Podcast appearances and mentions of peter alsop

When my buddy Utah Phillips recorded my song, ‘It's Only A Wee-Wee, So What's The Big Deal?', he introduced it by saying,“Now here's my idea of a kids' song folks! Full bore, overhead cam, spoke wire-wheels, no holds barred damn kids' song! None of that ‘knicky-knacky-nu' stuff we were stuck with when we were kids. When's the last time you actually said ‘wee-wee' in public? ‘It's only a wee-wee, so what's the big deal? It's only a wee-wee so what's all the fuss? It's only a wee-wee and everyone's got one, there's better things to discuss!”It's a fun song I wrote in 1981 designed to open up safe discussions about how our binary gender-roles assign many attributes to boys and men that also described girls and women, … and visa-versa. Females can be strong and heroic. Males can be gentle and caring. Let's just act like ourselves!Illustration by Terri AsherThat was almost 50 years ago! Nowadays we're aware of a slew of other factors we need to consider as we discover ‘who' we are with regard to our sexual identity, orientation, biological, physical, emotional, hormonal, and genetic make-up! There are so many different factors now in the wide spectrum of information we have to consider, that it's no longer possible to make a simple binary choice of a label that fits us correctly.Our gender identities have been limited to being either male or female for thousands of years, and we carry those gender labels with us, throughout our lives, that were assigned to us solely on the physical appearance of our genitals at birth.Our predominant culture demands that we accept our gender assignment, and when it does not fit with our own experience of ourselves, it takes great courage to push back against the pressure to conform. Some of us have been lucky enough to have family, friends, and other allies who support us in our exploration of this part of our human journey as we grow up, but many have not had that support.If we do speak up, it's often alone, and we are attacked, abused, and discounted for simply not fitting into one of the two choices we're given. So here we are singing ‘It's Only A Wee-Wee' at a ‘Healing Power of Laughter And Play Conference' with 1400 hundred human service professionals!I hereby officially reframe my chorus to this song by saying:“Having discussions with other safe, caring people as we grow and explore and discover who we are as sexual human beings is a VERY BIG DEAL! We begin to free ourselves from the constraints of our binary assignments when we sing together about our genitals! Please join us!”IT'S ONLY A WEE-WEE, SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?As soon as you're born GGrown-ups check where you pee CAnd then they decide D-D7Just how you're supposed t'be G-(C-G)Girls pink and quiet, GBoys noisy and blue CSeems like a dumb way D-D7To choose what you'll do G-(C-G)Cho: It's only a wee-wee GSo what's the big deal? CIt's only a wee-wee D-D7So what's all the fuss? GIt's only a wee-wee GAnd everyone's got one CThere's better D-D7Things to discuss!! G-(C-G)Now girls must use make-upGirls' names and girls' clothesAnd boys must use sneakersBut not pantyhose!The grown-ups will teach youThe rules to their dance,And if you get confused,They'll say “Look in your pants!”ChorusIf I live to be nine,I won't understandWhy grown-ups are tot'lyObsessed with their glandsIf I touch myself, ...“Don't you do that!” I'm told,And they treat me likeI might explode!ChorusNow grown-ups watch closelyEach move that we makeBoys must not cry,And girls must make cakeIt's all very formal,And I think it smellsLet's all be abnormalAnd act like ourselves!Chorus(extra Adult verse)She walked to the marketPast brave cavaliersShe tried to avoid them,They whistled and jeeredShe gave them the finger,They gave her more noiseSo she stopped and she sangTo those bright ‘little boys'Cho: It's only a wee-wee,So what's the big deal?It's only a wee-wee,So why do you watch?It's only a wee-wee,And everyone's got oneThere's more to lifeThan your crotch!!Written by Peter Alsop, ©1981, Moose School Music (BMI)For more discussion check out Peter Alsop's SONGS TO CHEW audio podcast here on Substack or anywhere you get podcasts!Peter Alsop's Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. www.peteralsop.com Get full access to Peter Alsop's Substack at peteralsop.substack.com/subscribe

    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 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 it'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 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 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 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, 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

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 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

Three artists share songs of compassion & connection, reaching across our borders. In this 1st installment, Randall Adams, Peter Alsop, & Anita Aysola sing of love for caged children, love of all children, and love of a new home, while facing off with fear, division, & disconnection.

    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  

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

  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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

    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

Peter Alsop's latest release is Camping With Dads, and it includes all the fun & profundity you expect from Peter, providing learning about all kinds of stuff, from racism to listening to violence to gorillas.

More fruits of the musical seeds planted by Pete Seeger over his 94 years, with guests like Reggie Harris, Annie Patterson & Peter Blood, Peter Alsop, and Sarah Pirtle (and several more folks in 2 weeks!). 3 weeks of Pete Seeger stories and music influenced by him!

Conclusion of a musical adventure into awakening men via Ebenezer's Make Over, Peter Alsop's eye-opening reconceptualization of Ebenezer Scrooge facing dysfunctional manhood presented by the 3 ghosts of the Christmas Carol, rewritten. How do men support one another & our kids, and not kill each other & themselves, own their bodies, and work together.

A different type of Spirit In Action show, where we do our learning about dead-end and promising directions for men's growth in a kind of musical called Ebenezer's Make Over. Peter Alsop master-minded the project and contributed a lot of the songs, along with many of his friends in the feminist men's and women's movements. Whole lot of eye-opening in a reconceptualization of Ebenezer Scrooge facing dysfunctional manhood presented by the 3 ghosