about our wastefulness. It means that we help each other and share space and time together. There are better ways to have fun, than playing a game where there's only one 'winner' and everyone else is a loser. If we want to learn how to live a balanced life, we need to pay attention to how we feel as we go through our interactions with each other. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew', SANDWICHES, was written by Bob King. One of the subjects that kids love to sing about is food!! We'll 'chew on' ideas about kids and food and the interconnectedness of all the human things we do in our lives. There's 'enjoyment' and 'sharing'. There's 'mooching', which is trying to get something that someone else has, but not wanting to 'share' what we have. 'Mooching' is like a 'one way street' where everything on the road is coming in our direction, and real 'sharing' is like a two-way street where traffic goes in both directions. We find 'anger', 'resentment', and 'bartering' in this song too, and we explore 'expectations' and 'boundary setting'. Little songs like this can be powerful 'teaching tools' that can create great "A-ha!" moments of clarity for us. We have to we pay attention and be willing to 'tease it out' and 'chew on it' in order to benefit from these little bits of wisdom. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen & subscribe to my Songs To Chew = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = be one of my patrons and support my music!
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs or downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is NEEDLE-EE NOODLE-EE. I wrote it with Penny Pefley, one of the two pediatric nurses who initiated our "In The Hospital" album! "Pokes" or "shots" are probably the number one fear children have about being in the hospital. Few children escape this experience, whether as an injection, an IV start, or a blood test. It may be impossible for a child to understand why they're being hurt when we're supposed to be making them better, but it's important for them to know that they're not being punished, and that it will help them get better. Be honest; stay relaxed, and say things like, "It may hurt for a minute, and then it will be over. I'll help you hold still. It's OK to cry". Younger kids may be afraid that all their blood will leak out, and need to be reassured that only a small amount will be taken, and the hole will close. Band-aids are very important to some children, so be sure to offer them. Some parents make comments about those "mean doctors and nurses" as a way of showing sympathy for their child, but it helps tremendously when they have a positive attitude towards the hospital and staff. Hugh thanks to nurses Penny Pefley and Diane Gates for their help writing notes for the booklet that goes with our "In The Hospital" album. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our Song To Chew today is MY DAD'S A JUNGLE GYM from my “Uh-Oh!" album. I used to carry my daughters around on my shoulders, or under my arms when they were little. Sometimes they'd get tired on a walk, and I'd carry them on my back. Eventually they'd wiggle free, hop down and run around again. Dads are generally less 'risk-adverse' than Moms, which means that we let our kids take more risks than Moms do. I'd let them stand on the roof of my van and hold out my arms and say, "Okay! Jump!", ... and they'd jump! I always caught them, and we'd laugh. Don't think I ever dropped them. Most Dads are not so worried about kids falling down and scraping a knee or getting a sun-burn. Doesn't mean we don't care, we're just less likely to think it's a big deal. We chew on some of these thoughts in this podcast, see what you think! I’m Peter Alsop. I hope all you Dads out there have a chance to be a Jungle Gym too! Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is MY BODY RUNS, from my “Did You Walk?" album. I wrote this song at the request of two women who were marketing their Digi-Walker Pedometer, a small device for one's belt or pocket that counts the steps we take to be sure we get enough exercise every day. Kids have lots of questions about their own bodies and how they seem to work sort of automatically. "My body runs, my body goes! I don’t know how, but my body knows!" We really don't have much control over making our heart beat or digesting our food. So this song examines all that mystery in a gentle way. Us adults are just amazed as kids when we consider how incredible our bodies really are! I’m Peter Alsop. See you next time with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew', WHA'D'YA WANNA DO?, is about 'wanting to have fun with a buddy'. As I listen to the lyrics more than 40 years after I wrote them, they're about being joyous. That's mostly what kids wanna do, 'find support as we go through our lives joyously'. Support makes it less scary to take risks, so when we take a risk, even if it doesn't work out, we learn that we can overcome obstacles and eventually become stronger and more confident. This song isn't as philosophically 'deep' as some of my other songs, but with this heavy old world bouncing around dangerously these days, the simple message this song carries is 'profound'. We all want to 'hang out' with people who know that sharing fun and laughter in dark time is comforting and healing and that 'joy' is an uplifting birthright of every human being on the planet.
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week's 'Song To Chew' is THAT'S MY THANG! We get a "fire in our belly" about something that involves all our attention, often to the exclusion of everything else around us. Our 'thang' is something we want to achieve, or simply a task we want to complete. Our 'thang' isn't really 'work' because we enjoy doing it. Many of us love the work we do. Artists often work for little or no money because it's an expression of ourselves. It feels good to do our "thang" and if we can get paid for it, that's great! Living in a capitalistic system teaches us that everything has a specific monetary value. We learn to put a price on everything, so we know 'exactly' how much it's worth. A story like that leads us astray, and the gorgeous range of passion in human endeavors gets quantized into flat numbers, and actually cheapens the way we think about our life. I sure hope your life has some passionate 'Thang' you love to do! I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today we'll "chew on" the song, COVERS ON OUR HEARTS from our musical play "Pie In The Sky". It takes place in a small town with a big nuclear reactor. The kids in town want to get rid of it because there are so many health problems, but the grown-ups are slow to respond. It's based on the Pied Piper fable, about a magical piper who's hired to rid the town of rats. He leads them all out of town by playing his magical flute, (in my case, a drum!). But when the townspeople refuse to pay him, he leads all their children away, never to be heard from again. The story is a painful lesson that 'trinkets and baubles' from our capitalistic system, can never replace our much-needed love relationships. We each have childhood injuries and bruises, but the emotional 'covers' we develop to protect ourselves, make it more difficult to care for each other and lift each other up. Yet that is is exactly what we need to do to sustain life on our planet and survive here together. So our work is to 'shake off our covers'! I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll see you again soon with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' today is WHILE I'M SLEEPING, written with Diane Gates. She and Penny Pefley are pediatric nurses from Seattle Children's Hospital who encouraged me to write and record our 'In The Hospital' album. I got my buddy Bill Harley to join us, and we won Parent's Choice 'Best Album'! This song addresses difficulties we face with going to sleep, particularly when we're in a hospital. We have fears about not being conscious or in control when we're asleep, and our strange surroundings and fears about our health compound these problems. What if we don't wake up? If a child has an operation that requires anesthesia the word "sleep" is the best way to explain this to them. Unfortunately, it's also used when we talk about death. It's confusing and scary to be told we'll get some "special medicine" that will put us to sleep, so it's important to be very clear about this 'kind of sleep'. We can help kids who have trouble sleeping in the hospital by continuing their home bedtime routines, giving them a small flashlight in bed and making sure they meet the primary doctors and nurses. Your child's physician may also have some suggestions. Best of all is to be there, and ask them what they think would help them feel safe.
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' today is UNDER THE RAINBOW. Some might call it a 'woke' song, because it's full of hope. There are some very mystifying things in this world. I haven't got a clue about how they happen, so I don't rule out prayer, magic, supernatural religions, being "woke" or anything else that might help us all survive together! I know that 'when someone holds a belief, we can't get them to change that belief by offering facts.' Science and logic don't have much influence in the 'Land of Beliefs'. Unfortunately, in the 'Land of Science and Logic', there's not much support for the idea that a belief or story can have a huge influence on a person's ability to accomplish things in their life. There's a mystical, innocent, non-scientific power in a child's beliefs and stories, and whether they're true or not, by holding them so close to their hearts, they can accomplish amazing feats that seem impossible to the rest of us. If we're to have a future that's safe and sustainable, we need to it start now! As I age, I feel a 'nibbling remorse' that I need to do more to leave our children a safer world. My own dear children, singing the words to my song, ring more true to me now than they did when I wrote them.
"You cannot give the world to us. It is not yours to give.
It is a home for every child, who needs to grow and live
And for a while, we may borrow the air and trees and sun,
But we must never, never break the trust, of the children yet to come."
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is NEVER SPEAK WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL! It seems like a 'fun little song', but it opens doors to deeper topics like, 'Where do our rules come from?' and 'How do they become laws?' Kids deal with 'grown-up rules' all the time. We teach children rules, so they'll learn to be socially responsible adults; people who care about other people. Adults who sing this song with their kids send the message, “We can play and be silly, and still be caring and polite to each other at the same time!" I think that’s a wiser, healthier, message than, “follow the rules no matter what!” When I need to speak up about something that's "not okay" with me, I need to do it in a way that will 'get through' to another person. It's not going to resolve anything if that other person feels like they're being attacked! So we really need to be careful about how we do that. And practicing that, ... starts with me!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' today is I'M A LITTLE COOKIE, written by Larry Penn. It reframes the concept of 'having a disability' for kids and grown-ups. When a traumatic event happens, and something in us changes or 'breaks', we can feel like we're 'un-whole'! It's true that as we change and grow and learn, difficult things do happen to us, but we're still fully human no matter what! We may be 'different', but when changes happen, we adjust, and work to rebalance ourselves. No matter what color or flavor we are, we each experience the human feelings of happy, sad, scared or angry. That's part of the deal! Every one of us is part of our human tribe; the big family! If we believe that we're limited in what we can do, that just makes it more difficult for us to go beyond those limits. We're all little gum drops or chocolate bars, or cookies, and regardless of any dents or lost pieces, we can still taste sweet and delicious and loveable. I'm Peter Alsop. See you next time, for another ‘Song to Chew’!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week is PEACEFUL FEET, from my 'Grow It At Home' album. I wrote it as part of a challenge sent out from Rounder Kids Records asking some of the best artists in children's and family music to create a one-minute song for an album called "HEAR AND GONE IN 60 SECONDS" It included my friends Bill Harley, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Justin Roberts, Kim and Reggie Harris, Tom Paxton, Beethoven's Wig, Dan Crow, Dave Kinnoin, Parachute Express and Joanie Bartels, just to name a few! I wrote a song that was silly, but also had larger themes of world peace, and we'll talk about that process. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back next week, with another ‘Song to Chew’!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week's 'Song To Chew' is GNARLY DUDE. 'Gnarly' means 'twisted and knobby', but it's also slang for 'something unpleasant or unattractive', or for the opposite, 'something excellent or very good'. To be a 'gnarly dude', we have to figure out how to be tough and cool at the same time! Sounds challenging! One of the unwritten lessons we learn in school is that we need to study the subject and the teacher in order to get good grades. By the time we go to school, most of us have mastered how to get what we want from our parents! School provides another opportunity, outside our family, to analyze a system and explore how to survive and thrive! We pick up techniques watching the teacher and other students, then when we're older, we observe people at our workplace and get to practice how to share, lie, promise, fight, tattle, use honesty, kindness, loyalty and friendship. Life's a big school where we can learn how to be 'gnarly' so we can help ourselves and the people around us feel lifted and successful.
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week's Song To Chew, 'HOME WHERE THE HEART IS', opens the musical stage play I wrote with Ellen Geer, “Pie In The Sky", which ran as part of our 1987 theater season at the Theatricum Botanicum. It takes place in a small American town that has its own nuclear reactor. The kids of the town want to get rid of it because it's creating health problems, but the grown-ups are slow to respond. It's based on the fable of the Pied Piper who rid Hamlin Town of it's plague of rats by playing his magical flute. When the townspeople refuse to pay him, he charms their children and leads them away dancing and singing out of town never to be seen again. The lesson that 'it doesn't pay to be greedy and dishonest', and that 'owning lots of things cannot bring happiness or love', seems to be one we need to learn over and over again. In today's American culture, our capitalism requires constant, unsustainable growth, and sustainable-indigenous models of 'having enough' is something that most of us do not foster. We need homes that are safe places for us to explore options, make mistakes and re-group, and where we give and receive support because we value each other more than we value our belongings.
~ Listen & subscribe to Songs To Chew anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
My SAMIT AND THE DRAGON song comes from our “In The Hospital" album, recorded with my buddy Bill Harley and the two pediatric nurses from Seattle Children's Hospital who instigated the whole project, Diane Gates and Penny Pefley. We won the Best Children's Album of the Year Award from the National Assn of Independent Record Distributors in 1983! Doctors and nurses in pediatric hospitals still use it to help kids and families. It was new back then, but today, many traditional medical professionals use visualization techniques to help patients support their own internal healing processes. It helps them relax and become part of the team of people who work to make them healthier. Children are very receptive to mental imaging or visualizing stories as it's something we do naturally while we listen to stories, or daydream. And it's not just for kids. Adults who run businesses, parents, other-abled people and elderly folks use imagery to help change some of the negative stories we carry within us, so more positive outcomes can surface. Check it out, and I'll see you next week for another ‘Song to Chew’!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week, is STRANGERS, from my 1992 child abuse prevention concert with KidPower and actor John Ritter. Before people turn 18, one out of four of us will have been sexually abused. Our feelings are like an early warning system. If we feel uncomfortable about a situation, we need to listen to that little voice and get to safety! Adult social interactions can be very confusing for kids. 85% per cent of the time, the abuse comes from someone who we know and trust. Less often, it's a 'stranger', who is 'anyone we don’t know'; a man, woman, boy or girl. If a child is 8 years old or under, and on their own, they should never talk to strangers, except in emergencies. Kids over 8 years old, can talk to strangers, but they must keep a safe distance, and not give any personal information. That's because kids under 8 can easily get distracted from the safety rules when they talk to someone.
~ My 'Songs To Chew' podcast ~ link in bio, or wherever you get podcasts
~ Instagram.com/thepeteralsop
~ FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop
~ peteralsop.com
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop
Our 'Song To Chew' this week is 'NO, NO, NO!' Little kids like to say 'No!'. We learn that from the adults around us! "Can I have a puppy?" No! "Can my friend come here to play?" No! It's impossible to be a perfect parent. I was spanked as a kid, but I never hit my kids, and they turned our pretty great. With the world situation being what it is these days, I don't want to teach children that it's okay to use violence to 'solve' a problem!
~ My 'Songs To Chew' podcast ~ link in bio, wherever you get podcasts or: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ Instagram.com/thepeteralsop
~ FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop
~ peteralsop.com
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop
Today's 'Song To Chew', "IF YOU LOVE A HIPPOPOTAMUS" was written by Connie Kaldor, a wonderful Canadian singer-songwriter. It brings up the delicate subject of our size and our behavior and our appearance. If we don't look or behave the way other people think we should, we can get excluded, and become overly-critical of ourselves. We beat ourselves up for eating too much or exercising too little or being clumsy, then feel sad or angry about the whole thing, and binge to sooth ourselves. Next, we feel guilty, and go on another strict diet, and the cycle continues. In the animal kingdom hippos know who they are and they pay attention to what they do! They know that the size of a package isn't as important as what's inside that package!
~ My 'Songs To Chew' podcast ~ link in bio, or wherever you get podcasts or: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ Instagram.com/thepeteralsop
~ FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop
~ peteralsop.com
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop
WHERE WILL I GO WHEN I'M DEAD AND GONE? is one of my more controversial songs. Why write a song for kids about death and dying? Because it's a subject no one wants to talk about! Curiosity about death is completely human and understandable. Kids need safe people to talk with about it; to ask questions and process some of the huge feelings that come up when we lose someone or something important to us. Death comes to all living things, and can be scary and sad to think about, but rather than get uptight, I play with some the fearful thoughts and make them less scary, without making fun of anyone who feels afraid. There's a video of this song on YouTube with about 240 thousand views. It "gets this subject out onto the table", so families can air it out and let it breathe.
~ My 'Songs To Chew' podcast ~ where ever you get podcasts
~ Instagram.com/thepeteralsop
~ FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop
~ peteralsop.com
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop
This week's SONG TO CHEW is ASK AWAY from my “Grow It At Home" album! The concept is simple! 'Ask others for help', but that can be difficult for some of us. We don't want to impose or look weak or confused. Some think it's gender-linked to men, as many men would rather drive around lost for hours instead of asking for directions, but we know this affects everyone. When we ask for clear information, we often get big words or acronyms that we've never heard before! And when we're stressed or nervous, it's easy to get facts mixed-up, right? Clear information helps us make healthy decisions about how to proceed with our lives. What are our choices? Teachers usually encourage students to ask questions, because that's a great way to learn! It's how we figure out what's expected of us in the world when we're babies! This song has lots to 'Chew On', so check out this episode, and email me at peter@peteralsop.com, or message me at 'We Like Peter Alsop' on Facebook if you have any questions. Bye for now!
~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 = subscribe to Songs To Chew
~ https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1 = my newest album
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop = follow on FaceBook
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week is US KIDS BRUSH OUR TEETH from my 'Stayin' Over' album. A four-year-old doesn't brush their teeth just to get them clean! That's what adults do! Kids have a completely different agenda! If we get upset with our kids for "not acting like adults", we miss the delight and playfulness of how our children brush their teeth. It's called "appreciating diversity!" They'll be adults soon enough. Through them, we have an opportunity to see the world with new eyes. Most parents forget the 'kid toothbrushing ritual', as soon as we pass into our teenage years! When little kids brush their teeth, they find ways to make it playful! The philosophical take-away is that each of us has our own pathway; our own rituals and our life-time minutes to use the way we want! Parents have that choice too! We can get upset, or ask ourselves, "is it really important for me to stop this little person from doing what they're doing right now, and make them do it MY way?" As the singer says, "I'm still just a kid! Bein' slow's not that bad, so please listen a minute before you get mad!" Hopefully adults listen, and back off enough to enjoy their child's playfulness. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back again next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts, or try
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week, is a 'batch of songs'. We'll listen to the IRISH SEATBELT JIG, APPLE JUICE, ME-ME-ME, and SPIN AROUND. We'll 'chew on' how impactful these repetitive little children's songs can be! This kind of song gets into our heads, like some of the commercial jingles and 'ear worms' we find ourselves humming or singing to ourselves, word-for-word, years later! Unnoticed by us, these simple jingles and musical memes pass on our cultural messages too! Some messages are healthy for us, like my seatbelt song. It's a safety message. But other messages are 'not-so-wonderful', like some of the sexist, patriarchal and racist messages that pack our brains with images that separate us and de-humanize us. We won't be singing any of those today. When music's combined with simple rhymed lyrics, they can affect us very powerfully, and we unknowingly absorb their ideas. Today's four songs each have simple messages: "Seatbelts save lives!" "Anyone can make up a song about anything!" "Thinking about ourselves is our job when we're a kid!" and, "General rules don't always work for all people." Thanks for listening. Please subscribe and invite your friends, and I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts, or:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week's 'Song To Chew' is I CRIED by Ruth Pelham from my 'Stayin' Over' album. I first heard Holly Near sing this wonderful song, then I met the wonderful Ruth Pelham in person. She's an educator, songwriter and performer and she's dedicated her life to helping children learn by using music. Her school programs and songs blend her years of experience with her innovative approach to education. I recorded I CRIED because it was the only song I'd ever heard for children and families about divorce. It's masterful and addresses the courageous and healing discussions that need to take place to help families move on to living in a different configuration than what they'd expected. It lays out how difficult it is to carry on our regular lives while we grieve the loss of a life that has changed. Divorces are traumatic for kids, and very difficult for parents as well. Often kids feel responsible when their parents get divorced! But we know for sure that "a child is never responsible when parent's get divorced." Some kids try to "act perfectly", hoping their parents will get back together. Others are uncooperative and "act out'. These are the cries of a hurting heart. Around the world, many of our social norms teach us that it's not okay to cry, especially for men and boys. Sadness is part of being human. Everyone has hurts, and crying helps heal our body and our souls by rebalancing us. Contact Ruth at: Ruth Pelham.com, and I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts, or,
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' this week, PAT YOUR DADDY ON THE KNEE comes from my “Uh-Oh!" album. When we scratch the surface of these 'family music' songs, we find important life-lessons for adults too. Adults who don't have any kids tell me, they learn from 'chewin' on' these songs! Life-lessons for little kids can help big grown-ups too! Everybody in the world has rough times when things happen that are painful and disturbing. And we don't want those rough time to come back again. The memory of them affects all our decisions; the kind of work we choose, who we fall in love with and how we respond when we're afraid. This song gives us a model of how we can use that experience to support other folks who are upset! We can give them some support! Maybe pat them on the back or the knee, or listen to them, or ask them if they want a hug. We can lift folks up who are down, and if we love 'em, we can tell 'em that! Seems pretty simple, and it goes a long way. Because then, those people pass on that caring behavior to others who need support! See that!? If you look, you can find some mighty useful stuff in kid songs! I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' this week, from my “Family Roles" album is THE NEWBORN, written by Rosita Perez. Technically, it's a 'Poem To Chew' from her book, "THE MUSIC IS YOU: A Guide to Thinking Less and Feeling More". I love this poem because it points out how the words 'belief' and 'faith' are different. When someone chooses to hold a 'belief' in something, no matter what evidence or verifiable facts are supplied, especially if they question the 'belief', a 'believer' will not change, and they may even refuse to listen to others who don't hold the same belief. It's a 'static' system. Whereas 'faith' also requires making a choice, but it's different than holding a 'belief.' When someone has 'faith' that some idea is real and true, they're not afraid to have a reasonable discussion with others, who think differently than they do. Exactly because they have 'faith', they know they can listen and alter their understanding of whatever idea they're discussing, and continue to refine how their 'faith' works in their life as they gather new information. In doing so, their lives become more balanced and manageable. It's a dynamic and spiritual way of perceiving our world. I’m Peter Alsop. If you've been enjoying my 'Songs To Chew' podcasts, please share them with your friends and family. And I’ll see you again next week! Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week's SONG TO CHEW is the title cut from my "Uh-Oh!" album, so of course it’s called 'UH-OH!' Making messes is something all humans do from time to time. Actually, when we make a mistake, it’s a great opportunity for us to practice forgiving ourselves! When we can do that, it makes it easier for us to accept and forgive others around us who make mistakes. When we practice loving and supporting others who mess up, that helps us find the courage to go on next time we mess up! Usually we're not so excited about fixing up our own messes, but that's what we do! We work on it until we get it right, and try again! And we all know we're not alone when we make a mess or a mistake. We're part of a really big Club!! Right? "One person's 'mess', is another person's 'sense of organization'. I have papers all over my desk, and it might look messy to you, but I know where everything is, mostly! Forgiving someone for something doesn't mean that what they did is okay, it means that we don't want to hold a grudge against them, or blame them by making comments! Why do that!? They already know they did it! And it feels great to help folks out when mistakes are made, especially for people we love. Isn't it amazing how little kid songs can have deep meanings for grown-ups too! I’m Peter Alsop. See you next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week our 'Song To Chew' comes from my “Pluggin' Away" album. It’s called NO ONE'S NORMAL. I wrote it because if you tell someone they're 'normal', they can get insulted by that! But if you say they're 'abnormal', they don't like that either. Maybe we should get rid of these 'label' words and stick to action words! Tell me what someone does, not what category they fall into! Everyone is themself! And no one person is ever completely normal! So this song is about understanding that the word "normal" refers to being included in a group that has the most people in it. We may have 'average' height or weight or wear the same kind of clothing as most other people, but that doesn't mean that we're a 'normal' person. Using labels like 'normal' and 'abnormal' to describe someone, can limit how we see that person. When we're lumped into a big category, it's easier to be ignored or dismissed because we're summed up under one label! Others miss the complexity and beauty of who we are. I once presented at a conference for teachers of 'gifted' children. I've always had a problem with labels like that, because when we designate a child as 'gifted', it just shows our own inability to see the gifts in the child sitting next to that gifted kid. No one's normal, you know that, including every one of us! I'm Peter Alsop. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’! Bye for now!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' this week is the title cut from my TAKE ME WITH YOU album. This song exemplifies the 'naughty child' themes that I find so appealing, and use so often in my family songs. Kids are really smart. They figure out what works best for them to get what they want from their parents. When we're little, we have to depend on big folks around us to supply us with what we need! Food, clothing, shelter, and parents are very busy human beings, because doing everything that needs to be done in a family, can be a tall order! Some parents go to work in the morning and don't come home until after dark. Some kids come home from school to an empty house and often make their own dinner. Being alone can be very tough for a child, and we sure need more affordable day care facilities or cooperative arrangements for families who find themselves stuck in this situation. A kid's fears of being left on our own are very powerful. When parents are upset with us, our imaginations can go wild! Thousands of years ago being left out of our 'tribal community' was essentially a death sentence, so it's actually a 'healthy survival technique' when kids learn how to manage their parents, by finding and pushing the 'parental buttons'! We'll 'chew on' some of these techniques today, and look at ways we 'negotiate' and 'manipulate' and push the buttons of people in the systems where we live and work and play. I’m Peter Alsop, and I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week our 'Song To Chew' is MY GUMS GROW TEETH from my ““Uh-Oh!" album. One of the 'rites of passage' for all kids, is 'losing a tooth'! I thought I'd write a song about that for my 'pre-schoolers' album, but then I realized, pre-schoolers aren't losing their teeth, they're growing them! That's probably pretty scary, like, "How do my gums know what to do? How come they don't get all mixed up?!" In order to write this song, I had to put myself into the shoes of a pre-schooler, and that was very instructive! I highly recommend it to those of us who are no longer pre-schoolers, because when we put ourselves into another person's shoes, we benefit from seeing what it's like to be in that person's 'vulnerable space'. Imagining ourselves in 'someone else's shoes' provides us with an opportunity to build understanding and empathy for others. We can sense what feelings might be going on for another person, especially if they're baffled, scared, angry, or sad about something in their own life. That momentary insight into someone else's world, can help us understand that, they're being upset may not have anything at all to do with us. I’m Peter Alsop. See you next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today, for your audio pleasure, we'll LISTEN TO THE BEET, as our 'Song To Chew' from my 'Grow It At Home' album. I entered this song in a contest put on by the L.A. Unified School District where the winning songs would be included in a CD compilation, to be distributed to all the elementary school kids in Los Angeles, to get them to eat and enjoy more vegetables! My motivation to write usually comes from some life lesson I learned. I figure, if it's helped me get some clarity about things going on around me, why not pass this information along to kids and families who might find it useful too! But this song, was a challenge, until I decided to have it sung by 'The Beet' himself! We'll look at the steps I took in writing this song, because the better we understand our creative process, the better we become at "doing what we do!" And we can avoid some of the pitfalls where we used to get stuck! Unfortunately this song was NOT one of the finalists in the food song contest. I have no idea why not! Personally, I think it's a masterpiece! Check it out and see what you think! I’m Peter Alsop, and I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our Song To Chew this week, 'IF IT DOESN'T HAVE ME' was written by my buddy Bill Harley. It's from our “In The Hospital" album that helps kids understand more about hospitals and doctors and nurses, and builds compassion for other kids and people who have medical difficulties. The original inspiration for this project came from two wonderful pediatric nurses, Diane Grimm Gates and Penny Pefley. They suggested a number of topics that would make great songs. We got together with Bill and together won the 1989 Parent's Choice Award for Best Children’s Recording of the Year! When a child has to be away from familiar places and people in their lives it's hard on them. The younger a child is, the more painful the separation from parents, family, and home. The feelings generated by this experience can develop into a sense of loneliness, isolation, depression and sometimes, "problem behaviors" such as refusal to eat, difficulty sleeping, or being uncooperative. Kids need to know they're important to others and that they're missed, but not forgotten when they're not there. This album has helped tens of thousands of children and families over the last 34 years. If you have any ideas about more funding to help get this album into more hospitals and into the hands of kids and families who need it, please get in touch with me at peter@peteralsop.com. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today our Song To Chew' is SOMETIMES SI, SOMETIMES NO! from my 'Grow It At Home' album. It's originally from a DVD I made for the Loma Linda University Medical Center in San Bernardino, California. We made a video with my songs and stories to entertain andeducate the families of their patients. Most of their patients are families from local neighborhoods in San Bernardino, that were loaded with violence and drug dealers, gang shootings and bar fights. The kids live with domestic violence and prostitution right there where they live and go to school. We wanted to help families learn some skills to help them cope with what they have to contend with every day. It's difficult to make clear and simple sense out of the complex patterns and experiences we have growing up. This is where our "Sometimes Si, Sometimes No!" philosophy comes in. When we understand that life continually has its ups and downs, it becomes clear that there's no point in 'giving up!' As the song says, "that's the way of life!" The way to a better life is to keep on looking for new solutions! When we keep trying, things change! Doors open and expose us to ideas we would not have seen if we had given up! This is how we build the skills we need to survive difficult times.
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week is POOP GOES THE WEASEL. I wrote it to help parents engage their little kids in the process of getting toilet trained. When I perform this song live, I use a weasel or otter hand puppet to demonstrate as we sing together. Laughing at poop and fart jokes and anything to do with the toilet seems to appeal much more to guys than to girls. We probably think they're funny because we're not supposed to talk about this stuff, but it's mostly grown-ups who made up that rule! Adults are embarrassed and uncomfortable around this subject, but kids seem to love it! Even if little girls think farting is funny, they almost always grow out of it, but boys still think it's a riot even when we get to be old men!! I know this song has had an impact in the world. Lots of parents report that this is their kid's favorite song! I got a cel phone call from an upset Mom in Florida, who called to complain that she had her son and his friend in the car on the way to pre-school, when "Poop Goes The Weasel" came on the radio. The boys laughed so hard that her son wet his pants in the backseat! She had to take them home to get dry clothing, before taking them back to school. She suggested I put a warning on the album to let parents know that this kind of thing may happen in their family too!! Subscribe to my podcast and I’ll see you next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!
~ Listen/subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts or =
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
From my “Chris Moose Holidays” album, our SONG TO CHEW this week is THE TOOTH FAIRY, EASTER BUNNY, SANTA & GOD. They're all stories that most of us have heard since we were little. Each of them a bit mysterious and none of them willing to simply show themselves, to prove to us that they're real. They require some level of belief. We've seen hints of their existence; a dollar under our pillow, an Easter basket at the end of our bed, or Christmas presents under our tree on Christmas morning, (maybe some cookie crumbs from the cookies and milk we left for Santa on Christmas Eve.) Each of them a source of great expectations and at times, ... the cause of great disappointments. Today, we'll chew on the idea that when a story has some spirit that touches you, ... you can hold it in your heart and make it true. I'm Peter Alsop. Follow this podcast, and I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!
~ Listen/subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts or =
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' this week, is NO EXCUSE T'USE BOOZE from my “Stayin' Over” album. There are an estimated 5.3 million kids under the age of 17 in this country who have a serious drinking problem. When I wrote this song, 'Honky Boy Pete' popped into my mind, told he was a 'recovering alcoholic' and he wanted to talk to the kids, if I didn't mind. He explains some of the down-side things that happen when kids and other people drink booze to medicate their painful feelings. One out of four kids in the U.S. currently live in alcoholic homes, and less than one out of ten gets any information about how to cope with pressures that exist in these homes. There aren't simple answers to fix things for these kids, but I know that when kids feel 'loved', they find it easier to like themselves. Unhappy kids who use alcohol to medicate painful feelings, are following examples set by unhappy adults. Most grown-ups admit that drinking "booze" is not a healthy habit, and yet millions of us still choose to drink alcoholic beverages rather than pick up a glass of water. As Honky Boy says, "Sometimes life’s a drag, an’ it’s tough t’be a kid, but you’ll make it fine without drugs an’ booze, lots of other people did!" I’m Peter Alsop. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen/subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast anywhere you get podcasts or =
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week, HIGH STANDARDS, was written by my dear friend Bob Blue. This song was part of my conference presentations and part of my personal story. Our parents who love us, want us to do the best we can, but sometimes they forget that kids need time to play and relax and explore our relationships. Getting straight 'A's' in school, doesn't mean we know how to have a happy and meaningful life. This song models how forgiveness and humor can help us heal and find a healthier story than a repeating self-narrative of "I'm never enough." We each deserve to be loved for just being alive, regardless of the 'things' we do. What we do, is NOT who we are. And when we chase 'perfection', we learn to become "human doings" instead of "human beings". When we forgive ourselves, we can begin to move ahead in our lives. I'll see you again next week, with another ‘Song to Chew
~ Listen/subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast =
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ My most recent album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week's 'Song To Chew' is LET 'EM LAUGH from my "Take Me With You!“ album. One of the toughest things we face as humans is being laughed at and 'shunned' or ridiculed by others. Usually, the 'butt of the joke' is someone who appears or acts differently than most people. There's never a good excuse to single someone out for ridicule, especially for differences over which they have no control; like their race or size or their disability or sexual orientation. And sometimes, we're the 'different person'. So when other people do this to us, it says much more about their own fears of being rejected, than it does about us! I wrote this song to model for kids and adults how other people's laughter and teasing can be 'reframed', when we understanding that most of those folks have to look outside of themselves for their sense of self-worth. That's why other people's opinions of them are so important to them. It takes a much stronger 'sense-of-self' to look inside, and NOT follow the crowd, and know that 'who we are, and what we're doing is okay!' I'm so glad you stopped by. I'll be back again next week with another ‘Song to Chew'!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://peteralsop.podbean.com or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' this week is IT'S NO FUN WHEN YA GOTTA EAT AN ONION. Our individual taste differences are tailored by what we learned to eat with our families when we were little. If we associate certain foods with comfort and good times, we look forward to having those experiences of chewing and savoring the taste of foods that reminds us of those pleasant times. It's the stories about our food that set us up for how we behave around our eating habits. We might not like a story about eating "unformed chicken embryos", or "common fungus", or "sour milk solids", so we tell ourselves a much more pleasant story when we sit down to eat our mushroom and cheese omelet, right?! How we felt and how we were treated during our eating times can create the tone of our relationship with our food for the rest of our lives! There are lots of kids who say they don't like vegetables, but when those same kids learn to grow, harvest and taste fresh vegetables right out of their garden, they love eating them! The more we learn to value our different attitudes and stories about our food, the more we can appreciate that our wide range diversities is what makes our lives so full and rich and interesting. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll see you again next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Please subscribe or follow this podcast. Let your friends and family know about these little musical life-lessons, and hopefully, they'll thank you for it! Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://peteralsop.podbean.com or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our Song To Chew this week is FAMILY OF FRIENDS, from my “Uh-Oh!" album. I wrote this song because we each hold a story about our family of origin. Some of us grew up in a family that was warm and safe. Some of us had a family that did not 'feel so safe'. Many of us had a family that was a mix of those two styles. And some of our families were scattered and hard to define, or we had a number of foster families. It's important to have courageous conversations with our family members if we’re upset about something. It's possible to caringly resolve conflicts so they won't continue to be an impediment to our loving each other. But we have to make 'the effort'. We can also form our own 'family of choice' as we get older. We know that when we have safe places and people around us, we develop and grow new skills in this 'full-of-struggle' world where we live. Some people believe that life is a school and we're here because we all have lessons to learn. I like that idea because to have a 'family of friends', we have to work on it, and learn how to do it better, and because we're still learning, if we make a mistake, we can learn how to forgive ourselves and keep on! Please subscribe to this podcast, so you can listen to SONGS TO CHEW any time! Bring your family and friends! I'm Peter Alsop. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://peteralsop.podbean.com or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our Song To Chew this week is LET THE WOMAN IN YOU COME THROUGH from my “Asleep At The Helm” album. We're trained to perform as others of our birth gender have in the past. Boys and girls are told stories about how we should behave, and those stories guide us as we mature and grow. In fact, there are many other stories that might be 'our story', that are much different than the ones we've been taught. We need freedom to explore our feelings and express our love and attractions if we are to discover our own story. How else can we figure out how to survive in healthy and balanced ways as we live in our changing world?! As boys, we've been taught to not cry or express our feelings, or we will appear weak, "womanish" and less powerful, resulting in us 'losing respect' within our community and family. Our male brains like to define the world in 'black and white' binary terms, so our main defining story has been that we are NOT women! In fact, when boys cry or act in gentle caring ways, we are called "sissies", as though comparing us to someone's sister is the worst insult we could be given! Fortunately, things have been changing. Now I wouldn't say, "Let the woman in you come through", because men can be just as caring and gentle as women, when we make the effort to do so. It can be scary to explore and learn about ourselves as our sexuality and gender unfolds, but if we want to discover who we truly are, we must have the courage to risk facing our fears.
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://peteralsop.podbean.com or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
WAS ST. PAT SCARED? Let's listen to our "Song To Chew" for today and find out! This song's from my “Grow It At Home” album, to help us understand how we humans have taken over most of the world by eliminating any other creatures that threaten us or our expansion. The Irish myth about St. Patrick, 'ridding Ireland of all the snakes' is a wonderful place to start this discussion. It's 'fear' that drives us to completely wipe out some other living species, rather than finding some way to share space with them. Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was a real person who lived in the 5th century. He came to Ireland to proselytize for Christianity. One of the biggest myths in his 'story', is that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland and into the sea. The fact is that there never were any snakes in Ireland for St. Patrick to banish! The event that banished any snakes that might have been in Ireland, was the Ice Age that ended 10,000 years ago. When children hear this myth, they ask, "Did he have to get rid of ALL the snakes?" The storyline is a familiar one, so let's listen to the song, and we'll 'chew on it', and see if we can figure out some less violent ways to behave when we're afraid, because as the song says, "we can crush all the spiders with books, y'know, but killing them's kind of a crime. Cause all life is sacred!" If we don't recognize that we need to take of this 'Garden of Eden', we don't get to stay! I’m Peter Alsop. Subscribe, listen to the podcast, and I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://peteralsop.podbean.com or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week our SONG TO CHEW is "WHAT IF?" When we don't understand what's going on around us, we create stories to explain what might be going on! And that's when our over-active imaginations take off and amplify our worst fears. This process can stop us in our tracks and make things worse! So, this song takes a look at how we can change our stories, and our reactions, and learn how to 'respond' instead of 'react'. Most of us don't like to admit that we're scared, (especially us men and boys), but the stories we tell ourselves about what's going on, are often much more frightening than the reality of the situation! So how do we stop feeling frightened? Instead of dwelling on our fears, we can lighten things up with some humor to help us get through what's going on. It's true! The stories that scare us, or disempower us, or push our 'buttons', can be changed! We can actually learn to pause, look at what's going on around us, and then respond in a more balanced way. When my brain is full of fear, I'm not thinking straight, but if I can think of silly or ridiculous things to inject into my story, I make myself laugh, and that simple change helps me see options that I never would have seen, if I'd stayed locked in my fears! And it's something we can practice doing! Just because something's serious, doesn't mean it's not funny! I’m Peter Alsop. Please let your friends know about this podcast, and I’ll see you again next week with another ‘Song to Chew’.
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://peteralsop.podbean.com or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW today is called NEW GAMES, from my “Pluggin' Away” album. Almost all games we play in this world of ours are competitive, and it would be great to change that, so we have more choices about ways we can collectively play together. Most games are designed with very clear rules, structured so players can build skills in outsmarting or outmaneuvering each other in order to win. A big part of growing up is testing ourselves to see what we can do. We compare ourselves to others and we feel great when we see that we measure up. Losing can be a big disappointment though. Most of us pick ourselves up afterwards, and try again. Some of us, though, have been disappointed so often that we stop trying. That's when competition can be most harmful. Sometimes winning isn't so much fun either! Especially when the game has one winner and all the rest of the players can feel like 'losers', ... right?! Some of us learned that working hard at play is the only way to play, and winning is the only thing that matters, when actually, that isn't play at all, it's work! Remember, if it feels like work, it probably IS work! Cooperative games teach us skills for getting along with each other. We learn to set healthy boundaries and take care of ourselves by having fun! We learn communications skills and experience the joy of caring friendships and creative problem solving for the fun of it, not out of fear that we'll lose. We need support and encouragement and safe places to learn new skills. I’m Peter Alsop. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be back again next week with another ‘Song to Chew’.
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://peteralsop.podbean.com or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week, LETTER TO MR. BROWN, is from my “Take Me With You” album. When I wrote this in 1986, there was a backlash going on because so many child sexual abuse cases were coming out in the news. Everyone who worked with children; teachers, boy scout leaders, choir directors, even parents became very careful about not touching children at all, unless it was absolutely necessary, because they were afraid, they might get in trouble. This song helps us talk openly about the effect these kinds of fears have on us. It models healthy, and safe ways that adults might touch children as we physically help them go through their day. Our kids need to know that they're important, loved and cared for, and touching them lets them know that in a very powerful way that no words can quite convey. Kids need safe touching, because when they're not touched appropriately, they're even more susceptible to inappropriate touching! Lots of other questions come up as we discuss these ideas with our children, so I hope you will take the time to do that. And it's always okay for a parent to say "I don't know the answer to that question. Let's think of some ways we could handle it, so it will be safe for you." I’m Peter Alsop. Please subscribe to this podcast and invite your friends. I’ll see you again next week, with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = anywhere you get podcasts, or
https://peteralsop.podbean.com or
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today our SONG TO CHEW is called A FRIEND LIKE ME, from my 'In The Hospital' album. The idea came from two nurses at Seattle Children's Hospital, Diane Grimm Gates and Penny Pefley. I asked my buddy Bill Harley to join us, and we won a Parent's Choice BEST CHILDREN'S ALBUM award that year. We included a booklet full of helpful notes about how the songs and stories help school-age kids and families who spend time in a hospital. I visit Bill, and we exaggerate some of our scary concerns by 'enlarging them' to be much bigger than possible. Our silliness minimizes the 'hospital fears', and the laughter creates a balance for the loss of control a child feels being away from home and school. The importance of a patient's affective state has only recently been recognized by traditional allopathic medicine as being a critical factor in people's ability to recover. This album has helped tens of thousands of children and families over the last 33 years. A BIG 'Thanks!' to Bill, Penny and Diane for their wonderful work , and thanks to you for listening! If you have any ideas about how we can get this album into more hospitals and to kids and families who need it, please get in touch with me. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://peteralsop.podbean.com or at
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s SONG TO CHEW is called HYPERACTIVE, from my “Pluggin’ Away” album. This song is a satire. The chorus says "Sugar's good for me and you!", but the verses point out that refined sugar is not healthy for our bodies. Kids understand satire, and know that sugar is not healthy for them. They have heard their parents say it a million times, "No! You've had enough sugar!" This song is actually a way for children to relieve some of their stress and frustration about the parental limitations they've had to deal with! You can sing-along too if want! We are all indoctrinated by advertising messages that subliminally encourage us to use sugar, by equating sugar with love and approval. We call our loved ones Honey Bun, Sugar Pie or Gum Drop. We give See's Candy and Whitman Samplers as Valentine gifts. We reward ghosts and goblins on Halloween by giving them candy 'treats', to 'ward off their threatened 'tricks'. The Easter Bunny brings chocolate eggs and marshmallow bunnies to little Christians because Jesus loves them? And on Christmas, when Santa delivers toys, we reward that Jolly Old Elf by leaving him Cookies with sweetened Vanilla Oatmilk to wash them down. I'll let you examine the connections between sugar and love in your own religious and family ceremonies. There's more to chew on when you listen to the entire podcast. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s SONG TO CHEW is called HYPERACTIVE, from my “Pluggin’ Away” album. This song is a satire. The chorus says "Sugar's good for me and you!", but the verses point out that refined sugar is not healthy for our bodies. Kids understand satire, and know that sugar is not healthy for them. They have heard their parents say it a million times, "No! You've had enough sugar!" This song is actually a way for children to relieve some of their stress and frustration about the parental limitations they've had to deal with! You can sing-along too if want! We are all indoctrinated by advertising messages that subliminally encourage us to use sugar, by equating sugar with love and approval. We call our loved ones Honey Bun, Sugar Pie or Gum Drop. We give See's Candy and Whitman Samplers as Valentine gifts. We reward ghosts and goblins on Halloween by giving them candy 'treats', to 'ward off their threatened 'tricks'. The Easter Bunny brings chocolate eggs and marshmallow bunnies to little Christians because Jesus loves them? And on Christmas, when Santa delivers toys, we reward that Jolly Old Elf by leaving him Cookies with sweetened Vanilla Oatmilk to wash them down. I'll let you examine the connections between sugar and love in your own religious and family ceremonies. There's more to chew on when you listen to the entire podcast. I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' today is IF I WAS IN CHARGE. Have you ever seen someone do something, and you thought to yourself, "I think I could do a little better than that!" Even when we were kids, we could see grown-ups around us messing things up. We could have handled it! Except that when we grew-up and we finally had a chance to be in charge, we found out things are a lot more complicated and difficult than we thought they were! My daughter Willow sings with me on this song. When we find ourselves in charge, with power and authority over other people, it can 'go to our head'! As Willow says, "That’s awful! What’s happening to me!!? If I was in charge, I might start to change, and start acting like I’m a big deal!" The idea of 'being in charge' brings up a ton of other questions for us to 'chew on'. "Do you like to be in charge?" - "Why?" - "Do you think kids should be in charge of things?" - "Why do you think most groups have leaders?" - "Do you think becoming a leader can change someone's behaviors?" - "What kind of things do you want a 'leader' to do?" The list goes on and on! Thanks for stopping by! Please subscribe or follow my 'Songs To Chew’ podcast. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song To Chew'. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' today is IF I WAS IN CHARGE. Have you ever seen someone do something, and you thought to yourself, "I think I could do a little better than that!" Even when we were kids, we could see grown-ups around us messing things up. We could have handled it! Except that when we grew-up and we finally had a chance to be in charge, we found out things are a lot more complicated and difficult than we thought they were! My daughter Willow sings with me on this song. When we find ourselves in charge, with power and authority over other people, it can 'go to our head'! As Willow says, "That’s awful! What’s happening to me!!? If I was in charge, I might start to change, and start acting like I’m a big deal!" The idea of 'being in charge' brings up a ton of other questions for us to 'chew on'. "Do you like to be in charge?" - "Why?" - "Do you think kids should be in charge of things?" - "Why do you think most groups have leaders?" - "Do you think becoming a leader can change someone's behaviors?" - "What kind of things do you want a 'leader' to do?" The list goes on and on! Thanks for stopping by! Please subscribe or follow my 'Songs To Chew’ podcast. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song To Chew'. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's SONG TO CHEW is written and sung by Amy Fix. 'YOU ARE MY SPOON' is part of my "Ebenezer's Make Over" album; a feminist version of Charles Dickens' classic, "A Christmas Carol". His story is actually a 'make over' about how crochety Ebenezer Scrooge changed his stingy ways after being visited by three spirits during the night. I use that story along with songs from the feminist men's and women's movements to awaken Ebenezer to the errors of his sexist and patriarchal ways! With songs from my friends Holly Near, Amy Fix, Geof Morgan, Charlie Murphy, Fred Small, Romanovsky and Phillips, and others, along with actors and sound effects, we created EBENEZER'S MAKE OVER. Amy's love song is part of Scrooge's visit to his childhood, where he's reminded that as a young man, he fell in love, but didn't know how to fit with his sweetheart very well, so they broke up. "She wanted me to be a 'spoon', but all I knew how to do was be a fork!" ('Spooning' is when we cuddle in bed with someone else, both facing the same direction.) This song generates the question, "how do we learn to be comfortable with people who are different than we are?" Scrooge learns that if we can share some of our essential 'humanness' with others, we open the door to get to 'know' them better. And that's just one of the ideas we'll chew on today. Please click the link, and follow this podcast. We'll do it together again next week, with another SONG TO CHEW! Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's SONG TO CHEW is written and sung by Amy Fix. 'YOU ARE MY SPOON' is part of my "Ebenezer's Make Over" album; a feminist version of Charles Dickens' classic, "A Christmas Carol". His story is actually a 'make over' about how crochety Ebenezer Scrooge changed his stingy ways after being visited by three spirits during the night. I use that story along with songs from the feminist men's and women's movements to awaken Ebenezer to the errors of his sexist and patriarchal ways! With songs from my friends Holly Near, Amy Fix, Geof Morgan, Charlie Murphy, Fred Small, Romanovsky and Phillips, and others, along with actors and sound effects, we created EBENEZER'S MAKE OVER. Amy's love song is part of Scrooge's visit to his childhood, where he's reminded that as a young man, he fell in love, but didn't know how to fit with his sweetheart very well, so they broke up. "She wanted me to be a 'spoon', but all I knew how to do was be a fork!" ('Spooning' is when we cuddle in bed with someone else, both facing the same direction.) This song generates the question, "how do we learn to be comfortable with people who are different than we are?" Scrooge learns that if we can share some of our essential 'humanness' with others, we open the door to get to 'know' them better. And that's just one of the ideas we'll chew on today. Please click the link, and follow this podcast. We'll do it together again next week, with another SONG TO CHEW! Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week is "I NEED A HUG” from my “UH-OH!” album. When we get older, we're not supposed to need as much 'emotional support' as we did when we were kids, but there are lots of us walking around who 'just need a hug' to help us keep going! It's a physical message that we're loveable, and that we're doin' okay! It's called reassurance. All over the world different cultures and religions have their own different rules and regulations that load up the simple hug with all sorts sexual implications and complications! It's true that human sexual attraction and insensitive male aggression are powerful forces in our social interactions, and we want to make sure that everyone feels safe when we get a hug, so these rules are made to help people feel safer about hugging and touching each other; about who can and who can't and for how long and how tight and where and when. I think that's great, but the best rule of all is to ask someone if they'd like a hug, before we give them a hug! And remember that if we need a hug, it's up to us to go to someone who feels safe, and ask them for a hug! I’ll be back next week with a 'virtual hug' for you all, along with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week is "I NEED A HUG” from my “UH-OH!” album. When we get older, we're not supposed to need as much 'emotional support' as we did when we were kids, but there are lots of us walking around who 'just need a hug' to help us keep going! It's a physical message that we're loveable, and that we're doin' okay! It's called reassurance. All over the world different cultures and religions have their own different rules and regulations that load up the simple hug with all sorts sexual implications and complications! It's true that human sexual attraction and insensitive male aggression are powerful forces in our social interactions, and we want to make sure that everyone feels safe when we get a hug, so these rules are made to help people feel safer about hugging and touching each other; about who can and who can't and for how long and how tight and where and when. I think that's great, but the best rule of all is to ask someone if they'd like a hug, before we give them a hug! And remember that if we need a hug, it's up to us to go to someone who feels safe, and ask them for a hug! I’ll be back next week with a 'virtual hug' for you all, along with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week is 'ROOTS AND WINGS' from my “Grow It At Home” album. I took the imagery from watching trees and birds in nature. In order to 'stay in balance' as we move through our lives, we need to be 'realistic and grounded' at times, (roots), and still be creative enough to sail out on the wings of our imagination. Of course, it's only possible to pass these skills on to our children, if we adults have these skills in 'balancing' things in our own lives. Some of our 'tools for living' get passed on through our teaching, but I think it mostly happens when we model them with our behaviors! Many grown-ups have thought, "Oh my! I've turned into my mother! (or my father!)" We learn our parent's lessons from living with them! And sometimes that's wonderful, and sometimes, not so wonderful. So, as we realize that our parent's lessons may not always work so well for us, it's important to watch and listen and see how our kids manage what we pass on to them. We want to be available to help them shape what they've learned from us about 'balancing life', but we may not be able to help them make adjustments. The best we can do is to 'be available', because like us, they will work it out for themselves in their own lives. That’s plenty to ‘chew on’ for today. I’m Peter Alsop. Thanks for stopping by! I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week our SONG TO CHEW is from my “Pluggin’ Away" album. It’s called I CAN IF I WANNA. The chorus is 'call and response' with a little character we call the 'Neggy'. It's that little 'voice' inside us that undermines our self-confidence and says "you'll never accomplish what you're trying to do!" It's different than hearing 'an opinion' from someone who thinks we ought to change something so it will work better. When we hear Neggy comments that are not helpful, like "that will never work!", or "there's no point trying that!", or "you're going to fail for sure!", those kinds of opinions 'squash our hope'. That's our Neggy talking! Most of us have heard negative messages before and we've survived. It's important to realize that when we hear people around us, tell us again and again and again that we're not capable, we begin to internalize those messages and say them to ourselves! And it takes lots of positive messages to counter-balance the negative ones we've learned to accept, so I hope you sing-along with us really loud, so you know that 'you can if you wanna!!" I'll be back next week, with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW today, SHOULDER TO THE WHEEL, was written and performed by Geof Morgan, from my “Ebenezer's Make Over” album. It came out on his Flying Fish recording, "Finally Letting It Go" in 1981. I named this podcast 'SONGS TO CHEW', because if we listen to a song and just 'swallow it' without 'chewing it' a bit, we don't really get to 'taste it' or savor its nuances. I heard Geof sing this one at the 5th Annual Conference on Men and Masculinity in Los Angeles back in the early 80's. The song addresses the fact that the most dangerous occupations in the United States are dominated by men, and the fatality rate at work is 10 times greater for men than women. Men struggle with how to balance our jobs and our health, along with our understanding of gender, sexual identities and orientations. A song like this gives us the opportunity to recognize our triumphs AND see our mis-steps as we continue to work on better ways to build a deeper understanding of our male behaviors in the workplace, at home, and globally, hopefully making this world better for all of us! I’m Peter Alsop. I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is "I LOVE MY FAMILY" from my 'Grow It At Home' album. Many kids say they're "embarrassed by their parents", or "my brothers and sisters are soooo annoying!", and yet after all the complaints, they still love their family! When a family has a healthy sense of humor, we laugh WITH each other about some of the ridiculous things we do as human beings. This helps us see a 'bigger picture' of life going on around us. And it's a healthy 'laughter of recognition' that happens, because we recognize the 'out-of-balance' behaviors we each have! Laughing is a valuable coping technique once we learn how to use 'victimless' humor. We can be playful, and release some of the stress that happens to us daily, in our families AND in our society! As we learn to make 'safe places' within our family, we can begin feel to have those 'courageous conversations' we need to have with each other, that allow us to move on without triggering emotional blow-ups. Victimless humor and building safe spaces and trust between family members, is like having a pressure valve to let off some of the traumatic pressure that can build up. Then we don't have to live with the fear that arises when we try to talk about sensitive issues. I’ll be back next week, … with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s SONG TO CHEW was written by Geof Morgan. It's known as THE PENIS SONG or IT'S MY PENIS. I met Geof many years ago at one of the National Association of Men Against Sexism Conferences. He's one of the main voices of the feminist men's movement. We toured together a while through California with Kate Wolfe and Nina Gerber. His songs are wonderful and insightful. I do my 'sing-along' version of this song on two of my albums, "Songs On Sex & Sexuality" and "Ebenezer’s Make Over”. The song really points out how 'loaded' with moral judgements our human sexuality is! Our penis is as much a part of our body as our finger, but it’s so overloaded with symbolism that it doesn’t have much of a chance to just 'be'. My version is a bit silly, but this song's concepts are profound. Many men feel tons of pressure and alienation about our culture's 'laser-like focus' on sex and naked bodies. We may find someone's body attractive, and we want to stare at it, but then we have to be careful that person doesn't see us staring at them! It's worth it to bring this stuff up for conversation, because in order for men to help make the world a better place, first we have to heal ourselves! Check out the podcast below, and I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s SONG TO CHEW is the title cut from my “Pluggin’ Away” album. It's a song about, 'having persistence'; about finding the will to 'keep on trying' when we want to accomplish our goals. The hard part of persistence is figuring out 'how long should we keep on trying', before we decide that we're beating our head against a wall?! As the song says, "People who keep pluggin' away, they're the ones who get things done, 'cause they keep pluggin' away!" There are always tasks to be done that no one wants to do, but our attitude makes the difference between 'awful drudgery', or 'a job that has to be finished, so might as well make it fun!' If we change our story, we change our attitude, and we break our old negative patterns! I’m Peter Alsop. Glad you stopped by! Please invite your friends, and I’ll see you again with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week is written and performed by Joe Jencks. It's on my “Ebenezer’s Make Over” album, and it's the 'title cut' from his album, "WHAT KIND OF BROTHER ARE YOU?". Joe's song models how men and boys do not have to make jokes at the expense of women and girls, just to 'fit in with the guys'. That stuff's been going on for thousands of years, and it is way past time for a change. Every man knows that if we speak up to a group of men or boys, and go against the accepted practice of joking and making sexual remarks about women and girls, a very powerful 'blow-back response' and abuse happens to us. It happens to anyone who 'goes against the grain'. It takes 'courage' to intervene and object to these unkind behaviors. The abusive joking that focuses on women and girls, is the same kind of abuse that's focused on LGBTQ+ folks and BIPOC people and 'non-Christians', as well as on anyone else who doesn't have the privileges afforded us white heterosexual male Christians in this country. And we've learned to do it, so we can be accepted by our peers. These are the very behaviors that actually shut us down further in the places that we need to grow. They stunt our 'feelings vocabulary' and our appreciation of people who are culturally different; of different genders, sexual orientations, places of origin, religions, ages, abilities and accents, the exposure to which, would only enrich our own experience of going through our own lives, and help us become more aware of the beauty and value of all the other colors and flavors of human beings with whom we share this planet. Check out the podcast, and I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's SONG TO CHEW is called COURAGE. We'll listen to the version I recorded for my live “Wake Up!” video with John Ritter, and my friends Irene van der Zande and Timothy Dunphy from Kidpower. They have an organization that teaches kids and families how to keep safe, and out of dangerous situations. We need 'courage' to face something or someone who scares us. 'Courage' comes from the french word 'couer' which means 'heart'. If we pay attention, our heart tells when we're scared, sad, happy or angry! Out heart reacts when we feel danger, and sends a message to our brain to decide if we're gonna fight or run away! Sometimes when we feel scared, we're not sure if we're really in danger, like when someone is being abusive to us. Usually it's best to leave when that happens, but if we have courage and decide to stay and listen, even though it's uncomfortable, sometimes we can talk things through, and our heart calms down and things don't feel so scary! Click the link below to listen, and if you want to see this live concert, go to YouTube.com, type in 'Peter Alsop Courage'! I'll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s SONG TO CHEW is SLAP HANDS, from my “Wha’D’Ya Wanna Do?” album. Giving someone "five"; slapping hands with them is an extension of the more formal 'handshake' between two people. It comes from the age-old practice of offering another person our hand, empty and extended in friendship, to show that we're not holding a weapon and have no intent to harm or injure them. We 'shake hands' to confirm or seal an agreement with another person. It's been used for centuries as a way to show our personal bond to them, and to give our word that we will keep our promise. It's normal to feel a bit afraid to interact with new people or new situations. Fear of new things is a self-protection response, and it goes away as we spend time and become more familiar with things. We feel safer as the 'newness' wears off. This song also gives us a chance to talk about shyness. I don't feel shy very often, but I notice people who look uncomfortable in a group. I love getting my audience to sing-along, because I think reaching out to meet new people is a wonderful way to learn that 'differences between us' provide us with a rich opportunity to grow. Every new experience we have, colors our interactions with other people for the rest of our life! You can follow this podcast and listen to all my other episodes! See you next week, with another ‘Song to Chew’.
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s SONG TO CHEW, from my “Chris Moose Holidays” album is 'I BELIEVE YOU'. It models how to be a safe place for loved ones and anyone else who might need 'a good listening to'! Did someone ever say to you, "Don't be scared!" Did that really help? It never worked for me! I just knew that person wasn't a 'safe person' to talk to about my fears. I certainly want to be a safe place for my family and friends when they're upset. I learned that if I just listen and BE WITH THEM; give them SUPPORT, they usually figure it out themselves! With a little support, we explore different options, and eventually we find what we need to do to feel better! Sometimes we can ask for suggestions, but when we come up with our own answers, we build up confidence in ourselves for the next time we're upset. It's difficult to know what to do in our lives sometimes, and it really helps to have someone listen and believe us when they hear our story. In order to hear this song and 'chew on it' a bit, just click the link to listen and subscribe! I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Listen and subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW this week, USE IT AGAIN, is from my “Grow It At Home" album. Scott Walker, a social activist from Santa Barbara, called me to see if I had any songs about 'stopping the use of plastic bags in stores'. The City of Santa Barbara wanted to pass a law to eliminate the use of plastic bags, and encourage shoppers to bring our own cloth shopping bags to the store. Waste from plastic bags creates serious environmental danger for humans, animals and even plants! They block stormwater drains and cause flooding during rainstorms. In landfills they take 400 years to degrade! Animals get tangled up, and can drown from plastic bags. Nearly 100 million marine animals die each year directly from eating plastic waste. Plastic is made from oil and making them uses even more fossil fuel, which adds to our climate problems. And when plastics break down in our soil, they release harmful chemicals like BPA, that harm the natural microorganisms that many of our plants depend on for survival. For years we used disposable plastic shopping bags because they were convenient. We didn't understand how dangerous they were for all of us. Fortunately, many cities and states have stopped offering plastic bags to shoppers. Click this link to listen, and please subscribe! See you next week with another ‘Song to Chew’!
~ Listen and subscribe to "Songs To Chew" = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsop-s-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today’s SONG TO CHEW is “YOU’RE OKAY!” from my “Stayin’ Over” album. Each of us have been teased and told that we have something ‘wrong’ with us. Usually when people say "wrong" they mean "different". Most of us want others to like us, but we're afraid that if we're different, other people will avoid us. We'll be ridiculed and isolated, so we try to hide our differences. It's wonderful to be accepted the way we are! The things that embarrass us are the same things that others feel self-conscious about themselves! Each of us have little distinguishing marks and uneven ears or eyes or teeth. We’re human, and the longer we live, the more our bodies change and grow at different rates in different parts. When we hear frequently that there’s 'something wrong’ with us, we internalize this label of being ’wrong’. But when we realize that we’ve been taught to believe these negative ideas about ourselves, we seek out safe healing people and places where we won’t be criticized; where we feel accepted, and can share our struggles. We find support to go on! We're each on our own path through life, and when some critical person needs to point out what they think is "wrong" with us, it only demonstrates their inability to appreciate our differences, don't you think!?
~ LISTEN & subscribe to 'Songs To Chew' = www.peteralsop.podbean.com
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s SONG TO CHEW from my “Stayin’ Over” album is BIGGER, BIGGER, BIGGER. In our families, the ‘big’ people are the adults, and the ‘little’ people are the kids. ‘Big’ people have more power and we often use it to make the ‘little’ people do what we want. But before long, all ‘little’ people get to be ‘big’ people, and we start pushing the new ‘little’ people around. More and more these days, we see ‘big’ people pushing their version of the world onto the ‘littler’ people around them. The same dynamics that happen in families, also happen in organizations, and societies and globally. So the more us ‘big’ people can learn about how to manage being ‘fair’ in our families; about how to listen to ‘little’ people better, the more skills we gain that help us better manage ourselves as members of one of the groups in our human community here on this planet of ours.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = www.peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week we'll ‘chew’ on a song from my “Stayin’ Over” album, I WANNA TRY IT. This song was prompted by one of my ‘parental learning moments’. It was a holiday, and I’d purchased a toy for my daughters, who tore off the wrapping paper, but they couldn’t get the box open. It was stapled shut. I heroically took out my Swiss Army knife and told them to “Stand back!” I removed the staples, opened the box, cut the bags, and poured the pieces onto the rug. I searched for corresponding numbers on the large diagram of directions. As I pushed one of the plastic parts into place, it split into two pieces! Both girls inhaled loudly and I remember thinking, “Oh No! I BROKE THEIR TOY! It’s the same thing my Dad did to me!” I remember seeing my therapist about that! I finally got it out of my system by writing this song! Teachers, parents and older siblings often show younger children how to do things, and we forget to let the little ones have, a "hands on" experience. When we do things for others that they can do for themselves, we deprive them of the chance to empower themselves, to learn to be self-sufficient. People grow much more by doing, than by letting others do things for them. Thanks for stopping by! Please subscribe and invite your friends. See ya next week for another SONG TO CHEW!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = www.peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s SONG TO CHEW comes from my “Family Roles” album, recorded live with my daughter Willow at our presentation for about 600 human service professionals at a national “Laughter & Play” conference. The song is called LOGICAL. Us parents do our best to use this with our children, but sometimes, us ‘logical thinkers’ get carried away trying to convince others that our ideas are the best ones. When we do this, we can miss that other people’s input needs to be considered and validated, even if they disagree with our logical conclusions. Even if they’re children! We will be much more successful in resolving disagreements, when we pay attention to ‘how’ we use logic when we explain things. Attacking someone else’s position doesn’t work well for finding ways to proceed together successfully. Logic works best as a tool to help us navigate through the context of our larger, often confusing lives. The easiest path to a successful conclusion becomes clear, when all parties are included in the process in a caring way.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
For our SONG TO CHEW today, Alan Arnaboldi sings CHROMASOMA PHOBIA, written by my old friend Bob Blue. It’s from my “Ebenezer’s Make Over” album and it gives us a glimpse into Bob’s creative ability as a songwriter. He weaves specific scientific information into a poetic description of how our chromosomes determine our biological gender. Us humans are ‘very interested’ when we see someone who’s gender isn’t instantly recognizable. We’ve been trained to pick up any signals about gender so we ‘know in advance’ how best to interact with them. This song is interesting to ‘chew on’ because, along with the chromosomes that this embryo inherits, there are scads of other complex human interpretations and cultural morays about gender and sexuality offered by others who have more dominant voices, that this new human will have to sort through! We wish them the best of luck!!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = www.peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Hello there! This week’s Song To Chew is BORED, BORED, BORED from my “Wha’D’YaWanna Do?” family album. Feeling bored can be very painful. When our daily ‘distractions’ recede, any painful feelings we might have stuffed away because we didn’t want to deal with them, seize the opportunity to step up front and demand our attention! Sad, scared and angry feelings get our attention! And ‘boredom’ is kind of a mix of all three! It hurts and it comes out of not believing in ourselves. Being bored can happen to those of us who use work to ‘medicate’ our painful feelings. We ‘busy’ ourselves so our painful feelings never have a chance to surface. It’s call “being driven”! When we feel bored, it always helps to shift our perception into a ‘wait’n see’ attitude! Life always presents us with a new focus. We just have trouble seeing what’s out there, when we're bored and feeling sorry for ourselves! Give this a try! Put your hand on your heart. Feel it beating, then think about our limited number of heartbeats! Why in the world would we use them up being bored!? It's okay to take care of ourselves by removing ourselves from unpleasant boring situations. Try listening to this song! Singing always seems to help! I’ll be back next week with another ‘Song to Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today we’ll listen to MY BODY’S NOBODY’S BODY BUT MINE. It seems our Supreme Court doesn’t realize that when there’s an embryo developing inside a woman’s body, that it’s her choice and nobody else’s, to decide if she wants to give birth to that embryo or not. The supporters of eliminating Roe v. Wade are the same people who sit in their “love thy neighbor” churches, mouthing platitudes like “do unto others, as you would have them do unto you”, while they vote against increasing the minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour, funding school-lunch programs and any ‘single-payer health-care-for-all’ bills, - all of which would make it possible for impoverished parents to take better care of their children. These legal constrictions on a woman’s right to choose is certainly not about caring for the welfare of children. We marched through the streets of Milwaukee back in 1979 singing this song, and since then it's been sung at thousands of rallies, and in classrooms and auditoriums. Everyone has the right to be in charge of their own physical body. A woman’s decision to have an abortion is not taken lightly. It’s something that should never be legislated by anyone but the pregnant woman herself. It’s complex and personal, and up to one person only. It’s her choice! Then we’ll sing along with Holly Near’s anthem SINGING FOR OUR LIVES. As Joe Hill said, “Don’t mourn, … organize!” I say, “Don’t forget to vote, and keep singin’!”
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week we’ve ‘chewing on’ my most popular song, “I AM A PIZZA”! Other than the normal toppings, this song does not offer lots of complicated philosophical flavors, but there are a few. There’s the importance of using imagination in our lives; the concepts of ‘playfulness’, ‘childlike fun’, joy and the awareness that the health of our bodies depends on our ‘state of mind’. When we let our minds wander freely, new doors open and we find unexpected solutions to puzzles in our lives. When we stop trying to "make sense of everything" and we laugh or sing along, our other senses fire up and get us back in balance! When ‘Life’ hands us a situation that we don’t expect, it can knock us for a loop! How well we recover depends on how we see what just happened. The ‘glasses’ we have on make all the difference about our ability to respond in healthy ways. Listen to our podcast for free, then you can ‘follow’ or ‘subscribe’, and go back for all the other episodes! Bye for now!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s SONG TO CHEW was written by my old friend Geof Morgan, one of the main musical voices of the feminist men’s movement in the 70’s and 80’s. His song, THE MATADOR, is sung by our mutual friend and well-known singer-songwriter, Charlie Murphy. This song emphasizes how some men feel the need to prove our bravery by taking life-threatening risks and performing violent acts. Many of us understand that we will probably never have a ‘peaceful world’. It’s likely that humans will always struggle with each other here on this planet, but it's past time for us to look honestly at our history. If we want to be able to build social systems that support and lift people; if we want prosperity and lives with some grace and beauty, rather than lives under fear and poverty and wars, we need to abolish the violent ways we’ve learned to treat one-another, and find ways to value joy and love in our own male lives.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = www.peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today’s SONG TO CHEW from my ‘Fan Club Favorites’ album, is called ERICA LEVINE. It was written by my dear old friend Bob Blue. Throughout history in many different cultures, women have been treated like property. Fathers would have to pay a certain amount of money or make a gift of property as a "dowry" to a young man, who would be willing to marry his daughter and take her as a wife. Societies passed on the idea that there was something wrong with a woman who didn't have a husband. She was "incomplete" or "not worth anything" if she wasn't married. So Bob wrote this song about a young woman who had a strong sense of her own self-worth. Erica didn't need to marry someone in order to feel good about herself, and she wasn't about to marry anyone until she was good and ready! We can't set a boundary for ourselves and take care of someone else’s feelings at the same time. Click on the link below to listen, and if you like this podcast, please subscribe and tell your friends. Bye for now!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our ‘Song To Chew’ today is a classic children’s song from my “Uh-Oh!” album, ITSY SPIDER. Many children’s songs have deep and lasting effects on us though out our entire lives. My version of this song is kind of an ‘up-grade’. I learned the original Itsy Spider song in pre-school 70 years ago. Back then we did hand motions; our fingers became Itsy spiders walking up the drain pipe, our wiggling fingers were the rain drops falling; and we’d throw our arms out to the sides as we “washed the spider OUT!” The sun came out, and our fingers became Itsy spiders again, climbing back up the spout! Again and again and again! For 70 years! And I started thinking, “what lessons have we been teaching our children!?” The definition of insanity is ‘doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results!’ Maybe the Itsy spider ought to try something new! Ya think?! The original song models patience, and perseverance, and my version adds the importance of setting boundaries and walking through our fear of changing! C’mon! Have some fun and sing along with us!!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today is April Fool’s day, and our song comes from my “Wha’d’ya Wanna Do?” album. It’s called DON’T TRICK YOUR DAD. Most kids love to trick or fool the adults around them, because when they know something that the adult doesn’t know, they feel powerful! Adults usually have more power and information than kids, so when kids can reverse the roles on them, they’re delighted! Some homes and parents feel safer than others, because they allow the open expression of our full range of feelings. Like every other social skill we acquire, we need to figure out what works and what doesn’t work, and then practice! When we play a joke on someone, every situation is different, and needs to be looked at from each person’s point of view, right? We all know grown-ups who still haven’t learned that skill! Jokes and tricks can be playful and fun, as long as there are no victims, which means that everyone feels included and no one feels excluded. I used to love April Fool’s Day jokes, but now I don’t think they’re funny. First, I get someone to trust me, … and then I play a trick on them. Jokes are like that are scary and mean, even if we all laugh. It’s just not funny when somebody ends up feeling victimized and left out. It's always helpful to make sure others don’t feel unsafe with us.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our “Song To Chew” for today, is WOMB ENVY performed and written by Ron Romanovsky and Paul Phillips, of ‘Romanovsky & Phillips’ fame! It’s on my “Ebenezer’s Make Over” album; a collection of songs from the feminist Men’s and Women’s movements. When I first met Ron and Paul and saw them perform, I felt an immediate bond with them because of their smart lyrics, their joy and the obvious fun they had performing their comic songs on contemporary gay life to audiences all over the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Their songs carry such honest, vulnerable, and strong messages and consciousness-raising content, that their work helps lift the lives of many ‘in-the-closet’ men and boys who suffer in isolation under the cultural thumb of shame that was so prevalent back then. Unfortunately those embers still smolder and burn right now, under the fabric of our world society. I’m so glad you stopped by. Feel free to explore these ideas with your friends, and join us again next week for another Song to Chew!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://peteralsop.podbean.com
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today our ‘Song To Chew’ is BE GENTLE ROBIN from my “Wha’D’Ya Wanna Do?”album, written by Dr. Tedd Judd, a concerned Dad who gives advice to his young son Robin. I love this song because it shows that if we want our children to be gentle, the best way to do that, is for us to model ‘gentleness’ for them. I got spanked as a child, but I’ve never hit my kids. I believe that hitting a child teaches them that violence is an acceptable way to solve a problem, and with armed conflict currently happening in numerous places around the globe, and the threat of nuclear warfare still a possibility, it makes sense to teach our children other options for resolving conflicts. If we refuse to see violence as a solution to our problems, they will learn from us, and search for other ways to resolve difficulties. We need to honor the fact that each of us have our own path, even our own children. It’s all about our own ability to be ‘gentle’. Thanks for stopping bye!
~ Please subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
I’m Peter Alsop and a big fan of ‘silly’, so our ‘Song To Chew’ this week is PASS IT ON! from my “Chris Moose Holidays” album. It’s a wonderful song for creating discussions, which is what this podcast is all about. It may be the first and only “sneeze-along song” you’ve ever heard! Thirty years ago, there wasn’t a big political controversy about wearing face masks, but today our world is a much different place than it was when I wrote this song. We’d never heard of Co-Vid and few of us died from the ‘flu’. Seems like much of our consternation about wearing a mask has to do with our “risk assessment”. There’s been lots of mis-information disseminated, partly due to the fact that it takes time to scientifically figure out what works, and partly because it’s so human to want to know what to do when there’s danger lurking ‘out there’ somewhere, so stories get made up and passed around. Check it out, and if you find yourself singing this song out loud at work or in a restaurant, my apologies! I’ll see you again next week with another Song to Chew.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our ‘Song To Chew’ today has a very disturbing title, KILL THE CHILDREN. It’s part of a feminist radio-play I wrote, “Ebenezer’s Make Over”, about Ebenezer Scrooge getting a feminist make-over from three spirits who show him how joyless and emotionally impoverished he has become, living in our patriarchal world. The third Spirit shows Scrooge what his future will be, if he continues going in the direction he’s headed. The song’s a warning to all of us, about where we will end up if we don’t change our ways. Read Patrisse Cullors' book, ABOLITIONIST’S HANDBOOK. She offers healthy guidelines to help us change ourselves and each other as we share our lives on this planet. It’s a practical guide to achieving many of the suggestions in my songs over the years. We can do better!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today’s Song To Chew from my ‘Stayin’ Over’ album is RACHEL & THE MOON. Many years ago, my friend and teacher, Luke Barber told me about a story his young daughter Rachel had written in school. Luke is a philosopher and a very deep-thinker, and the story touched him deeply because the story finished with something he had done with the best of intentions that hurt his little girl’s feelings. “No matter how hard we try as parents to do the right thing with our kids, or our friends, it’s inevitable that once in a while we do something we wish we hadn’t done,” he said. I agreed, and Rachel’s story inspired me to write this song, because it’s about forgiveness.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s ‘Song To Chew’ is about food! How appropriate! JUNKFOOD JUNKIE was written by my old friend Larry Groce. He let me record it on my first ‘Peter Alsop’ album back in 1975. Larry’s best known for being the artistic director and host of “Mountain Stage”, a two-hour live music radio program produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting on National Public Radio. His song got lots of radio airplay when it came out. It’s about a health food advocate with a hidden sugar addiction, who medicates himself uncontrollably with junk food, and eventually overdoses alone in his room. Still relevant today, eh?! Enjoy!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today’s song, I AIN’T AFRAID, is written and performed by Holly Near on my “Ebenezer’s Make Over” album. It’s a courageous song about religion because this topic is so loaded with extremist ideas and sensitive, defensive feelings about people’s most devout spiritual beliefs and stories about their God or gods, that it can be physically dangerous to tread on these pathways. Holly does it with such powerful skill, grace and truth, showing clearly that it’s the people who act violently and self-righteously in the name of their ‘god’ who are in fact, dangerous. ‘Ebenezer’s Make Over’ is a collection of songs from the feminist men’s and women’s movement in the form of Charles Dicken’s ‘Christmas Carol’. You can get it from my site, or by emailing me directly at peter@peteralsop.com. Please subscribe, and I look forward to seeing you next week, for another ‘Song to Chew’.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ www.Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today’s “Song To Chew” is the KIDS PEACE SONG from my “Take Me With You!” album. In order to have peace in the world, it helps to know how to have peace within ourselves. We plant the seeds for finding non-violent resolutions to struggles in the world when we speak up for ourselves without feeling fearful or needy. If someone attacks us, we can protect ourselves without having to crush them back as punishment. When we do that, it throws our systems out of balance again. They feel more threatened and try to get “even with us”! And round and round it goes. As parents, everything we do is watched carefully and copied by our children. Depending on what they learn from us, they can learn to respect others, and to resolve their disputes peacefully. The more we practice non-violent ways to solve our problems, the more they learn how to look for similarities with others, and appreciate our differences. Humans will always struggle. And of course, it’s difficult to feel peaceful when we don’t feel safe, so it makes great sense for all of us to learn how to 'make safe places' for ourselves and for our neighbors. And when in doubt about how to proceed, it always helps to consider what we’re teaching the children.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today’s “Song To Chew” is MEN ARE GOOD, written and performed by Joe Jencks. When I first heard Joe sing this song, it blew me away! I’d never heard a song that gave credit to the many, many wonderful things that ‘men’, (and boys), do on a daily basis all around the world. This version is on my “Ebenezer’s Make Over” album, (which is an adaptation of Dickens “Christmas Carol”). It’s full of powerful songs, written and performed by Holly Near, Geof Morgan, Romanovsky & Phillips, Joe Jencks, me, Charlie Murphy, Fred Small and other activist song-writers from the feminist men’s and women’s movements that create discussions about gender, homophobia, men’s relationship to war, work, our fathers, the women in our lives and each other. Check it out today podcast by clicking on this link:
~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today’s song is called HEY EV’RYBODY from my “Take Me With You” album. It’s about how we learn to do something we want to do! Things like walking, or whispering or snapping our fingers. We just have to keep trying over and over again until we can do it! And after we work so hard to learn it, we want to show everybody what we can do! Of course, we’re a little clumsy at first, but we practice every day, and we get better until we master our skill. Then we feel confident enough to learn more things, like how to whistle, or play a clarinet or a flute or the guitar! That little bit of confidence keeps us going, and we tackle more difficult tasks and then we share and teach others what we’ve learned!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
I wrote this week’s “Song To Chew” to help parents who are at their wit’s end with how to manage their young children. It's called LITTLE KID from my "Uh-Oh!" album. Sometimes parents look into their toolbox and the only tool they see, left for them to use, is physical punishment. Parents don’t want to use that tool. They only hit their children when they truly don’t know what else to do. When I sing this song in concert, I talk about being ‘spanked’ in my family of origin. My own choice as a parent, was to never hit my own children. I love them, and hitting them is not a way for me to express that. I also did not want to teach them that it’s okay to use violence to solve a problem. It’s our job as parents to come up with other tools. We can talk things over. We can seek professional help. We can call for a cooling off time. We can make deals with them. We have a tremendous opportunity to grow and learn from the difficulties we face as parents. Our choices will appear in our own children’s parenting tool boxes, when they have their own kids. Let’s make sure that right on top, the first tools they see are ‘loving, listening and learning’.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week, our song is from my ‘Family Roles’ album, … TAKE A STEP. One of the most difficult things for some of us to do when we want to get something accomplished, is to begin the journey. When we see other people who have lots of accomplishments out there in the world, we often ‘measure ourselves’ by them. We want to accomplish things too, but as soon as we start a project, we’re confronted with obstacles we didn’t expect! “All these other people seem to get things done so easily! Why is this so difficult for me!?” When we were little kids, we wanted to do great things, but the discovery that “it’s not all that easy!” is an important lesson, that we learn over and over again until we ‘get it’. So I’ve learned to be careful about falling into a “perfection trap”, that leads me to believe that “there’s only one right way to get things done!” There are lots of different ways to get things done, and all of them begin with taking that first step!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
It’s New Year’s Eve today. Tomorrow is 2022. So today we’ll 'chew on a song' I wrote about about ‘Time’. As we change the calendar year, our vacations from work and school give each of us a chance to reflect on how we spent our time this last year. Many of us will resolve to spend it differently in the next year! So this song’s called MY LITTLE CLOCK, part of my ‘In The Hospital’ album project for kids and families. It’s designed to help us “pay better attention to how we spend our precious minutes with others around us; our little patients, our children, as we try to understand a bit more about how they’re treated in a hospital setting. Check it out. Please hit “follow”, and ‘a Happier, Kinder New Year’ wish to everyone!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Hi there! I'm Peter Alsop. Glad you stopped by! Today is Christmas Eve, so we’ve got a “Story to Chew” instead of a “Song to Chew”. I wrote and recorded this holiday story about LITTLE TREE and put it on my “Chris Moose Holidays” album. It’s about ‘being special’. We know that each of us creatures living on the Earth have our very own story, and that’s what makes each of us special. Some parts of our story will be like stories of others, and other parts of our story will be uniquely ours! Because we’re the only one living our life, right?! We get to learn lessons from all the trials and adventures we go through, and we get to make the choices that create our own unique story. So love to the fullest, and happy holidays to all of us!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ www.Patreon.com/peteralsop =support my music
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
For our “Songs To Chew” episode this week, we’ll listen to NEW GROUND, from my ‘In The Hospital’ album. Our lives shift when a big loss happens. Things go along smoothly, then BANG!, something occurs and our lives change drastically. Our perceptions shift and we see things with ‘new eyes’. A little girl in a wheel chair once told me that I was ‘T.A.B.’ I said, “What does ‘T.A.B.’ stand for?” She smiled and said 'Temporarily Able-Bodied'! She was right. A disabling accident can happen so quickly, that suddenly, I might not be able to walk or throw a ball or speak. If we’re currently ‘able-bodied’, and we want to try to understand the plight of folks who are ‘other-abled’, without going through what they’ve gone through, we can open our hearts and listen to their stories. When we do that, some of our own fears and sadness and other painful feelings surface. But when we’re overwhelmed with hurt and sadness, our tender state of grief often creates a heightened awareness in us. We notice the loving acts around us that we didn’t notice before. Painful feelings come up for us humans from time to time, and eventually they pass. The more familiarity we have with feeling these feelings ourselves, enables us to better help our friends, family and our children through tough times.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
It’s that time of the year again! So today we’ll listen to the title cut from my "Chris Moose Holidays" album! It’s for anyone who feels clumsy, and for people who like puns! “Chris” is an irrepressible moose, excited just like a little kid about everything that goes on around him! We all know folks like that! Maybe you’re one of us! I used to spill the milk at least once each meal! I’m glad my parents didn’t label me “clumsy” because I’m not. It’s amazing how someone can call you a ‘name’, and then other people start calling you that name too, especially if it’s a negative name! Some of us actually start using that name-label on ourselves, which isn’t so great because then we just accept those negative things that were said about us. I hope we can all take some time to “chew on” ideas like this from my “songs to chew”. I think that’s why we’re here on Earth.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our ‘Song To Chew’ this week is called THE GIFT from my "Chris Moose Holidays" album. It’s sung by my daughter Willow, from the point of view of a child who tells her Mom, “I don’t want any gifts from Santa this year, all I wants is for you to please quit smoking.” I’ve had parents tell me that it helped them quit. After one of my shows, a friend told me he sat behind a couple of Moms and their kids. The families were laughing and singing along, until I played this song. He said “the kids got really quiet, and after the song there was lots of applause. One Mom leaned over to the other Mom and said quietly, “Well I didn’t like THAT song very much.” Her friend just took her hand, looked her in the eye, and said “But it was a really good song, wasn’t it!” The first Mom looked away and teared up, and the second Mom leaned over and gave her a big hug. We need to learn new skills when we’re trying to quit an addictive behavior, including how to ask for help.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's ‘Song To Chew’ is DADDY’S ROLL, from my “Chris Moose Holidays” album. It’s written from the point of view of a child concerned about the health and well-being of their parents, specifically about compulsive eating! Of course, there’s nothing wrong with ‘eating’, but sometimes we over-eat or drink because we feel sad or scared or angry, and eating comforts us and fills us up, so we don’t notice our painful feelings as much. Many of us have been taught that food equals ‘love’, and who doesn’t need more love?! So even though we know that how we eat might not be so healthy for us, we still have a hard time stopping. Let’s listen to our kids!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our Song To Chew this week, WHEN ONE IS TOO MANY, was inspired by the Alcoholics Anonymous saying, “one is too many, and a thousand ain’t enough!” When we try to soothe our painful feelings, by using medicators like alcohol or other drugs, food or even compulsive behaviors we can become addicted and unable to stop. We start on the path to recovery, when we understand that we NEED to feel pain in order to change our lives. No, we can’t change our history, but we CAN resolve many of the current behaviors that continue to make our lives difficult. When we avoid painful feelings in the short term, we lose our incentive to work on caring for ourselves in healthier ways in the long term. Recovery is a step-by-step process. We learn lessons, work the program and slowly recover, so we can get ourselves back into balance, living a better life; one that’s healthier and more clear.
~ Please subscribe to this podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today, we’ll listen to a song that’s a true story about Dan Murrow, a therapist who was fired for hugging his patients. He was convinced that hugging between consenting adults was therapeutically helpful, contrary to the hospital’s policy. It’s called THE HUG, and it was written by Fred Small, a wonderful singer-songwriter, old friend, activist and pastor dedicated to healing the earth, seeking justice, and tending our wounded spirits. As Dan Murrow would say, "If I must choose between working here and being healthy, I choose health." When we draw a line, and stop enabling, accepting and ignoring other people’s unhealthy behaviors in our businesses and service organizations, then they too have to face their own behaviors and patterns. Many people have been sexually or physically abused by someone in a more powerful position. Therapists need to take care of our own hugging needs outside of our practice. I’ve heard that Dan Murrow would always ask others if they would like a hug, before he hugged someone. And I notice lots of young Dads nowadays who spend time holding and hugging their kids. It’s slow, but it sure looks like we’re moving in the right direction!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
When our ‘Song To Chew’ for this week was written 30 years ago, it would have been thought of as a song that only women would sing. But more recently, with awareness growing about the limitations of our ‘either-or' binary thinking, especially in the arena of gender, sexual orientation and identification, it’s now a song that anyone can sing! DON’T PUT YOUR HAND IN MY PANTS, JUST ‘CAUSE WE’RE IN LOVE models how to set healthy boundaries with someone who is misreading our sexual messages! Just because two adults love each other, does not mean their relationship is ready to be sexual. Many of us humans struggle with how to have a caring, intimate relationship with our partner. It’s a good struggle, and hopefully we learn how to make less and less mistakes, and collect more and more tools for how to love someone else. It just makes good sense to take some extra time before leaping into bed with someone we don't know very well. If you’re looking for more songs about Sex and Sexuality, you can search my past podcasts, they’re all free! Bye for now!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
It’s October and in honor of Halloween, our ‘Song To Chew’ today will be COSTUME PARTY. I’ve noticed scatterings of children, test-driving their Halloween costumes in super-market aisles, making sure they work! Hidden inside their new identity, they are no longer just a ‘child in a supermarket’! Every one of us wears a costume. Each day, the clothing we put on when we get up, is our costume for the day! And when we wear different costumes, we get to see the world through different glasses, which is great! Because we can learn so much, by exploring other diverse ways to go through our lives. We build new skills and are exposed to new and different ideas from simply rubbing shoulders with others who are not like us.
When we learn how to be a ‘safe place’ for others, we don’t judge people who look differently than we do. When we are comfortable with ourselves, we can let others reveal themselves to us, ... instead of trying to strip away their masks! I'm Peter Alsop. Please subscribe and join us on this podcast every week, for new “Songs To Chew”!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This weeks’ Song To Chew’ is HEAL THE BAY from my ‘Pluggin’ Away’ album. It’s an anthem, and a plea to all humans to help save this planet of ours. If we want a clean, unpolluted non-toxic environment, we must first be able to imagine one. When we throw something “away”, it doesn't really go “away”, it just goes somewhere else! So it’s up to each of us to take care of our biosphere. Even if we have to clean up after other people! We need more cooperative, less competitive ways to live together, so we can function as ‘stewards’ of the precious life-forms we already have here, rather than thinking of them as ‘infinite resources’, to be used by us for our own human survival. They are not. And we can start our stewardship by cleaning up the bay!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today’s ‘Song To Chew’ is the title cut from my GROW IT AT HOME album. It’s about where we get our food. I used to read food labels to see what chemical additives were in food before I bought it, and a friend suggested that I also check out where the food comes from. I was amazed at how far some of my food had traveled to get to me! And at how much extra money we were wasting by importing food from all over the world. And it's not just local food that makes sense and needs our support, but actually, local EVERYTHING! The fabric of our local communities needs the support and strength of every thread that makes up that material of the community, so the entire fabric of our smaller groups will be strong and healthy.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our ‘Song To Chew’ today is GOTTA LOTTA LIVIN' TO DO. I wrote it in the late 80's when there were huge fears about contracting HIV from gay men. Kids and families needed to understand that this deadly virus was not transmitted through the air, but mostly through physical contact, and kids could get it too. I took my daughters Megan and Willow to sing with me at a California Men's Gathering, and got lots of hugs from men there, thanking me for coming and bringing my kids. Willow and I recorded this song on my ‘Pluggin’ Away’ album, along with Ry Cooder playing slide guitar! When faced with a pandemic, we have a chance to stretch and grow spiritually by walking through our fears and holding onto a loving attitude, even when we're afraid. All of us have a lot more learnin' and livin' to do here! I'm Peter Alsop. Thanks for stopping by. Please subscribe to my podcast, and I'll be back next week with another ‘Song To Chew!
~ Subscribe = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS album = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s ‘Song To Chew’ is “GO TO SLEEP YOU LITTLE CREEP!” from my 'Stayin' Over' album. It chronicles one of our most universal human activities; bedtime for children. Every evening, just after dinner, thousands of little kids all over the world turn magically into "little creeps", and most parents experience some perfectly normal parental irritation towards them! We all act like creeps when we’re tired, and our friends and families still love us, even if they don't like how we're acting! For years, parents have used this song to coax their little ones to bed. Hope you’ll take a listen, and stop by next week for another ‘Song To Chew’. Bring a friend!
~ Subscribe = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
This week’s ‘Song To Chew’ is a ‘scream-along’ written by Bill Steele about GARBAGE, from my very first live album 46 years ago! Since then, we continue to produce excess packaging waste from our food and other commerce. And currently, some of our recycling efforts are being abandoned because it’s become too expense to recycle our waste! We scream about the air and the water, and the most powerful verse is the one about 'filling our minds with garbage!’ We need healthy new little brains to address some of the critical issues facing us today; switching our fossil fuel jobs to making solar and wind power more available, so everyone can benefit from renewable energies. We need to support our indigenous water-defenders, our youth climate activists, and figure out ways to slow down the huge increase in our human population that puts such demands on our finite resources. Come on in! Listen, think, stir the pot and chew on some new ideas with us! We need you!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our SONG TO CHEW today is called 'WISH', about taking action when something needs to change. It’s from my 'Grow It At Home' album. Most of us feel concerned about the future of our world, with climate change, pandemics, storms, fires, wars, people arguing with each other, our lives seem to get more and more complicated every day! It's very human of us, when we're upset, to wish things would change! We desperately hope someone else will come along and make everything the way we want, because making that decision to 'give it a try ourselves', is a very big decision. But once we've done it a couple times, (even if it wasn't perfect), we build our confidence. If we can ‘imagine’ a way to make the future better, that’s the first step to figuring out other actions we can take together to begin fixing whatever puzzles we face.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
I don't usually write 'anthems', but today’s song from my ‘Chris Moose Holidays’ album is an anthem. It’s called EARTHSONG. There are billions of life forms and gorgeous features on our planet, and each one has a voice; the rivers and mountains, the animals and plants, all of which have a part in the delicate balance of nature that sustains us. So really, EARTHSONG had to be an anthem! And like any good anthem, the voices need to balance and harmonize with each other in order for our planet's song of life to work. There's great value in understanding our human place in the community of life. If we don't begin to see ourselves as stewards, advocates and protectors of the other lives and eco-systems on our Earth, we will be unable to survive here as a species. “So ev’ry creature, raise your voice, each holy day we all rejoice, and celebrate how we survive, the Earthsong is the song of life!” Sing-along with us!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
I wrote today's 'Song To Chew' ATTA WAY T'GO BOY! back in the early 80’s for an anthology album called "Bullets And Guitars". It was produced by Gary Cristall, who ran the Vancouver Folk Festival for years and includes songs by Si Kahn, Utah Phillips, Holly Near, Leon Rosselson and other talented progressive folksingers and activists. My song’s a satirical 'pat on the back' to our President back then, to provide some balance to this left-leaning musical anthology! All profits from the album went to committed artists and cultural organizations in Central America to fight the exploitation and intervention of outsiders, particularly the US, who continue to prevent the workers and peasants of Central America from exercising their right to self-determination. Does art and music and poetry actually have any 'real world' impact on dictators? You betcha!! We work to undermine the fear-based support systems of authoritarian dictators with our courage, organizing, art, humor, song, poetry, education, solidarity and just better, healthier ideas. I hope this song helps you continue to think about these things you and your friends can do to take some action to help us move us a bit closer to a more fair,and just world for all of us.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's ‘Song to Chew’ is DEAR MR. PRESIDENT, from my 'Stayin' Over' album. It's written by Bob Blue in the form of a letter written by a 2nd grader to the President of the United States about how he got in a fight with a friend over who had the biggest 'sticker collection'. He thought the President might want to consider that fighting about 'having the most' isn't really worth it. Kids constantly have to figure out problems in their lives at home and in school. I've found that when we feel stuck with a 'problem', we can think of it as a 'puzzle' and reframe it! Then we don't feel so 'stuck'. We can feel hopeful, because we know that puzzles can be solved! It becomes possible to 'move ahead'! We just have to locate the missing piece of the puzzle, and figure out where it goes! And then, get on with our lives! I'm Peter Alsop. Yesterday I got a note from a fan thanking me for these "free little life lessons"! If you've been enjoying these podcasts, please subscribe, and let your friends know about it too. I'll be back next week with another ‘Song To Chew’. Bye for now!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
BURNING TIMES is our 'Song To Chew' today, written and performed by Charlie Murphy, one of the strong clear voices of the early feminist men's movement. It's about the plight of women in Europe in the Middle Ages, who were labeled as witches by establishment men who feared the influence they had as community organizers. It's from my "Ebenezer's Make Over' album which is a story with songs by Holly Near, Geof Morgan and many other feminist writers. There's a wonderful, short book I recommend by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English, called "Witches, Midwives and Nurses: A History Of Women Healers" that exposes how 'women-led healing was delegitimized to make way for patriarchy, capitalism, and the emerging medical industry. It explores today's changing attitudes toward childbirth, alternative medicine, and modern-day witches'. We can know the facts about historical stories of the past like this, but we don't really understand them until we feel them in our hearts. I'm Peter Alsop. Please check out this podcast and subscribe so you can join me every week with other "Songs To Chew". Bye for now!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's 'Song To Chew' is CHICKENS FOR PEACE, inspired and loved by thousands of children who want a peaceful world, but no one much listens to them, because they can't vote! We want to protect our loved ones from wars and violence, but when we don't explain scary things to children, it can create more anxiety for them. It's not easy, but it IS possible to talk with kids about serious subjects in safe ways without scaring them. This song is designed to do that by reframing the word, 'chicken', which is most often used as a negative word about someone who doesn't want to do something scary. Being called a 'chicken' implies that, you're acting like a 'coward', or someone who's afraid to speak up when something's wrong. But I think it takes some courage to NOT 'follow the crowd'! There's nothing wrong with being 'cautious' or trying to come up with a peaceful solution, right!? I've seen real live chickens 'follow the flock', and not have enough sense to know when something's dangerous! They're unaware that hanging out with a group that isn't concerned about the safety of all it's members, is not very smart! I'm Peter Alsop, and if you agree, please help spread the word! Peace starts with us! Bye for now!
~ Subscribe to Songs To Chew = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
On this week's "Songs To Chew" we'll listen to my friend Tom Hunter's song, FIVE MOMS AND THREE DADS. It's on my 'Ebenezer's Make Over' album. Tom presents a different vision for how we can support a more caring and fulfilling society by allowing and supporting more diverse kinds of family groups. The traditional American 'nuclear' family, with two biological parents and their offspring, is what most of us learned, and considered to be 'normal'; whereas a bunch of adults, living communally with each other and their children, feels 'foreign' to many of us who were raised in accepted "normal nuclear" families. Historically family groups included parents, grandparents, siblings, and cousins all looking out for the well-being of the children. Some scholars point out that these extended family groups actually improve children’s lives, by protecting children; wealthy, middle class or poor, from some of the negative effects associated with parental absence from the home. So let's make sure that all our kids have someone to go to, when they need help with something that they're working on, as they figure out how to be a kid in this world of ours. I'm Peter Alsop. Hope to see you back here again next week, with another song to chew!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Today's short, little 'Song To Chew' is called ANIMAL CRACKERS. It exemplifies how children act out their anger while they're playing. When angry, hurt or sad feelings aren't allowed to be expressed directly, they will surface again, often in less healthy ways. Healthy parents can set clear limits for children about what is okay and what isn't, and still allow kids to express all their feelings. When kids know they have 'safe parents', who won't let them 'go too far', it allows the kid to act like a kid again, and explore their own abilities, knowing that they're in a safe space. I've always wonder if I gave my kids 'mixed messages' by buying them animal crackers, and then at dinner time telling them, "don't play with your food!" The kids turned out alright, (mostly!). Kindly let your friends and family know about this podcast. It's free. I'm Peter Alsop. See you next week with another Song To Chew!
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
The SONG we'll CHEW today, from my 'Asleep At The Helm' album, is "THE ONE ABOUT THE BIRD IN THE CAGE' written by Rutthy Taubb. It's about a man who keeps his "bird" in a cage, dependent on only him. He feeds her, owns her, says he's going to teach her how to fly, and to sing, but he will have to clip her wings. And she buys his story and loves him, but then wakes up to find that she is unhappy and her 'song' is gone. He angrily blames her. Somehow, she gathers the courage to stand up and tell him that she's leaving. This is a multi-layered song about the joy of finding the courage to speak up and set boundaries to care for yourself, and it's also about the sorrow of understanding how you've driven away someone you thought you loved, but who you simply wanted to control and own. How many men and boys have had to learn this lesson by being left by their loved ones? Depressing? No. It's uplifting for the "bird' and sad yet hopeful for the man, for now he must figure out how to find his own joy and beauty within himself, instead of searching outside of himself to feel strong and of some worth to others. I'm Peter Alsop. This podcast is free. Please let your friends know about it. I'll see you again next week, with another Song To Chew.
~ Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our song today is called "AAARGH!", from my live concert album "Family Roles". It's for all the 'family heroes' out here in the world, often the 'first borns', who have learned to seek approval from our parents. We grow up feeling that we need to be perfect, but striving for perfection can become an obsession, and then everything we do becomes a test of our worth. We have to study hard and plan well, or we don't measure up, and when that happens, we feel like we've failed. Many of us even take up jobs as human services professionals because it's easier to care for others than to care for ourselves! This song actually has a 'scream-along' chorus so you can join in and release some of your built-up stress from having to be so perfect all the time! Please subscribe and let your friends know about this podcast to help get more of this kind of helpful information into more people's ears. See you next week with another song to chew!
~ Subscribe to Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
Our 'Song To Chew' today, PEEL BACK THE SKIN, was written by my friend Stuart Stotts. He sings for grown-ups and kids in schools about how we can help each other live happier, healthier lives. I really love this song because it makes a really important point. When we hurt ourselves, before we put on a bandage, we have to make sure the wound is clean, or it won't heal properly. And when I say "WE", I mean that when each of us faces the pain of our own old injuries, we become stronger. And then like the individual threads of a blanket, the fabric of our society grows stronger and, healthier, and our systems become more balanced and more just for everyone! So please subscribe or follow this podcast. Invite your friends and family to listen, so we can get these songs into more ears and the ideas into more heads. When we each commit to taking action, things change! Bye for now!
~ Subscribe to Songs To Chew podcast = https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
~ CAMPING WITH DADS = https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
~ Youtube.com/peteralsop = videos
~ Patreon.com/peteralsop = support my music & other artistic endeavors
~ www.peteralsop.com/music = CDs & downloads
~ stuart@stotts.com
Have you ever noticed how much 'name-calling' goes on when cultural and social change is in the air? I thought today we might chew on a Tedd Judd and Sandy Pliskin song I recorded on my "Ebenezer's Make Over" album. It's called YOU AIN'T BEEN DOIN' NOTHIN' IF THEY HAVEN'T CALLED YOU GAY! The form is based on a song written by Eliot Kenin back in 1982 called "You Ain't Been Doing Nothing If You Ain't Been Called A Red". Activists who work to make people's lives a bit more just and balanced and equal, get labeled as 'Reds' or 'Communists' or 'Socialists'. The practice of using negative labels is often used by frightened, dominant privileged people when they feel threatened by others, whose existence or life-style is unfamiliar or different than their own. And we've seen it forever in the realm of gender and sexual orientation and identity. High time we 'called out' this practice, eh? Thanks for stopping by!
- Subscribe to this weekly Songs To Chew podcast here: ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- Check out my new CAMPING WITH DADS album here: ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
'Like' my FaceBook page here: ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Watch my music videos here: ~ Youtube.com/peteralsop
-
Support my music and teaching here: ~ Patreon.com/peteralsop
-
You can order my CDs & downloads here: ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today we'll listen to a song written and sung by Holly Near, from our "Ebenezer's Make Over" album. She wrote FOOLISH NOTION in 1980, and it's still completely relevant today. Here we are, 40 years later, still asking the same, age-old question; "Why do we kill people, who are killing people to show that killing people is wrong?" We'll chew on that idea after the song! I've never hit any of my children, (although I DO remember being spanked by my Dad!) Things can change! When we eliminate the option of using violence, then we're forced to come up with "better" ways to resolve conflict, and we also stop modeling to younger generations, the misconception that we can solve problems by using violence! Thanks for stopping by. If you subscribe to this podcast, then I'll be sure to see you here next week too! Bye for now!
- Subscribe to Songs To Chew podcast here: ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- Check out my new CAMPING WITH DADS album here: ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
'Like' my FaceBook page here: ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Watch my music videos here: ~ Youtube.com/peteralsop
-
Support my music and teaching here: ~ Patreon.com/peteralsop
-
You can order my CDs & downloads here: ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
I have a friend who refuses to say "good-bye". She says "it sounds like we'll never see each other again!" So today's "Song To Chew" is AU REVOIR, from my "Uh-Oh!" album, because "au revoir" in French means "until I see you again!" Much less scary! Separation from someone we love, can bring up fears that we might not see that person again; that we might find ourselves all alone and abandoned! As social human creatures, we have deeply rooted fears of being left alone. Those fears usually go away as we get older and more secure in our ability to survive without our parents. But some of us grown-ups still have trouble when it's time to separate and go our own ways. Lots of pre-school teachers play this song to help kids AND parents understand that they WILL see each other again at the end of the day! It also helps parents see how our own separation anxieties can get passed on to our children. As my friend and teacher, Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse says, “The health of a family can be seen, by the ease of their comings and goings." So, take it easy, and I'll see ya next week, with another song to chew. Au Revoir!
- Subscribe to this weekly Songs To Chew podcast here: ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- Check out my new CAMPING WITH DADS album here: ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
'Like' my FaceBook page here: ~ www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Watch my music videos here: ~ Youtube.com/peteralsop
-
Support my music and teaching here: ~ Patreon.com/peteralsop
-
You can order my CDs & downloads here: ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
On this week’s episode of SONGS TO CHEW, we have a couple of short songs to chew on. In my family of origin, we grew-up with a lot of 'teasing' and 'making fun' of each other. Everyone in our family was 'fair game' as a target, and sometimes we'd all laugh so hard that we'd start crying. Most often, our clumsy attempts at being clever, were just dumb and ridiculous, and a bit cruel, and we learned to develop a thick skin. As I grew older and wiser, I learned that when I tried to make myself 'look good' at someone else's expense, it really doesn't look all that good, and if we're paying attention, it doesn't feel all that good either. First, we'll listen to THE LA FREEWAY SONG, live from the Icehouse in Pasadena, and then a song I wrote almost 50 years ago to play for people who weren't listening to what I was singing up on stage. It's called, HEY YOU! Both of these songs use 'body sounds' to get people's attention. I hope you enjoy these free weekly podcasts, and your friends will thank you if you suggest to them, that they too might enjoy listening to each week's menu. Thanks for stopping by!
-
Subscribe to Songs To Chew podcast ~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~ https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1.
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Our 'Song To Chew' this week is called "Dyin' To Be Thin". I wrote it as the title song for a 1986 NOVA documentary on anorexia and bulimia that won an Iris Award for excellence. In the US, an estimated 8 million people suffer from anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorders and that includes at least three out of every 100 adolescent girls. "Dyin' To Be Thin" was used in a musical version of Aristophane's play "Lysistrata", presented at the Theatricum Botanicum in the summer of 2003. It fit so well with the play's theme, where the Greek woman agreed to withhold sex from any soldiers who wouldn't stop fighting in the wars. It's staged at a modern-day gymnasium with the women working out to look their most attractive! (check the YouTube link below!) My sister-in-law, actress Melora Marshall sings this one, along with the other actors in the cast. Like Lysistrata, we're all concerned about wars and countries taking over other countries, and racial injustice, patriarchy and the systems and conditions that we live in. Our economic and social systems create stories for our youth, who in order to feel good about themselves, have to constantly diet and exercise to lose weight and look more attractive, rather than simply eat a healthy diet and exercise to stay fit. I'd love to change those stories! Help spread the word! See you next week with another Song To Chew.
- Subscribe to Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHmsgbZ8UOQ&t=19s ~ "Dyin' To Be Thin" video
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today's Song To Chew from my Fan Club Favorites album, has been a big hit in junior high schools all across this country! It's called LET'S TRADE BUTTS, so of course, it's humorous. When teens are asked about their bodies, they often express self-criticism, and strong feelings of inadequacy, jealousy and shame. Our adolescent years are difficult because our bodies AND our role in society are changing. As teens we often want to look like someone else. We want some body part to be bigger or smaller. We know our life would be better we were taller or thinner or our hair was a different color or length or texture. Our appearance seems to be the ticket to acceptance from our peers. So I figured, "Why not just trade body parts with our friends? They might want something we have, and then everybody wins, right?! Yet beneath the humor of this song, lurks the painful feeling for some of us, that if we're just ourselves, we're "never enough", and then the grass always look greener when we look in other people's yards, or at their bodies, or their lives. And that's a recipe for painful depression, and as the song says "If you don't like your own, you're nuts!" We don't have a music video for this one yet, so if you're inspired by the topic, please feel free to make one! You have my official permission to put it up on YouTube! And let your friends know about this podcast. It's free! I'm Peter Alsop. See you next week with another Song To Chew!
-
Subscribe to Songs To Chew podcast ~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~ https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today our 'Song To Chew' is sung by an ecological activist, Snowy the Frostman! The kids and I are hanging out at the mall during the holiday season, listening to Snowy 'stutter-sing' his way through "G-GEE IT'S WARM OUT HERE" from my "Chris Moose Holidays" album. It's about climate change and global warming! "So why does Snowy the Frostman stutter?", you may ask. I think 'stuttering' sounds like 'shivering while you're talking', and because I work with many special-needs kids, I like my songs to include some of the special 'differences' that these kids live with. Kids with special needs are still 'kids', not just someone identified by what's different about them! So teachers use this song to help their students discuss why people stutter and how it feels. They also use it to address climate change! One young ecological warrior of today with special 'differences', is the wonderful Gretta Thunberg. She's helped our whole world focus on why we have to take action soon to save our planet! If each of us does something small to reach out to others, it will get us all moving in a more sustainable direction, and we'll have a better chance of NOT ending up where we're headed! I'm Peter Alsop. See you next week with another SONG TO CHEW. Bye for now!
-
Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~ https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Let's chew on the 'Wonderful Diversity of Human Sexuality' with MY SECRET, a song from my very first album. I often use humor in my songs to share tidbits of information that I've found valuable. This song is loaded with bad puns and exaggerations. We humans have a huge range of diverse sexual behaviors, many of which are common, but there are some secrets that people hide, out of fear that others may regard them as "not okay" or "weird, exotic, disgusting, sacrilegious, shameful, dirty, illegal, sinful or just plain silly." I believe that an adult person's sexual behavior is their own business, unless they're cruel, destructively violent, abusive or coercive. Treating another person like that is just never okay with me. So if you find yourself hiding your behaviors, you might want to see if your own flags are going up to signal you, saying "Hey! Maybe we need to get some help here!" I wrote this song to get folks who pass judgement on other people, to acknowledge that very probably, they have their very own hidden private quirks and idiosyncrasies! As the song says, "I’ll tell you, if you’ll tell me. Do you get hot with your bathroom locked? Well, I cool my nerves with Mom’s preserves, it’s just a difference of degree!" I'm Peter Alsop. I'll be back next week with another SONG TO CHEW. Bye for now! (Illustration by Terri Asher)
- Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today's 'Song To Chew' is NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE, about having hope when things look 'the darkest'. Hope is a very powerful force in our human world. Our attitude can limit us when we're negative about ourselves, but it can also expand and open doors for us, when we're optimistic and hopeful about our future. Our expectations actually have an effect on what does happen! One of the many wonderful stories I've heard about "No One Knows For Sure", is that it played a role in helping to save the life of a little seven-year old girl. She required chronic special care and the doctors were running out of options for treating her illness. Two wonderful pediatric nurses, Diane and Penny, introduced this song to the little girl and the staff on her ward to keep their spirits up. This song became part of the daily fabric in that ward. They kept searching for ways to help this child survive, and in spite of over-whelming odds, last I heard, that little girl made it out of that hospital very much alive! 'No One Knows For Sure', right?! It's stories like this that keep me writing songs. Keep singin'!
-
Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~ https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today's Song To Chew is YOU GET A LITTLE EXTRA WHEY YOU WATCH TV, from my 1983 "Wha D'Ya Wanna Do?" album. It's about all the hidden messages delivered to us constantly through our televisions and internet. Commercials and news and sit-coms model for us how the rest of the world around us operates, right? But we see what the producers and marketers want us to see! Have you noticed how extremely 'happy' TV people are when they have a nice clean floor in their kitchen? Have you ever felt 'that happy' after cleaning your kitchen floor? Hmmm? The behaviors we see on the media, begin to seem 'normal' to us. Lots has changed in the last 40 year since I wrote this song. We've become more aware that it isn't just men who can fix cars or only women who can take great care of kids, ... but those hidden messages just keep on coming. So I wrote this little humorous tongue-in-cheek song 'way-back when', to help kids and families take a look at the 'not-so-subtle' messages about our culture that are being marketed to us every minute of every day. You can find my CD's or downloads at peteralsop.com, or from any of the on-line sources. I'm Peter Alsop. Thanks for stopping by!
- Subscribe to my weekly Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today on 'Songs To Chew' we'll listen to a song called SO LONG, and talk about sadness and loss and grieving. We know that things in our lives have beginnings and middles and ends, and so it is with people. Leaving people, places and things behind can be scary and sad and exciting all at the same time. Sometimes leaving things or people that created problems for us becomes even more complicated, because they also provided us with some great stories and unforgettably joyous rides. Some losses in our lives we have absolutely no control over, but sometimes we do have some control and we can choose. With practice, we learn to make better choices, and then we begin to intentionally steer our lives in directions we want to go, and set our course toward a life that we want to live. I'm Peter Alsop. I'll see you next week with another SONG TO CHEW. Bye for now!
- Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today's Song To Chew is called "STICK MY NECK OUT" from my "Grow It At Home" album. It's easy to spot things in our world that need to work better. When we see them, we say, "Hey! That's not okay!" But as kids we learned "Don't rock the boat! Mind your own business!" But I think, it IS our business to think up better ways to do things and speak up about how to fix 'em! If we don't do it, who will? And then we find others who feel like we do, and we've got a movement happening! A 'giraffe' is a name for a real people who 'stick their necks out' to help others', often putting themselves in danger to do so. Check out 'giraffe.org'. I sing this song with "Amy the Giraffe". She's decided to stick her neck out and speak up for the 'little ones' who can't speak up for themselves! And with all the social justice movements going on these days, Amy says, "if we all stick together, we can get something done! We can stop the violence and save the world!" C'mon by and sing along with us. We do this every week on this SONGS TO CHEW podcast. Bye for now!
- Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
This week's Song To Chew is a pun-filled satirical song, I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND, DEAR, from my 'Fan Club Favorites' album. It holds up some of our 'male behaviors' in the hope that we might see ourselves a bit more clearly. It's sung by remorseful man who tries to explain to his lover, why he's leaving her and going back home to his wife and family. But alas! Behaviors have consequences, and at home, (spoiler alert!), he finds that his wife has gone on without him! Glad you stopped by to chew on this song with us. Subscribe and spread the word so we can keep doing this podcast, and I'll see you again next week!
- Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today's 'Song To Chew' was recorded live in concert at the Ice House in Pasadena, California. The full title is "Stuck On You (From Sniffin' Glue)", so you know it's not your every day, run-of-the-mill love song! It's full of puns. One reviewer said it's about "adolescent heartbreak, from having to play second fiddle to a tube of glue." It's not unusual for someone to fall in love with an addict. I figured if I could get the young couples in my audience laughing, I could then enlighten them about the dangers of huffing, (sniffing toxic substances to get dizzy and high.) Hoped it might save someone's life. Give it a listen. Share it! Maybe you can save someone's life too! Thanks for stopping by. Hope t'see you again next week with another SONG TO CHEW.
- Subscribe to my weekly Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
I released GET ON HOME on my "Camping With Dads" album to help kids understand why folks in Malibu decided to tear down an old dam up in their hills. It tells about the steelhead trout struggling to 'get on home' from the ocean, back up the stream where it started life, and the rain drop wondering how it can 'get on home' to the ocean, after traveling in a cloud, then falling onto the Malibu mountains, both stuck behind that same dam. We each run into dams in our lives; not just dams that stop water, but all kinds of dams. Eventually something or someone blocks our path and stops us from going where we want to go. As we ponder how fish and raindrops cope with the dams in their way, we inform ourselves about our own process, and we get better at figuring out techniques we can use to 'Get On Home' to where we feel we belong, no matter what direction that's in! Please subscribe and let your friends know about this free podcast. I'm Peter Alsop, and I'll be back next week with another song to chew. Bye for now!
- Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- CAMPING WITH DADS - my newest album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today's song, LIFELINE, is from my "Fan Club Favorites" album. When my Grandmother came to live with us in California, it presented us with challenges, and an opportunity to have some blessed intergenerational time with each other. As our own children grow up and begin to go out into the world on their own, our parents or older relatives begin to need our help. We then face tough decisions about bringing them back into our own busy lives and home, perhaps acting as their principal caregiver. Many Americans grow up in our family of origin, without our grandparents in the same house, and without that experience, we don't really have a clear understanding of how we will age ourselves later in our lives. So, it was wonderful for my kids to have an older person in our immediate family home. When we care for our aging parents, it's difficult to honor the natural changes that go on in our relationships. In order to create a healthy balance, we need to work to be neither a crutch, nor a burden for each other; and we get to practice the art of loving. Please let friends and family know about SONGS TO CHEW, and if you haven't subscribed already, please do. It's free, and the more followers we have, the better chance we have of getting monetized! Bye for now!
- Subscribe to Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today's Song To Chew is SONICAL DIGITAL MUSICAL BOX, a functional song from my "Camping With Dads" album. For anyone who wonders where the piano, horn section and electric guitars on the song actually come from, since we're on a camping trip up in the mountains! My songs usually have content that helps listeners find more balance in their lives, but some songs like this, are just silly or fun. Songs don't have to be philosophical to be life-changing. I think it's great when a song can do both! This album helps Dads who listen with their boys, become more aware of how hearing messages in a patriarchy about how boys and men are more capable and strong than women and girls can get deeply entrenched in our brains without us really thinking deeply about them. It's way past time to stop seeing the world through those old, patriarchal glasses, and change the old, tired stories! We're looking for a sponsor for this free podcast. If you have any connections with a human services company who might want to do so, please email me at peter@peteralsop.com. Stay safe! See you next week!
- Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
This week's Song To Chew is GOOD TIME, sung by a lonely man who picks up a lonely woman in a bar. It's an old story, played out thousands of nights in thousands of cities. He feels empty during sex, and sad and lonely afterwards, and he only came out to have a "Good Time". Seduction and the search for sex can become a way of life. If we can get someone else to "go all the way" with us, then we must be okay, as we seek external approval to feel better about ourselves. Unfortunately, as with all addictive behaviors, eventually we need larger doses to medicate our pain. Especially in this time of CoVid, when we yearn to be experiencing life with others, our loneliness can be excruciating. Medicating ourselves with sex does not put us on the road to clarity. When we find a safe place; safe friends who support us, we can begin to honestly sort through what's eating at us deep inside. Hope lies there.
- Subscribe to Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
For today's Song To Chew, I borrowed a tune from a song written in 1876 by Henry Clay Work, "My Grandfather's Clock". You'll probably recognize the tune, but it's not about my Grandfather, it's about my Dad and my childhood. I love using humor to address loaded subjects, so let's take a look at how porn affects us and our attitudes about sex. From "Fan Club Favorites" and my "Songs On Sex And Sexuality" albums, we'll listen to MY FATHER'S TOP DRAWER. If you're interested in supporting my work or becoming a sponsor for this podcast, (maybe you have some funds left in your advertising budget?), write me at peter@peteralsop.com, or check out my Patreon page below. See you next week!
- Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
www,Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today we'll listen to 2 songs; LOOK AT THE CEILING, written from the point of view of a young girl who dissociates in order to survive her sexual abuse. It's used in treatment programs, classes, training workshops, and private practice for adults and teens. Therapists have used this song for years to gently get this subject out onto the table, and 'break the ice' for clients and women's groups, because it works to enable young girls (and boys), to more easily share their experiences; let go of the shame, and begin their healing. It's immediately followed by LOVE IS THE ONLY MEDICINE, a song I wrote specifically to bring people back up, after hearing "Look At The Ceiling". For a video of me performing these two songs back-to-back at our Conference on The Healing Power of Laughter And Play, check out https://vimeo.com/ondemand/openingdoors. The entire :75 minute presentation is available for streaming or download for a small fee. Thanks for stopping by. If today's episode was helpful, please share it with your friends, and subscribe to this podcast, and my YouTube channel if you would. The more followers, the better chance of finding some financial support to continue. See you again next week. Bye for now!
- To Subscribe to Songs To Chew ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- For my CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today we'll listen to a song that prescribes a cure for sexual harassment! It's been wildly acclaimed by thousands of feminists as we continue the fight to stop violence against women! From my "Fan Club Favorites" album we'll listen to GIVE YOURSELF A HAND! It's was inspired by a friend of mine, Dr. Betsy Stanko, a professor of Sociology who's been described as a radical feminist criminologist, and the story of her involvement in a multi-million dollar defamation of character lawsuit; a ne'er-do-well Department Head Dr. Sidney Peck; the National Labor Relations Board; top authorities at Clark University, and sexual harassment allegations that all took place in Worchester, Massachusetts in 1981. Tune in, t'find out how it all turns out! If you'd like to support this podcast, check out my Patreon page below. Hope to see you again next week, bye for now!
- Subscribe to my weekly Songs To Chew podcast here ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads&qid=1602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1-
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
There are lots of entanglements in our closest relationships. We make commitments, and bring our own baggage with us, packed with our fears, hopes and stories. In some cases, when the honeymoon's over and the work begins, we feel constrained and unable to unwind from each other with nowhere to go for help. We strike out physically or verbally, and one or both of us may look for someone else to soothe us; to provide us an escape from this painful and toxic 'snake dance', where neither dancer knows how to retreat. I've seen a few relationships where the partners figured out how to separate as caringly and painlessly as possible; for their kids and their friends and themselves, but that's the exception. We're in a 'snake dance' right now in this country. The inequities between wealth and poverty; urban and rural; men and women, left and right, black and brown and white - are extreme. So today, from my 'Draw The Line' album, we'll listen to SNAKE DANCE, to see more clearly some of the entanglements and the missteps we've made in the past, so we can avoid them in the future. If you find today's episode useful or entertaining, please let others know about this podcast. It's free and you can subscribe or go to Patreon below to support this work. See you next week, bye for now!
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads&qid=1602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1-
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Do you wonder what to do when the world goes crazy all around you? For today's SONG TO CHEW, we'll listen to ANTHROPOLOGIST from my "Camping With Dads" album and share a technique I use when this happens to me. It's my 'tip for the week!' Just because we're bored or stuck somewhere that we don't really want to be, why get all uptight and angry, when instead, we can just put on our Anthropologist's hat, and observe all the curious and fascinating behaviors of the people in the tribe around us! It's amazing! Human beings are so peculiar and wonderfuI! And it helps me calm down right away! Please let others know about this podcast if you've found it useful or entertaining. It's free! Give the gift of joy and music! I'm Peter Alsop, see you next week with another Song To Chew!
-
Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads&qid=1602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1-
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
www.Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Did you ever wish that you'd done something, that you didn't do? Then later on, it was too late? Today's 'Song To Chew' is THE DRAGON WHO FLIES BY MY WINDOW. It's about 'remorse'. A sign on my wall says "Sometimes you just have to take the leap, and build your wings on the way down!" Good advice, but if we don't get our wings built fast enough, we quickly learn to be more cautious. Feeling remorseful is a sad, angry and painful feeling that I try very hard to avoid. Knowing that about myself has been very useful in helping me decide how and when to choose to take action in my life. I've learned when to be cautious, and when to speak up! This song is on my "Grow It At Home" album; winner of a Mom's-Choice-Gold award; Parents'-Choice-Approved; Kids-Music-Best-album, and a NAPPA-Creative-Child-Magazine Gold-Seal-of-Excellence. I don't have any remorse about any of that! If you like this podcast, please subscribe or drop me a note anytime. I'll be back next week with another SONG TO CHEW.
- To subscribe to my weekly Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- For my new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads&qid=1602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1-
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today's 'Song To Chew' is 'CLEAN OUT THE ATTIC' from my 'Chris Moose Holidays' album. My family had an old wooden chest in our attic, full of my great grandmother's lace doilies that my Mom didn't want us kids to ruin by spilling juice on them, so she kept them locked in the attic, starched and ironed all throughout our childhood. When she died, we opened the chest, and discovered the beauty of our great grandmother's handicraft skills. The lace was gorgeous and delicate. I packed up my share in a cardboard box that I stashed up in my attic, just like my Mom. I knew my kids would ruin them, or our dog would chew them up. I wanted to pass them on so my kids could squirrel them away in their own attics for their kids! You get my point. Instead of saving more "stuff", we can 'Clean Out The Attic' every now and then, and maybe use what we find up there! ~ And speaking of "stuff", I bet I have some songs that you've NEVER EVER heard! Well, you can download any of them from 'peteralsop.com', and they won't take up any space in your attic at all! My "CAMPING WITH DADS" album just won a Mom's Choice GOLD award; a NAPPA Creative Child Magazine 'Top Choice Of The Year' award; a Tilliwig 'Best Family Fun' award, and a 'Hot Diggity Seal of Approval'! It's way fun and helps Dads raise our sons' awareness of the need to respect our daughters, (and ourselves!). Subscribe, and I'll see you next week with another 'SONG TO CHEW'!
- Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
We've had a momentous week here in America, so this week's "Song To Chew" is "WE CAN BOUNCE" from my CAMPING WITH DADS album. I often write kid songs that help parents understand important things about their kids. Today's song is about some of the things I learned from my Dad, that can help and inform kids about their parents. Even though my Dad gave me "good advice', I still had to learn that sometimes advice we get from people we trust, won't work for us. We have to pay close attention to how we feel, and choose if we should follow blindly what someone else tells us is "the right thing to do". It's great to learn how to 'bounce' after we've been let down too quickly from the upside of a see-saw, but it's also important to know that, as the song says, "you don't have to ride on that see-saw." I'm Peter Alsop. My SONGS TO CHEW podcast is free! Please subscribe and I'll be back next week. Bye for now!
- Subscribe to my Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads&qid=1602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1-
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Our SONG TO CHEW today is "Some Gifts" from my CAMPING WITH DADS album. I make a distinction between giving a 'gift' and giving a 'present'. A child comes home from school and 'presents' Mom with a "birthday crown" made of yellow construction paper, taped together with glitter and dried pieces of gold elbow macaroni glued on it. Mom wears it around the house; maybe even to the store, because it's a 'present' from someone she loves, even though it's mostly about the child who 'presented' it to her! A 'gift' is different. It's specially for the person getting the gift. Your friend loves Clydesdale horses, and you see a lamp with a horse on it, but it's not a Clydesdale, so you go on looking. When we receive a 'present' from someone, and we were expecting a 'gift', it can hurt. And it's probably time to re-examine our expectations. Some folks feel so hurt, they can't even enjoy their 'present'! So when these things happens to us, it helps to remember that we're all human and we all have room for growth, whether we're giving or receiving. It's been a difficult year for many of us, especially folks who live alone, so maybe call someone you love who's alone, and tell them you love them? As this song says, "It's not the gift, it's the way the gift is given!" Hope we all have a kind-hearted New Year! I'm Peter Alsop. See you next week with another SONG TO CHEW!
- Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
It's a very different Christmas this year, due to the isolated distancing we observe in response to the threat of CoVid. I thought we might listen to "When Jesus Was A Kid" from my CHRIS MOOSE HOLIDAYS album to helps us focus on caring about others, sung magnificently by my daughter Willow. While listening to a conservative Christian talk radio show, where the host made mean-spirited comments about a number of people who he described as sinners, one of my kid songs that teaches kids to set healthy boundaries by "just saying no!" popped into my mind, and I thought, "if Jesus was a kid and He was here right now, He would 'just say NO!' to you!" If we pay close attention to the kids in our lives, and listen to them, we might sense the holiness, the sacred specialness of being alive together here on this planet, and consider ways we could work to love each other a bit more. Happy holidays to you all. (To see this music video, go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hXL1cPBzYI&t=2s
- Subscribe to my weekly - Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads&qid=1602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today our song is "Christmas Cheer", from my CHRIS MOOSE HOLIDAYS album, sung by my nephew, Marshall McDaniel when he was a wee-little tyke! "Christmas Cheer" is the code name for 'alcohol during the holidays'. It's a tradition in many cultures, and for generations kids have watched adults celebrate with alcohol, and then do stupid and dangerous things. Most kids just accept it. They feel powerless to change anything, but it’s scary, and lots of kids just want us to stop it. Or they copy us and want some for themselves. We can't help "modeling" behavior for our kids. They love us and look up to us and copy us. One of the most sobering things I can think of though, is that every year, between Christmas and New Year's in this country, an average of 300 people die in drunk driving accidents. It behooves us to remember that we can have goodwill and holiday cheer without having to "drink" it. If you haven't finished your holiday shopping, you might consider one of my albums that you haven't heard yet! Download any of them in an instant from online sources, including my brand new "CAMPING WITH DADS". This weekly SONGS TO CHEW podcast is free! So share some of our joy, fun and music this year! Have a warm & safe holiday! Bye for now!
- Subscribe to this Songs To Chew podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
- My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today's song is 'unusual'. Actually, many of my songs fit into that category! "Buy Me Something" is on my CHRIS MOOSE HOLIDAYS album. It's great for discussing the trappings of capitalism, and how we and our children can become trapped and addicted to shopping for things obsessively and compulsively. After hearing this song, parents would often say, "My children already know this song! They wrote it! Are you sure you didn't follow us around in a mall somewhere, because it sounds exactly like them!!" Lines like, "Buy me things of great value, stuff to save, I want giant collections of everything, ever made!" may sound familiar to you too! We discuss how having and owning things in our culture, is an external way we've learned to measure our own worth, not just our financial worth, but our sense of valuing who we are, our importance to our family and community, and how the capitalistic system reduces our lives into quantifiable dollar amounts, and that is what truly impoverishes us; emotionally, socially and spiritually. Check out my SONGS TO CHEW podcast. It's free. I'm Peter Alsop. I'll be back with a new song each week.
-
Follow this Songs To Chew podcast ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
http://www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
This week begins our 'Happy Holidays', so from my 'Chris Moose Holidays' album, we'll listen to "The Night Before Hannukah", about Santa showing up in a Jewish home. I received an invitation to a 'Weinukkah' celebration from a couple of wonderful actor friends. I asked what a 'Weinukkah' celebration was, and they said an old German refugee woman told them she didn’t know she was Jewish when she was a child. Her family didn't practice Judaism in Germany because of the Nazis. Once they were safely out of Germany, they celebrated 'Weinukkah' as Hanukkah and Christmas together. They were grateful for both faiths in their lives, and they wanted to keep both secular traditions alive. My friends were doing the same! This world of ours is so full of wonderful, diverse human traditions and beliefs and stories, that can enrich all of us. Especially the stories about how we struggle to make sure that more dominant cultures do not gobble up and absorb our own sacred stories and traditions. That's called 'cultural appropriation'! All of our many cultures are equally remarkable and valuable. If we share and pass things on with an alive curiosity and educate each other about the sources of our stories and songs, we can protect each other's heritage stories, which show us the many paths we've taken to arrive at where we are now.
-
This weekly Songs To Chew podcast ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
My new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~ https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
http://www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
On SONGS TO CHEW today we'll check out "Let's Go On Safari, Into My Sister's Nose". As a performer, if I want to get kids' attention, I just have to mention "boogers" or "underwear", and they'll start laughin'! It never fails! This is a great song to let our imaginations run wild, and it also gives us a chance to think about 'teasing'. Teasing is "playing with someone else's pain without their permission." When we make fun of someone, about something embarrassing they've done or some characteristic they have, it can really hurt. I think it's okay if friends tease each other, because there's a caring relationship that exists. If we go too far, they can say, "C'mon, that's not funny for me right now. It still hurts." Our response hopefully would be, "Okay, yeah, that was too much. I'm sorry. I won't do that again." Often our excuse is, "I wouldn't tease you if I didn't 'like' you." And the response to that is: "If you like me so much, why don't you just tell me, instead of teasing me." It's easier for us 'guys' to tease someone than it is to reveal our real feelings. Hopefully we can change some of that and be more careful about 'playing with other people's pain'. I'll be back next week with another song. Bye for now!
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
Get my new CAMPING WITH DADS album! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today we'll listen to a song called "Eulogy". It touches on how we feel when there's been a significant loss in our lives. Fans tell me they've played this song at funerals for their loved ones. With all the CoVid deaths soaring around us, our mortality is very present in ways that it wasn't before this pandemic hit. Death is very scary for most of us. I've lived with Death standing just off my left shoulder since I was seven years old. All Death had to do was reach out and touch me from an arm's length away, and I'm gone. Having Death as a companion, without being morbid or obsessed about it can be very helpful for us. Having Death that close to me, has helped me choose how to live my life. I'm in the middle of a heated argument with my wife about something, and I look over and see Death reaching out slowly toward my shoulder, with a little grin. Suddenly my "need to be right and win this argument" seems amazingly petty and unimportant. So, I choose to stop, and give my wife a hug. And Death, with a little shrug, slowly withdraws its boney finger. And I'm still here, "fiddle-dee-dee!" My SONGS TO CHEW podcast is free and weekly. Hope you stop by.
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
Get my new CAMPING WITH DADS album for your family! ~ help Dads teach our sons! https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads&qid=1602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1-
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today we'll listen to a song I recorded back in 1981 on my UNIFORMS album, "Hopelessly Heterosexual". I first played it in public at the 5th National Conference of the National Organization of Men Against Sexism. I'd written lots of songs about gender and human sexuality, and I wanted to make sure that my humor wasn't inadvertently stepping on anyone's toes, or being politically insensitive. The discussion after the concert was wonderful and eye-opening. I've had many wise women and gay men in my life who've helped me understand that even though I have privileges as a heterosexual male, I don't have to accept or indulge myself with them. Amen!!
-
Get my new CAMPING WITH DADS album for your family! ~ help Dads teach our sons! https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1-
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
https://www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
On today's SONGS TO CHEW podcast we'll listen to "Dads 'N Boys" from my CAMPING WITH DADS album. We grow-up in patriarchal cultures from all around the world, and we learn that 'real men' NEVER do anything that a girl does, like 'caring for others'. We learn that's 'not cool!' This song lists many traits that Dads and boys have, and it reminds us that to build a more caring world, Dads and Boys need to learn to 'widen our own circle of caring', instead of staying stuck in a childlike focus on ourselves, where our "circle of caring stays the size of our belt". Check it out for a laugh; share with your friends, and stop by again next week for another Song To Chew! Bye for now!
- Get my new CAMPING WITH DADS album for your family! ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads&qid=1602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1-
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today we'll listen to a song I didn't write. It's by my friend Stuart Stotts who plays one of the dads on my CAMPING WITH DADS album. It's called "Different Choice". The hidden messages we learn about male privilege and entitlements are so subtle and deeply woven into the cultures we grew up with, that it's difficult to "tease" them out of the fabric of our childhood. CAMPING WITH DADS is designed to bring them out into the light of day on our musical camping expedition. Stuart models the courage, the love, the perseverance and understanding that a caring Dad might use to help his kids learn that they don't have to do the first thing that pops into their heads when something comes up. They can pause, and survey other ideas they might have about how best to proceed in any given situation. We want our boys to consider the range of consequences their behaviors might create, especially those involving girls or young women. Those consequences need to include what the other person feels, and what the results of his behavior might bring upon her. So like Stuart Stotts, let's listen to our kids, and as world citizens, consider the consequences of actions we take that aren't working, and come up with a 'Different Choice'.
-
New! my CAMPING WITH DADS album ~ https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today we'll listen to "It's Only A Wee-Wee, So What's The Big Deal?" It's a song about gender, written in 1981, and it's still sweeping the Montessori schools of the country! My old buddy Utah Phillips used to sing this one. He called it, "a full bore, overhead cam, spoke wire-wheels, no holds barred damn kids song!" I love playing it because it generates discussions about the ways that boys around the world have entitlements and privileges that girls don't, and how our patriarchal culture, besides favoring males, teaches our girls ways to manipulate boys in order to 'level the playing field' a bit. Fortunately, lots of these lessons are being rejected by all genders now! Hooray! Check out a great video of this song at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EgDV23Tj0A (You can sing-along too!)
- New! my CAMPING WITH DADS album ~
https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter%20Alsop%20Camping%20With%20Dads&qid=1602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1-
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com / https://www.peteralsop.com
-
www.FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
My SONG TO CHEW today is"Gotta Be Somewhere", the last song on my CAMPING WITH DADS album. I thought it would be wonderful to finish the album with a song that is both a recap of our camping adventure, and a charming existential mystery about whether or not we ever went on the trip at all! Ever been somewhere that you wish you weren't? It can be miserable!! But why choose stress? If we tell ourselves "well, ... I gotta be somewhere", ... all of a sudden, things look much better, right? So think of this, as a tool you can keep handy, right on the top of your toolbox. Pull it our whenever you need it! Thanks for stopping by. I'll bid you a fond "adieu" until next week when we will have another "SONG TO CHEW".
-
NEW! my CAMPING WITH DADS album ~ https://www.amazon.com/Camping-Dads-Peter-Alsop/dp/B08CS871QW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Peter+Alsop+Camping+With+Dads&qid=1602558931&s=dmusic&sr=1-1
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ https://peteralsop.com
-
FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~ http://www.peteralsop.com/music
Today we check out "I Brought A Gorilla Home" from my CAMPING WITH DADS album. Kids love to feel they've got control of things around them, because in real family life, they often don't have much control. When I'd take my kids to a zoo, I'd watch the great apes behind the shatter-proof glass or surrounded by an outdoor moat. I'd watch their eyes follow us. Kinda like being in "the slammer", but they haven't done anything wrong. They just got caught. We control everything about them, their food, their sleep, their mating, their comings and goings. And the idea of bringing one home with me is enchanting! Most Dads have been raised with our male privileges and entitlements. We have access to freedoms that we've taken for granted so long, that we don't even notice them. As we grow older, and maybe have children of our own, hopefully our "circle of caring" grows too, so when we see the plights of others, humans and animals, who don't have our access, we can feel empathy for them, because we've grown more aware of our own privileges. Everyone wants to be free. Doesn't that sound like some good stuff to talk about with our kids? Check out my CAMPING WITH DADS album online at peteralsop.com. For now, wash yer paws, wear a mask, vote early, and bring your friends! See ya next week!
-
https://peteralsop.hearnow.com ~ my NEW! CAMPING WITH DADS album
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ www.peteralsop.com
-
FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
This weeks song is "I Wear Pink" by Steve Denyes, from my CAMPING WITH DADS album. The Dads on the album talk with the kids about all the "Spose-tahs" we grew up with. We were taught that boys were never 'spose-tah' wear pink and that girls were 'spose-tah' only do girl-things", mostly with other girls! Lots of the 'spose-tahs' have changed, but they're still there! They come from our families and schools and churches and other people around us who get nervous when 'the rules' are questioned. Social systems need rules to function, but they work best when the people in the system understand why the rules were made. I think we need to find out why some rules don't work so well, and then we can change them if they need changing. This is a great song to use with our kids to bring up some of the social pressures they face, so together, we can figure out better ways to deal with them. Please tell your friends and family about this SONGS TO CHEW podcast. I'll be back next week with another song, ... for now, be safe!
-
Peteralsop.hearnow.com ~ my NEW! CAMPING WITH DADS album
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ www.peteralsop.com
-
Facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
Today's SONG TO CHEW is "Asleep At The Helm". It's clear that many of the men 'at the helms' of our "ships of state" around the world have been running us onto the rocks! It's past time for us men to put aside any of our 'dinosaur-type' thinking, and ask our feminist sisters to take over and chart some different courses to safer harbors; - where women's healthcare is defined by what women need, not by what men allow; - where a person's value is weighed by what's in our heart, and not by how much money is in our pocket; - where elected officials don't lie to our constituencies, and support rich backers, but rather stand up for the needs of our people, and reflect and value the different cultures that we represent; - where people no longer live under the threat of nuclear annihilation; - where we receive quality health care as a right, supported and run by our government; - where children and youth are valued and well fed, ... and where kids learn how to value themselves, because the adults around them know how to do that as well; - where all the diverse people value our many cultures, races, religions, sexual orientations and identities, blended and shared with each other. And it's not just a place, it's a state of mind that reflects on what we do and how we do it, so we can alter and change systems around us, and fix them to work more fairly and better for all of us. With the willingness to listen and pay attention, and the courage to take action, we can make changes that will lift us all. Please register and vote, and get your friends to the polls, especially if they've been "Asleep At The Helm"!
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ www.peteralsop.com
-
FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
New! CAMPING WITH DADS and Peter's other albums https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
Today's SONG TO CHEW is "Spit Ball" from my "Camping With Dads" album. My eleven-year-old grandaughter, Quinnlyn, sings it with me. It's about escalation and revenge. At school, we used to chew up paper, make it gooey, then flick it on our finger at another kid, who then flicked their own spit balls back at us. It was gross and mostly boys who did it. Kids may not know the word "escalation", but all we need to do, ... is describe how someone starts with a shove, and the person who gets shoved feels attacked and shoves back harder. Then the first person wants to "get even", ... so they shove or hit back even harder, that's called "escalation". Kids understand that concept. This is a song about how we can stop that process. As Quinn sings, ... "I know revenge is wrong, but if I do something back, I know we'll never get along! So it 'stops with me', 'cause when no one takes the blame, we all do the same things over, and over, and things always end the same!"
Thanks for stopping by SONGS TO CHEW. If you'd like to help me sponsor it, you can support my music by going to Patreon.com and becoming one of my patrons. Let your friends know about this podcast and my newest CAMPING WITH DADS album, ... or recommend any of my other albums that you might have enjoyed. They're all still available as download or CDs. I'll be back again next week with another SONG TO CHEW. Be safe. Don't forget to vote early. Bye for now.
-
https://peteralsop.hearnow.com ~ my NEW! CAMPING WITH DADS album
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ www.peteralsop.com
-
FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
Today's SONG TO CHEW is "Buddies" from my UNIFORMS album. This song is for buddies who love each other, regardless of their gender. It works well to generate discussions about homophobia and sexual orientationism. When I wrote this song back in 1978, there was homophobia all around us. There have been lots of feminist men's songwriters and performers writing wonderful songs that shed light on ways men can live our lives expressing love and support for one another. Please let your friends know about this SONGS TO CHEW podcast. It's free. I'll be back next week with another song from my new CAMPING WITH DADS album! So, be safe, and please register to vote and bring your friends! I'm Peter Alsop. See you next week. (Illustration by #TerriAsher)
-
https://peteralsop.hearnow.com ~ my NEW! CAMPING WITH DADS album
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ www.peteralsop.com
-
FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CD albums & downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
This week's Song To Chew from my CAMPING WITH DADS album is "Stronga". I made up the word to remind us that our old stories about "male strength" don't include the concept that 'true strength' has an element of empathy for those who don't have the same strength and access that we do. It takes real "stronga" strength to pay attention and hold back our advantage, so someone else can be lifted and helped. When someone goes out of their way to give us a break or help us when they didn't have to, it's treasured, and love is part of that. "Stronga strength" is not selfish. I'm hoping parents and their kids will listen to this album together, and talk about the ideas in the songs and discussions.
-
https://peteralsop.hearnow.com ~ my NEW! CAMPING WITH DADS album
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ peteralsop.com
-
FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
Today's SONG TO CHEW is "Buckdancer's Daddy". Thought we might take a break from politics, but I know that politics isn't something "out there somewhere", away from us. It's part of the everyday fabric of our lives. We learn political skills watching our how our parents deal with life. This song's based on a true story from my friend Beverly Cotten-Dillard. Byron Berline and John Hickman play fiddle and banjo with us. The story helps us remember how each of us diverse humans are tasked with doing our own little dances here on this bumbly beautiful world of ours. Please let your friends know about this SONGS TO CHEW podcast. It's free. I'll be back next week with another song from my new CAMPING WITH DADS album! Bye for now, be safe! (Illustration by #TerriAsher )
-
Peteralsop.hearnow.com ~ my NEW! CAMPING WITH DADS album
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ peteralsop.com
-
FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
This week we've got another SONG TO CHEW from my new CAMPING WITH DADS album. It's designed to help us Dads raise our own consciousness about some of the messages we inherited from our Dads; to help us do a better job of helping our boys understand the need to respect and care for our daughters, ... and ourselves.
My Dad used to say, "Peter! You need a good talkin' to!", but I think what I really needed was a good listenin' to! Instead of giving us a lecture, or spanking us, he could have asked us why we did what we did. That kind of information can help a parent be better able to help their child. So I wrote "You Need A Good Listenin' To!" Thanks for stopping by. See you next week with more SONGS TO CHEW.
-
Peteralsop.hearnow.com ~ my NEW! CAMPING WITH DADS album
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ peteralsop.com
-
FaceBook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
Today's SONG TO CHEW was inspired by "The Waltons" television show about a depression era family that always seemed to look at the bright side of things! That's a great attitude for us these days, to help us get through the challenging stuff going on around us. It's called "One Less Mouth To Feed" about "reframing adversity", written from the point of view of John Walton, the Dad. Here's a link to me singing at a Walton's Reunion in 2015: https://youtu.be/67vBB202wQo
I write a lot of humorous songs, but I never use humor that has victims. The best humor's when we join and meet each other; where our humanity overlaps with some of our ridiculous behaviors! When life gets "too hard", if we're gonna survive, sometimes we just have to reframe a few things, like Pa Walton, ... pick ourselves up, and go on.
-
Peteralsop.hearnow.com ~ my NEW! CAMPING WITH DADS album
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ peteralsop.com
-
Facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~ https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
Today's SONG TO CHEW is the world premiere of "Skin Color"; a "hot-off-the-press" song from my new CAMPING WITH DADS album! Helps adults talk with kids about racism. The entire album is designed for Dads to raise our sons' awareness of the need to respect our daughters, (and ourselves!) Gerald Rivers sings this one with me, along with some kids and the other Dads. Singing "our choices get fewer, the darker we are!" gets us discussing how and when we need to speak up for friends, who don't have the privileges we do. When we see racist behaviors around us, we 'call it out', and take some action to stop it when it happens.
-
Peteralsop.hearnow.com ~ my NEW! CAMPING WITH DADS album
-
E-mail/ Website ~ peter@peteralsop.com ~ www.peteralsop.com
-
Facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Youtube.com/peteralsop ~ videos
-
Patreon.com/peteralsop ~ support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
CDs & downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
Today's Song to Chew is my song "Uniforms", about our costumes. Most of us pick what we wear every day. Some of us choose to stand out, ... some of us choose to blend in. What 'uniform' did you put on this morning? Thanks to all my subscribers! Here's what's new and how to reach me! Bye for now!
-
NEW! CAMPING WITH DADS - "teaching our sons how to respect our daughters"~ peteralsop.hearnow.com
-
Songs To Chew ~ subscribe - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
E-mail~ peter@peteralsop.com
-
Website~ www.peteralsop.com
-
Subscribe~ https://podcasts.apple.com/…/peter-alsops-song…/id1446179156
-
FaceBook~ facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Videos~ youtube.com/peteralsop
-
Support my music, podcast & other artistic endeavors~patreon.com/peteralsop
-
CDs & downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR0rgDfA5z6CrrxsADzPOfMEde8EyqPp6LZjWH1gqAJJ92OXlQ96jRpLNpk
Today's SONG TO CHEW, "My Body", has actually saved some kids lives. It's still being used to help children learn to protect themselves from abduction and sexual abuse all over the world. We want to be a safe place for our kids to discuss ANYTHING, but if we send the message that we only want to hear “okay” things from kids, ... we may shut out a child who needs to talk to us about something that is not “okay”.
Find me on FaceBook at WE LIKE PETER ALSOP or peteralsop.com. Check out my new CAMPING WITH DADS story-album with songs that help Dads raise our sons's awareness of how to care for others and behave in ways that respect our daughters - https://peteralsop.hearnow.com
Help support my music, this Songs To Chew podcast, and our other artistic endeavors here: https://www.patreon.com/peteralsop
Thanks for stopping by! Please subscribe and bring some friends. See ya next week!
Today, ... we'll listen to a song I recorded in 1977 about a native American World War II veteran. His story was like that of many other indigenous Americans. With our current spotlight on racism and racial injustice in our country, ... I thought it would be good to "chew on" this song for a bit. Find me on Facebook at WE LIKE PETER ALSOP, or email me at peter@peteralsop.com. I'd love to hear any of your thoughts or suggestions. My new album, "CAMPING WITH DADS" is finally out ~ peteralsop.hearnow.com . Stay safe, ... see you next week. And keep singin'!
Today we'll listen to my "Homely Friend" song. It's not about "ugly people", it's about the word "homely", which originally referred to something or someone who felt and looked "homemade". We see their flaws, but we feel at home with 'em anyway. As we spend more time at home these days, we have an opportunity to see how the galloping pace of our everyday life may have caused us to overlook the love we have with the most important people in our lives, ... our most "homely" friends and family! And now we can fix that! Hooray!
-
CAMPING WITH DADS, my new album is now available for pre-sales! Our theme is: "teaching our sons, so our daughters no longer need #MeToo". To pre-order, e-mail peter@peteralsop.com
-
So far, this podcast is FREE! Please subscribe at ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
FaceBook ~ https://www.facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Music videos ~ www.youtube.com/peteralsop
-
CDs or downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
Today's SONGS TO CHEW is "Lists", an uninhibited, non-sexist love song from my SONGS ON SEX & SEXUALITY and my ASLEEP AT THE HELM albums. I wrote this for Ellen, my wife, ... when we first got together. It's for all you 'list-makers' out there!
Please let your friends know about my podcast. You can find me on Facebook at WE LIKE PETER ALSOP. I'll be back next week, with another Song To Chew. Meanwhile, ... don't fegit t'wear your mask, ... wash yer paws, ... and stay 6 feet apart! Be safe. Bye for now.
-
CAMPING WITH DADS, my new album has ; about "teaching our sons, so our daughters no longer need #MeToo". If you'd like to pre-order one, ... e-mail me ~ peter@peteralsop.com
-
SONGS TO CHEW is FREE. Go to this link, hit "listen on Apple Podcasts" then "subscribe"
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
FaceBook ~ https://www.facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Music videos ~ www.youtube.com/peteralsop
-
CDs or downloads
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
This week’s episode is a true story about a single foster parent’s struggle to adopt a child. Our current 'sheltering in place' provides many of us with an opportunity to relate to Gary's 'loneliness', and review our lives so far. Many of us find ourselves thinking about how we might want to redirect our lives and widen our circle of care. So here, ... from my UNIFORMS album, ...is this week's SONG TO CHEW, ... Gary Wall.
Thanks for stopping by. Please tell your friends about my podcast. Find me on Facebook at WE LIKE PETER ALSOP. I'll be back next week, with another Song To Chew. Bye for now, ... stay safe.
-
CAMPING WITH DADS, my new album will be out in July; "Teaching our sons, so our daughters no longer need #MeToo" If you'd like to pre-order one, ... e-mail me ~ peter@peteralsop.com,
-
SONGS TO CHEW is FREE. Go to this link, hit "listen on Apple Podcasts" then "subscribe"
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
FaceBook ~ https://www.facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Music videos ~ www.youtube.com/peteralsop
-
CDs or downloads
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
This week's Song To Chew is "All Used Up", written by my old buddy Utah Phillips. It was his birthday last week. He was one of my teachers. Homelessness and poverty were real important to Utah, as they are to us these days, so in his spirit and memory, ... here's his Song To Chew from my DRAW THE LINE album.
Please tell your friends about my podcast. You can find me on Facebook at WE LIKE PETER ALSOP. I'll be back next week, with another Song To Chew. Stay safe.
-
CAMPING WITH DADS, my new album is coming out; about passing on healthier male messages to our boys. If you'd like to pre-order one, ... e-mail me ~ peter@peteralsop.com
-
SONGS TO CHEW is FREE ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
FaceBook ~ https://www.facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Music videos ~ www.youtube.com/peteralsop
-
CDs or downloads ~
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
Today's SONG TO CHEW, "When You Ask Me First", is about male difficulties with relinquishing control in the bedroom; from my first feminist album, ASLEEP AT THE HELM.
You can find information on ASLEEP, or my new album, CAMPING WITH DADS at my website ~ peteralsop.com, or look for me on Amazon. Big changes going on in our old stories! Stay safe, wear your mask, keep singin' and hang on! Bye for now!
Got a new album! "Camping With Dads", about passing on male messages to our boys, healthier than those we learned growing up! Email me ~ peter@peteralsop.com, if you'd like to pre-order.
- SONGS TO CHEW is FREE. Go to this link, hit "listen on Apple Podcasts" then "subscribe"
~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
FaceBook ~ https://www.facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Music videos ~ www.youtube.com/peteralsop
-
CDs or downloads
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
Almost all the songs I perform are songs that I've written, ... but today's song, "Ev'rbody's Goin' For The Money" is by Spider John Koerner. He influenced my style of guitar playing and songwriting. I added this line, ... "So why sing a song about money? Why think about our way of life? Cause it’s time to face that the human race, needs something more than money to survive!" Good song to chew on!
Got a new album coming out soon! "Camping With Dads", not 'just for kids'! To pre-order, e-mail me ~ peter@peteralsop.com
- SONGS TO CHEW is FREE. Go to this link, hit "listen on Apple Podcasts" then "subscribe"
~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
FaceBook ~ https://www.facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Music videos ~ www.youtube.com/peteralsop
-
CDs or downloads
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
On our SONGS TO CHEW this week, we play "Ghosts", about a break-up. With self-reflection, a painful separation can bring wisdom, ... and the hopefully the resolution to avoid the same blindness in the future.
Oh! I have a new album coming out soon, ... "Camping With Dads", ... all new songs, not 'just for kids'! I expect it will encourage some lively family discussions! Please email me if you'd like to pre-order a download or a CD. See you next week, with another Song To Chew. Be safe, bye for now.
-
Email ~ peter@peteralsop.com. I'd love to hear from you!
-
This podcast is FREE, wherever you get your podcasts. Hit "follow or subscribe"!
~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156
-
FaceBook ~ https://www.facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop
-
Music videos ~ www.youtube.com/peteralsop
-
CDs or downloads
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
The realization that we're mortal, gives us the opportunity to see how each one of our little moments, ... alive in this beautiful world of ours, ... is an incredible and delicate gift we each hold briefly in our hands. This week's SONG TO CHEW is "Mr. D", from my FAN CLUB FAVORITES album. ~ Facebook ~ https://www.facebook.com/WeLikePeterAlsop ~ email me at peter@peteralsop.com ~ for this podcast ~
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ for Music videos ~ www.youtube.com/peteralsop ~ for CDs or downloads ~ https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
Don't fegit t'wash yer paws! Bye for now!
Today's "Song to Chew" is the title cut from my DRAW THE LINE album. ~ How do we make a choice about where, ... and when, to actually "draw the line"? What will prompt us to take individual action to change the course of human events? Our kids? Or do we leave it up to someone else, while we "get up and go to work, ... just like everything is fine?" From 1980, ... still very relevant today!
This podcast is FREE ~ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ or wherever you get your podcasts. Hit "follow or subscribe" to get access to all my songs! Music videos ~ www.youtube.com/peteralsop CDs or downloads ~ https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
On this week’s SONGS TO CHEW we’ll listen to “Atomic Waste" from my DRAW THE LINE album, written forty years ago, and Hey!, ... still relevant today! Oh Boy!
Please share this podcast with anyone who might enjoy chewing on a song with us, (homeschoolers, teachers, therapists, college professors?) It's free, ~ just hit the podcast icon on your phone, or, on your computer go to: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/peter-alsops-songs-to-chew/id1446179156 ~ or wherever you get your podcasts. Hit "follow or subscribe to get access to all my songs!
My albums are still available as CDs or downloads at:
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
And you can also see videos of my songs on www.YouTube.com/peteralsop, ... please subscribe, 'cause with 1000 subscribers, I get "streaming" opportunities!
Take care of yourselves and your loved ones. See you again next week.
-
Today's Song To Chew, "Dancin' At The Revolution" is from my UNIFORMS album, inspired by Emma Goldman, a famous anarchist writer who said “If they’re not dancin’ at this revolution, ... I’m not coming!” Reminds me of Bernie and AOC!
-
This podcast is free at peteralsop.podbean.com, or wherever you get your podcasts. Please "follow or subscribe to get you access to all my songs! CD's are still available at: https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
-
Reach me at peter@peteralsop.com, ... if you have any suggestions or comments. Even though we're 'sheltering at home', we can still keep dancin’ and singin’! Bye for now!
For this episode of SONGS TO CHEW, we'll listen to "Gone For Good", from my FAN CLUB FAVORITES album. Been noticing a lot of “blaming” going on in the news lately. Let’s listen, and see if we can figure out who's to blame! Hah! Past time for a good laugh, eh?
Please subscribe if you like my songs, ... they're free and available at peteralsop.podbean.com,. or wherever you get your podcasts. Your subscription will get you access to all my songs! My albums & dvds are also available at:
https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
Don't fergit t'wash yer paws!
On this week’s SONGS TO CHEW podcast, I’ve got a song I wrote and played at the AFL-CIO’s National Convention in December of 1977. Union membership was diverse, gender and race-wise, ... but union management was mostly all white men. The best way for me to say something about that, was to write a song! So here’s the AFL-CIO LOVE SONG performed live at McCabe’s Guitar Shop a year later.
These episodes of my podcast are kind of a “free course on life skills” with music! Get ‘em wherever you get your podcasts; or go to peteralsop.podbean.com ~ download a free player and subscribe for access to all my songs! Albums & dvds available at: https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D:S:ANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D:S:ANO1ljLfKDA
Don't fergit t'wash yer paws!
Today’s song is called “Strength”, about what happens in the aftermath of a divorce. It was a turning point in my musical career, as I had to ask myself “why am I writing this song?”
This podcast is free, wherever you get your podcasts; or go to peteralsop.podbean.com ~ download a free player and subscribe, and you’ll have access to all my songs. My albums & dvds are available for purchase at: https://play.google.com/store/music/collection/cluster?clp=sgMjCiEKG0FwYm1uNHBnMmV3NDVtY2tsa3dvZzR0aHN0cRADGAI%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLvD7o&gsr=CiayAyMKIQobQXBibW40cGcyZXc0NW1ja2xrd29nNHRoc3RxEAMYAg%3D%3D%3AS%3AANO1ljLfKDA&fbclid=IwAR09L1ehPrTXC57tusT7yRpoT7iTxgFccVnxHYVq3ApbnD2oAJeVMohTggQ
This week’s SONG TO CHEW is “Man Oh Man I Can!” for adults, songwriters and comedians with “questionable good taste”, ... on the timely theme of “dating a manikin, rather than sheltering alone”, ... from my very first album recorded live at Bob Stane’s Ice House in Pasadena, California in 1975.
On this week’s SONGS TO CHEW we listen to “Baby Needs A Parent” from my 1981 album, UNIFORMS. Good parenting models strength and gentleness in Moms & Dads, together or single!
If you already listen to my podcasts while you “shelter at home”, please, ... share 'em with your friends! They're free wherever you get podcasts; type in Peter Alsop's Songs To Chew, or go to: peteralsop.podbean.com ~ subscribe or follow, and you get all 69 episodes, with a new one each week! My albums & dvds are available at: https://store.cdbaby.com/artist/peteralsop- Bye for now!
This week’s SONG TO CHEW is one of my earliest feminist songs, “Doin’ It For You”. It's a satire of a macho guy explaining to his girlfriend that all his self-centered behaviors are things he does for “her own good". I wrote it to help other guy’s raise their consciousness a bit. See what you think, ... over the line? Or right on?
If you’re sheltering at home and want some free, insightful entertainment, then click on this link peteralsop.podbean.com ~ it’s free! (Or find me wherever you get you own podcasts, like on your phone) ~ then subscribe/ or follow, and you can check out all my other SONGS TO CHEW episodes too. All my albums and dvds are available at https://store.cdbaby.com/artist/peteralsop.
This week’s SONG TO CHEW is “Let The Woman In You Come Through”, one of my classic feminist men’s songs from my 1977 Flying Fish album, ASLEEP AT THE HELM. The song is supportive advice from a man to his friend. When it first came out, we got quite a bit of radio airplay because most people had never heard a man sing about how boys and men, struggle to make sense of the very limited gender-specific ways we were expected to act. “We had to choose between acting like Woody Allen or John Wayne, ... and most of us weren’t interested in acting like either one of them!”
Our lives can become very clear, when we see something traumatic happen to someone else. Our SONG TO CHEW this week is OUR DOG BIT OUR CAT, based on an actual true event that happened in my home.
This week’s SONGS TO CHEW podcast takes us back to my 1977 version of the “Young Woman Disco”, based on Meredith Tax’s feminist parody of the old folk song, “There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly!” This is our 65th episode, ... and it’s free! (So far!). Subscribe/follow at peteralsop.podbean.com for more episodes. Bye for now!
The SONG TO CHEW this week, from my River Of Life album, ... is “GMO Cafe’” ~ When we buy food, we have no way of knowing if the products have GMOs in them or not, because big Ag companies stop laws that require proper labeling! That got me thinking, ... if there’s really no public harm involved in the consumption of GMO foods, ... then why would the big food companies bother to do this?!
Today is Valentine’s Day, so we’re going to listen to a song from my "Disciples Of PerFection" album, … “Hard Love”. There’s plenty for us to “chew on” in this song! ~ “Hit songs are all easy love songs, lovers fight, they make up, they rejoice. But I never knew what hard love was, ‘til I had to make that hard choice." ~ Hard love helps us find our heart. Please “follow/subscribe” at peteralsop.podbean.com. ~ You’ll get a free song and personal “inspiration” each week. I’m Peter Alsop, and I approve of this message.
This episode of SONGS TO CHEW, is a satirical song I wrote in 2005 called “I’m Lucky”, ... dedicated it all of us pragmatic, entitled white guys who just want to call 'em like we see 'em! (Even without witnesses!). For more, ~ peteralsop.podbean.com ~ hit “follow” and my catalogue is yours. Thanks for stopping by. Please share this weekly podcast with anyone you know who might want to chew on a song with us!
The song we’ll “chew on” in this episode is “Just Capital”, about looking closely at our capitalistic financial and economic system, … to see if we might want to make some changes there that will benefit us humans living together here on this planet. For FREE access to all my songs, click on: peteralsop.podbean.com, and hit “follow/ subscribe”.
For this week’s SONGS TO CHEW podcast I’ve picked a song that’s a bit different than what I usually write. It’s from my RIVER OF LIFE album, “Topanga”. The chewable question to ask, is “can we allow ourselves to feel happy in our geodesic dome house, living in our predominantly white village, even though we know how the rest of the world struggles to survive on less than one tenth of the resources we expend on our own unsustainable privileged ways?”
Today’s SONGS TO CHEW podcast is about my song “Me And You” from my RIVER OF LIFE album. People don’t like to be told how or what to think. I believe that’s one of the reasons we’re so politically polarized in our country these days. So if someone asks me why I do what I do, I start off by sayin’, “Now you don’t need to ‘see it my way’, if you can, ‘see my way’, … and I’m interested in ‘seeing your way’ too." Might not agree, but at least we’re talkin’!
This week on my SONGS TO CHEW podcast, I’ve got a song about a young activist named Emily May and her group of friends who work to Stop Street Harrassment and Bullying all around the world. They’re called Hollaback, … and so’s this song!
On my SONGS TO CHEW podcast this week, we’ll hear a song from my RIVER OF LIFE album called “Good Book”. It’s a very useful book for all of us here in the United States, and it’s not about the Bible. It’s a book written by Dr. Gene Sharp, called “How Non-violent Struggle Works.” It’s a step by step explanation of how to overthrow a dictator, especially useful in our world now, where strong-men dictators feel they can run rough-shod over the people who live in their countries.
This week’s SONG TO CHEW is “We’re Here For You”, from my River Of Life album. It’s inspired by the courageous and caring women I know who work at the National Women’s Health Network and in various FWHC’s ~ Feminist Women’s Health Centers around our country, caring, supporting, protecting and promoting all women’s right to quality health care in our society. It’s a PSA ~ public service announcement for FWHC’S! Find one in your neighborhood!
Hi, … I’m Peter Alsop. On my SONGS TO CHEW podcast this week, we’ll play the title cut from my RIVER OF LIFE album. So many of the projects we take on in our lives, work better when we do them with other people; not always easier, but with better results.
On this week’s SONGS TO CHEW podcast, we’ll play “Handful Of Moonlight”, … especially appropriate in this holiday season, when our world desperately needs to heal divisiveness and encourage much more kindness and love. I wrote this song for my wife about ten years ago in the middle of a warm summer night.
This week our SONGS TO CHEW podcast covers the title cut from my DISCIPLES OF PERfECTION album. It’s wonderful when people come up with insightful analyses and extraordinary solutions to solve overwhelming problems, but when people in power, with wealth or in privileged political or military positions, or religious leaders, or captains of industry, … (usually men), when these people believe that theirs is “the perfect system”, they also fear that they might not be able to control people who don’t believe as they do. This is the way of fascism.
If you’ve ever enjoyed my songs, you might want to purchase one of my CDs or DVDs for someone you love this holiday season, to share the joy. All of my albums and videos and songbooks are available for purchase at my site - peteralsop.com, as downloads or actual physical things! Please reflect on any kindnesses you’ve received in your own life, and pass them on as a form of gratitude. We so desperately need kindnesses in our world these days. Bye for now!! ~ Peter
It’s time for another episode of Peter Alsop’s SONGS TO CHEW. This week’s song is “Breath”, from my adult album, DISCIPLES OF PERfECTION. It ponders a simple questions, … about what we choose to value as important in our lives. As life cycles around us, each new breath brings us another opportunity to reflect on our decisions and change our behaviors.
Hi! … It’s me, Peter Alsop with my SONGS TO CHEW podcast for this week! Another song for adults from my DISCIPLES OF PERfECTION album; “The Bank”. We’ll take a look at one of the complex social systems within which we live, … the concept of money and the bizarre logic we find when we wander into some of banking’s mysterious protocols! Please tell your friends and family about this podcast, and email me at peter@peteralsop.com with any suggestions or comments.
It’s Peter Alsop, back again with my SONGS TO CHEW podcast with a song for adults and teens, called “Let’s Not Do This Anymore” about men who are violent with women. It’s from my RIVER OF LIFE album, and based on a real life experience I had while camping with my family.
This week on my SONGS TO CHEW podcast we have a song for adults from my DISCIPLES OF PERfECTION album called “The Guitar”. I wrote it for PIE IN THE SKY, a musical we did at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in 1987 about the dangers of nuclear energy, based on the old fable about “The Pied Piper of Hamlin”.
Peter Alsop here, with my Songs To Chew podcast with our final episode of “Family Roles”, my live concert at the “Power Of Laughter & Play” Conference in Anaheim, CA. Here’s three more classic songs to help us make more conscious choices about how we want to live our lives; “It’s Only A Wee-Wee, So What’s The Big Deal”, “My Body” and “Take A Step”. C’mon by!
Today on my SONGS TO CHEW podcast we’ll pick up with Chapter 4 of my live Family Roles concert at a “Power Of Laughter & Play” conference for human service professionals. We’ll look at the Lost Child and the Mascot roles with “My Little Clock” (sung by my daughter, Willow Geer) and “If You’ve Got Something Wrong With You, Then You’re Okay!” Bring friends!
We’ve been listening to FAMILY ROLES, my live concert at the “Power of Laughter and Play” conference, and this week we’ll hear Chapter 3, with a song for perfectionists, and one of my favorites, …“Don’t Put Your Hand In My Pants, Just ‘Cause We’re In Love”!
Hi. Peter Alsop here with Chapter Two of my live concert, FAMILY ROLES for this week’s episode of my SONGS TO CHEW podcast. We’ve got a Bob Blue song, “High Standards” about a Dad who demands “A’s” from his kid, and a slice of my presentation for 800 human service professionals. This podcast opens a free door to all of my albums and new songs. Click on: https://peteralsop.podbean.com, hit "Follow or Download" and we’ll have a visit! (Illustration by Terri Asher)
This week’s “SONGS TO CHEW” podcast is Chapter One of my FAMILY ROLES concert presentation for 800 people at a “Laughter and Play” Conference with my daughter Willow. Come laugh with us!
This week’s Peter Alsop’s SONGS TO CHEW features “If Jesus Had A Gun”. Would that be a bad thing if He never shot anyone? How would God feel about Jesus packing side arms? Wonder how God feels about us and our nukes? Sometimes it helps to ask the “grown-ups” questions from a kid’s perspective. See what you think!
Hi. I’m Peter Alsop, and this is my SONGS TO CHEW podcast. Today is our 5th & final Chapter of “In The Hospital”. @Bill Harley tells his “Castle Dream” story, and we chew on songs about sleeping and healing. To get your own free weekly episodes, just click on: https://peteralsop.podbean.com a35nd hit follow! Next week we’ll be back with another song just for adults. Okay, … you ready?
Today’s SONGS TO CHEW podcast is Chapter 4 of “In The Hospital”, with a song about a boy named Samit, … who shrinks himself down to a size of a grain of sand, … so small, that he can go into his own blood stream on a stallion and fight with a Dragon that’s inside of him! Whoa!! We turn needles into noodles, and sing “New Ground”, because when we lose something we love, … if we keep our eyes open, we always find new and beautiful things all around us!
This week’s podcast of SONGS TO CHEW is chapter 3 of my “In The Hospital” album with my friend Bill Harley We sneak out of our room to meet more kids. Here’s a music video of one of our songs, “My Little Clock”: [click on this link to see it! ~ https://youtu.be/wMQH3RJQNTw]. To get your own free episode every week, [click on: https://peteralsop.podbean.com] and hit follow. See ya there!
Here’s Chapter Two of our “In The Hospital” album. Last week, my storytelling buddy Bill Harley and I found ourselves in the hospital together, singing and getting into mischief with the other kids. In this episode Bill’s gonna tell us a story about Peggy the Quadrapus, (she’s an Octopus who only has four legs!) This album has helped 1000’s of families become familiar with how to navigate being in a hospital, so it you know anyone who might like to hear this, please let them know about my SONGS TO CHEW podcast. Go to peteralsop.podbean.com and hit follow. You get a new free episode every week!
Today’s Songs To Chew podcast, is the First Chapter of our “In The Hospital” album that my buddy Bill Harley and I did for kids and families. It won Best Children’s Album when it came out. I was encouraged to do this project by Diane Gates and Penny Pefley, two wonderfully creative pediatric nurses from Seattle Children’s Hospital, and together we’ve helped 1000’s of families become familiar with how to navigate being in a hospital. If you know of a kid or a family dealing with something like this right now, please tell them about this free podcast, so they can come on along with us as we spend some time, … IN THE HOSPITAL! Peteralsop.podbean.com ~ a new episode every week!
I just finished a new song “All Our Kids” about the immigrant children being held in detention centers on our US southern border. It’s featured on this week’s “SONGS TO CHEW” podcast with some discussion. When I’m not sure what to do to make things better, I’ve found it helps to do something. Even if I’m not sure if it will be effective, taking action always moves us closer to a solution, especially if that action is SINGING! That’s why I wrote this song. Come sing with us! Let’s see what solutions will pop up! To follow my podcasts, click on: peteralsop.podbean.com, and you get a new episode every week!
Hi! Peter Alsop here with the fourth and final chapter of my PLUGGIN’ AWAY album. My “Songs To Chew” podcast delivers songs that parents, teachers, and other human service professionals use to bring up and discuss ideas that get their kids thinking! Requires adults to think too! Feel free to go back and listen to ANY of the other chapters of my albums or songs from past episodes. Just click on: peteralsop.podbean.com, then hit “follow” and Behold! Humor, caring and deep thoughts will emerge!
My free “Songs To Chew” podcast is something folks have been sharing every week with their kids! This week is the Chapter 3 of my Pluggin’ Away album for kids and families! I think we’re just about to head out on a dangerous “Safari Thru My Sister’s Nose!” (A Dr. Demento favorite!), Click on: peteralsop.podbean.com, then hit “follow” for a good time! Come on along with us!
Peter Alsop here with today’s “SONGS TO CHEW” podcast, Chapter 2 of my PLUGGIN’ AWAY album. It won a Best Children’s album award and comes with a booklet that helps parents, teachers, & other human service professionals talk with their kids about the topics that we bring up in each song. Free weekly episodes for you and your kids, (and sometimes, just for you!) Click on: peteralsop.podbean.com, then hit “follow” ~ C’mon, try it! (Then y’can share with your friends!)
Today’s Songs To Chew podcast is Chapter 1 of my PLUGGIN’ AWAY album for kids & families. It starts with a Dad (me!) trying to get my daughter Willow to clean her room. Sound familiar? Pluggin’ Away songs cover self-worth, using our imagination, AIDS, hopes, fears & disabilities. C’mon in! This podcast is free! Click on: peteralsop.podbean.com, then “follow” ~ and every week you’ll receive a new episode! Songs for kids & some just for grow-ups! See ya there!
For today’s episode of my “Songs To Chew” podcast we’ll listen to my song “Low Flying Crows” from my Disciples Of PerFection album. I wanted to write a song to share information I had about Monsanto’s use of Glyphosate in their Round Up, but I didn’t want to just name names, I felt like being poetic and metaphorical, so I used the image of crows. I certainly had not intended to villainize crows by making them the “bad guys” in this story, but crows have a reputation amongst farmers as thieves who steal the harvest and the seeds after they’ve been planted. Check it out. My “Songs To Chew” podcast is free every week! Click on this link: peteralsop.podbean.com, and “follow” and you’ll get weekly episodes!
Hi! I’m Peter Alsop, and on this week’s SONGS TO CHEW podcast, we’ve got the last Chapter of my “Stayin’ Over” album. Don’t miss “Aaargh!”, the song sung by a perfect little kid who hopes to be a therapist someday, where the chorus is all screaming! Or “Where Will I Go When I’m Dead And Gone?”, which has more that 200,000 views on YouTube! Just click this link: ~ peteralsop.podbean.com, then click “follow” and each week you will get a new batch of songs for kids and sometimes songs just for grow-ups! It’s all free. See ya there!!
Today is Chapter 3 of my “Stayin’ Over” album. It won Best Children’s Album of the year from NAIRD & a Parent’s Choice Honors Award. All the neighborhood kids are Stayin’ Over at my house for the night, having a great time singing, staying up late, and Honky Boy Pete drops in to play a couple of songs. You might want to listen to Chapters One and Two before you listen to Chapter Three, … but you don’t have to! My “Songs To Chew” pod cast is free! To join us, click on this link: peteralsop.podbean.com, then click “follow” and every week I’ll send you a new episode! Songs for kids and songs for grow-ups. See ya there!
On my SONGS TO CHEW podcast this week we’ll listen to Chapter Two of “Stayin’ Over”, and pick up with a song called “Dear Mr. President” written by an old friend of mine, Bob Blue. He wrote tons of wonderful songs for kids. This one he wrote way back in 1984 and it’s still very relevant today.
Today on my SONGS TO CHEW podcast a bunch of neighborhood kids show up and stay over at my house. It's our first Chapter of STAYIN’ OVER, my “pajama party” album! Winner of the NAIRD Best Children’s Album and the Parent’s Choice Honors Award, it will get you laughing and singing along with us! (Do you deserve a “lift” today?) Go to peteralsop.podbean.com, click on “follow” and every week you’ll get a new episode! (or look for this where ever you get your podcasts!) See ya there!
This week on Peter Alsop’s SONGS TO CHEW podcast, we’ll showcase my “Frack, Frack, Fracking” song for adults from my River Of Life album. And here’s the link to my YouTube music video, featuring Mark Lewis as the “Fracker”, and Uncle Sam along with a crew of Topangans and other friends as the townspeople who throw the Fracker out of their town. ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdyr1DZV92k
~ Join me on my weekly podcast! Go to peteralsop.podbean.com and hit follow! See ya there!
This week is Chapter Four of “Take Me With You!” We’re on a day trip to the park with a bunch of neighborhood kids, singing about food & keeping ourselves safe! Click the link - peteralsop.podbean.com- and "follow" for free weekly episodes (or get Peter Alsop’s SONGS TO CHEW where ever you get your podcasts!)
Hello again! It’s me, … Peter Alsop and we’re here this week with Chapter 3 of, “Take Me With You!”. Last week we left off after singing “Animal Crackers”, so let’s pick up our story today with “Chickens For Peace”. Here we go, …
Today on Peter Alsop’s SONGS TO CHEW, we’ll “chew on” my song “Hey Ev’rybody”, … about how we all feel clumsy and awkward when we’re learning how to do something new, and my hit song, “It’s No Fun When Ya Gotta Eat An Onion”! Most us know some people who like onions, … and some who do not! Come take a break with us, as we listen to Chapter 2 of “Take Me With You!”
We’ve got a family album this week called “Take Me With You!”, with songs that encourage laughter, fun, independence, and imaginative thinking, and they help parents and teachers talk with their children about such sensitive and difficult issues as fear, risk-taking, peer pressure, self-esteem, world peace, violence, anger, disabilities, touching and self-protection.
This week we’re gonna do one of my songs for adults. It’s called “So-So Security” from my Disciples Of PerFection album. Of course, it's a hum-along!
This week we’ve got the last chapter of my Wha’D’Ya Wanna Do? album. Last week we heard the classic, “I Am A Pizza”, and “No One Knows For Sure” and “Don’t Trick Your Dad!”, (always good advice!). So let’s go on now, with Chapter 4 of, … Wha’D’Ya Wanna Do!?
The songs from today’s show, just like the first two chapters, have a free song booklet with EXERCISES, QUESTIONS and DISCUSSION ideas all written out to help grown-ups and kids explore the issues that we bring up in the songs!
Here we go with Chapter Two of Wha'D'Ya Wanna Do?. I think the reason kids love these songs is because I have lots of other REAL kids singing along with me! Why don't you sing with us too!
This week we’ll take a listen to Chapter One of my WHA'D'YA WANNA DO? Album. It won the INDIE AWARD for Album of the Year in the children's category from NAIRD, the National Association of Independent Record Distributors
This week we’ve got a song for adults and teens. It’s "Pick One!" from my Disciples Of PerFection album. I got the idea from a discussion with my grown daughter Megan, … who has always impressed me with her clear thinking and balanced way of seeing the world. See what you think.
For Chapter 4 of Uh-Oh!, ... Let's kick off Chapter 4 of Uh-Oh! with the song you’ve all been waiting to hear, … my world famous toilet training song, “Poop Goes The Weasel”! Here we go!
Today, we’ll pick up with Chapter Three of my UH-OH! Album. When we closed up with Chapter Two, Fifi the Age Fairy had sent me back to being 3 years old and stranded me at a preschool, where my friend Bill Harley and the other kids were asking me to sing the ABC song, … so here we go with Chapter 3 of UH-OH!
Today we’ve got Chapter Two of my "Uh-Oh!" album for you. I actually recorded this album because a bunch of my friends asked me to put out an album for pre-schoolers. I said,
“Why do I need to do an album for pre-schoolers? A lot of pre-schools already play the albums I have. Got an email just yesterday from a pre-school director in Florida who said that my “Pluggin’ Away” album was the kid favorite music!
“Well, …” I was told, “a lot of that album is over the little kid’s heads, even if they like singing with all the bigger kids who sing with you! Little kids need shorter songs! They need to chew songs about things that little kids think about! Things like how their teeth grow inside their mouths, and about animals and the parts of their bodies! ( If you heard Chapter One last week, you heard my songs called ‘My Gums Grow Teeth’ and ‘Rabbit On My Shoulder’”
Here's the first Chapter of my UH-OH! album for kids. It was Parent’s Choice Approved, and received Gold Awards from National Parenting Publications and Mom’s Choice. The Seal of Excellence from Creative Child Magazine, and a Kids Music - Best Album Award.
I know there are lots of adults who listen to my kid’s albums while driving in traffic, just to keep your inner child from getting bored. And of course you know that inner children (just like actual children!), love to sing along with my songs, so keep them all happy and sing away!!
We all know that men can get carried away with our manly activities sometimes. Right? I laughed when I first heard this story, because it seemed like a pretty good idea, to give women the authority to tell men “NO! STOP! ENOUGH!” It reminded me of the Iroquois people whose tribal system empowered the women to vote; they would decide which men they wanted in the Great Council. Women could not run themselves, but they could remove a chief if he didn't properly fulfill his job. Hmmm?
If you’ve heard Chapters One and Two, you know that the kids and I are out back of my house in the garden. Last week we discussed how to be safe around strangers and sometimes life works out really well, and sometimes, … it doesn’t work out so well. Point is, we keep trying. This week in Chapter Three, we’ll pick up the story where we left off after the “No! No! No!” song, … here’s Chapter Three of GROW IT AT HOME.
This is Chapter Two of GROW IT AT HOME for kids and families. If you haven’t heard Chapter One yet, you might want to go back and listen to that first! It all started when a bunch of my kid friends came over to my house and ended up helping me in my garden. We sang songs about “peaceful feet” and beets, and we pulled weeds and told stories.
The songs in Chapter Two are:
Stick My Neck Out ~ Was St. Pat Scared? ~ Strangers
Sometimes Si, Sometimes No! ~ No, No, No!
Thanks for stopping by!
Peter
This is Chapter One of my GROW IT AT HOME album. It's for Kids and Families, and it's Parent's Choice Approved. It received Gold Awards from National Parenting Publications and Mom's Choice; the Seal of Excellence from Creative Child Magazine and a Kid's Music Best Album Award.
The songs in Chapter One are:
Peaceful Feet ~ Wish ~ Ask Away
Listen To The Beet ~ Dragon Who Flies By My Window
Thanks for stopping by!
Peter
Here's the fourth and final Chapter of Ebenezer's Make Over! Please listen to them in order (or not!) And I hope you enjoy the story & songs from the Feminist Men's and Women's movement. Please share. Please subscribe/follow so you'll get a new program each week. Please keep loving the kids and others around you and keep working for social justice and more kindness on this old planet of ours. Bye for now,
Peter Alsop
This is the fourth and last chapter of Chris Moose Holidays. (for kids and families) Makes sense to listen to them in order, and then you grown-ups might want to listen to the 4 chapters of Ebenezer's Make Over: Songs from the Feminist Men's and Women's Movement. Just click on the title and it will stream to you. More shows coming in January! Please share with your friends. Happy Holidays. Peter Alsop
CHRIS MOOSE HOLIDAYS
- Chris Moose(3:22)
- Little Tree(9:44)
- The Gift(2:40)
- Daddy's Roll(2:39)
- Christmas Cheer(1:42)
- Buy Me Something!(2:45)
- When Jesus Was A Kid(4:14)
- The Night Before Hanukkah(2:44)
- G-Gee, It's Warm Out Here(2:42)
- I Believe You(2:05)
- The Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa & God(2:43)
- Pass It On!(1:30)
- Clean Out The Attic(3:37)
- Earthsong(3:57)
CREDITS:
Produced by Peter Alsop
Music Engineer: Greg Hilfman
Recorded & Mixed at Barely Sound Studios, Topanga, CA
Teletalent, Hollywood, CA, and LaRocque Studios, N. Hollywood, CA
Peter Alsop - vocals, guitars, jingle bells, autoharp, spoons, bass, jaw harp, tambourine, triangle, washboard,
Greg Hilfman - synthesizers, keyboards & all other sampled insturments, background vocals(14), elf, orchestra bells(1), autoharp percussion (4), Mr. Leibovitz
Joachim Cooder - dumbeks
Miriam Cutler - clarinet, background vocals(7)
Shelby Flint - background vocals
Ellen Geer - background vocals
Willow Geer-Alsop - lead vocal (3, 7, 11)
Brette Gentry - lead vocal (4)
Michael Hamilton - engineer
Roger LaRocque - engineer, percussion & drum programming(7)
Melora Marshall - background vocals (10, 14)
Marshall McDaniel - lead vocal (5, 11)
Tosha Scarfe - lead vocal (11)
Nick South - bass (13)
Cory Thompson - lead guitar (11)
Bill Buerge - cover art
Terri Asher - layout
Kids: Kailani Ector, Willow Geer-Alsop, Brette Gentry, Chenoa Hernandez, Abe Hilfman, Jacy Hernandez, Kai Hernandez, Marshall McDaniel, Tosha Scarfe, Talia Wabnig
Thanks to Chris Fletcher & Bill Harley
P., C., 1994, Moose School Music, Box 960 Topanga, CA 90290
All songs written by Peter Alsop, Copyright 1994, Moose School Music (BMI) unless otherwise noted. (10) Copyright 1992, & (7) Copyright 1991, Moose School Music (BMI)
In Chapter 2 the kids and I sang about the problems with smoking, over-eating, drinking alcohol and even shopping compulsions, … now here's Chapter 3!
CHRIS MOOSE HOLIDAYS
- Chris Moose(3:22)
- Little Tree(9:44)
- The Gift(2:40)
- Daddy's Roll(2:39)
- Christmas Cheer(1:42)
- Buy Me Something!(2:45)
- When Jesus Was A Kid(4:14)
- The Night Before Hanukkah(2:44)
- G-Gee, It's Warm Out Here(2:42)
- I Believe You(2:05)
- The Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa & God(2:43)
- Pass It On!(1:30)
- Clean Out The Attic(3:37)
- Earthsong(3:57)
CREDITS:
Produced by Peter Alsop
Music Engineer: Greg Hilfman
Recorded & Mixed at Barely Sound Studios, Topanga, CA
Teletalent, Hollywood, CA, and LaRocque Studios, N. Hollywood, CA
Peter Alsop - vocals, guitars, jingle bells, autoharp, spoons, bass, jaw harp, tambourine, triangle, washboard,
Greg Hilfman - synthesizers, keyboards & all other sampled insturments, background vocals(14), elf, orchestra bells(1), autoharp percussion (4), Mr. Leibovitz
Joachim Cooder - dumbeks
Miriam Cutler - clarinet, background vocals(7)
Shelby Flint - background vocals
Ellen Geer - background vocals
Willow Geer-Alsop - lead vocal (3, 7, 11)
Brette Gentry - lead vocal (4)
Michael Hamilton - engineer
Roger LaRocque - engineer, percussion & drum programming(7)
Melora Marshall - background vocals (10, 14)
Marshall McDaniel - lead vocal (5, 11)
Tosha Scarfe - lead vocal (11)
Nick South - bass (13)
Cory Thompson - lead guitar (11)
Bill Buerge - cover art
Terri Asher - layout
Kids: Kailani Ector, Willow Geer-Alsop, Brette Gentry, Chenoa Hernandez, Abe Hilfman, Jacy Hernandez, Kai Hernandez, Marshall McDaniel, Tosha Scarfe, Talia Wabnig
Thanks to Chris Fletcher & Bill Harley
P., C., 1994, Moose School Music, Box 960 Topanga, CA 90290
All songs written by Peter Alsop, Copyright 1994, Moose School Music (BMI) unless otherwise noted. (10) Copyright 1992, & (7) Copyright 1991, Moose School Music (BMI)
In Chapter 3 of Ebenezer’s Make Over, Carol, the Spirit of Present Times, shows Scrooge what his own present life looks like to an outsider, and Scrooge begins to understand why he treats women the way he does, and the kind of family in which he grew up. Songs by Joe Jencks, Tom Hunter, Fred Small, Romanovsky & Phillips and me!
In Chapter 2 of Ebenezer’s Make Over, Scrooge is taken into his childhood by Bob, the first Spirit, who shows him scenes of his early life so he can see where his toxic male attitudes have come from! With songs by Geof Morgan, Charlie Murphy and Holly Near, ... about work, homophobia, religion and more!
Welcome to our first chapter of Ebenezer’s Make Over, where we meet Ebenezer Scrooge, the Dean of Students at a large university. When his friend Jacob Marley dies and leaves Scrooge in charge of his son, Tim, … Scrooge’s life will never be the same. Songs from the Feminist Men’s and Women’s Movement in a Firesign Theater format!
Today in Chapter 2 of Chris Moose Holidays, we pick up with our discussion about Santa Claus.
CHRIS MOOSE HOLIDAYS
- Chris Moose(3:22)
- Little Tree(9:44)
- The Gift(2:40)
- Daddy's Roll(2:39)
- Christmas Cheer(1:42)
- Buy Me Something!(2:45)
- When Jesus Was A Kid(4:14)
- The Night Before Hanukkah(2:44)
- G-Gee, It's Warm Out Here(2:42)
- I Believe You(2:05)
- The Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa & God(2:43)
- Pass It On!(1:30)
- Clean Out The Attic(3:37)
- Earthsong(3:57)
CREDITS:
Produced by Peter Alsop
Music Engineer: Greg Hilfman
Recorded & Mixed at Barely Sound Studios, Topanga, CA
Teletalent, Hollywood, CA, and LaRocque Studios, N. Hollywood, CA
Peter Alsop - vocals, guitars, jingle bells, autoharp, spoons, bass, jaw harp, tambourine, triangle, washboard,
Greg Hilfman - synthesizers, keyboards & all other sampled insturments, background vocals(14), elf, orchestra bells(1), autoharp percussion (4), Mr. Leibovitz
Joachim Cooder - dumbeks
Miriam Cutler - clarinet, background vocals(7)
Shelby Flint - background vocals
Ellen Geer - background vocals
Willow Geer-Alsop - lead vocal (3, 7, 11)
Brette Gentry - lead vocal (4)
Michael Hamilton - engineer
Roger LaRocque - engineer, percussion & drum programming(7)
Melora Marshall - background vocals (10, 14)
Marshall McDaniel - lead vocal (5, 11)
Tosha Scarfe - lead vocal (11)
Nick South - bass (13)
Cory Thompson - lead guitar (11)
Bill Buerge - cover art
Terri Asher - layout
Kids: Kailani Ector, Willow Geer-Alsop, Brette Gentry, Chenoa Hernandez, Abe Hilfman, Jacy Hernandez, Kai Hernandez, Marshall McDaniel, Tosha Scarfe, Talia Wabnig
Thanks to Chris Fletcher & Bill Harley
P., C., 1994, Moose School Music, Box 960 Topanga, CA 90290
All songs written by Peter Alsop, Copyright 1994, Moose School Music (BMI) unless otherwise noted. (10) Copyright 1992, & (7) Copyright 1991, Moose School Music (BMI)
Today’s show is the first chapter of CHRIS MOOSE HOLIDAYS, which was originally released in 1994 as one of my albums. I have Christian and Jewish friends who tell me it’s part of their holiday ritual to sit together, and listen to this story every year. Amazing! I know.
CHRIS MOOSE HOLIDAYS - CREDITS
- Chris Moose(3:22)
- Little Tree(9:44)
- The Gift(2:40)
- Daddy's Roll(2:39)
- Christmas Cheer(1:42)
- Buy Me Something!(2:45)
- When Jesus Was A Kid(4:14)
- The Night Before Hanukkah(2:44)
- G-Gee, It's Warm Out Here(2:42)
- I Believe You(2:05)
- The Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa & God(2:43)
- Pass It On!(1:30)
- Clean Out The Attic(3:37)
- Earthsong(3:57)
CREDITS:
Produced by Peter Alsop
Music Engineer: Greg Hilfman
Recorded & Mixed at Barely Sound Studios, Topanga, CA
Teletalent, Hollywood, CA, and LaRocque Studios, N. Hollywood, CA
Peter Alsop - vocals, guitars, jingle bells, autoharp, spoons, bass, jaw harp, tambourine, triangle, washboard,
Greg Hilfman - synthesizers, keyboards & all other sampled instruments, background vocals(14), elf, orchestra bells(1), autoharp, percussion (4), Mr. Leibovitz
Joachim Cooder - dumbeks
Miriam Cutler - clarinet, background vocals(7)
Shelby Flint - background vocals
Ellen Geer - background vocals
Willow Geer-Alsop - lead vocal (3, 7, 11)
Brette Gentry - lead vocal (4)
Michael Hamilton - engineer
Roger LaRocque - engineer, percussion & drum programming(7)
Melora Marshall - background vocals (10, 14)
Marshall McDaniel - lead vocal (5, 11)
Tosha Scarfe - lead vocal (11)
Nick South - bass (13)
Cory Thompson - lead guitar (11)
Bill Buerge - cover art
Terri Asher - layout
Kids: Kailani Ector, Willow Geer-Alsop, Brette Gentry, Chenoa Hernandez, Abe Hilfman, Jacy Hernandez, Kai Hernandez, Marshall McDaniel, Tosha Scarfe, Talia Wabnig
Thanks to Chris Fletcher & Bill Harley
P., C., 1994, Moose School Music, Box 960 Topanga, CA 90290
All songs written by Peter Alsop, Copyright 1994, Moose School Music (BMI) unless otherwise noted. (10) Copyright 1992, & (7) Copyright 1991, Moose School Music (BMI)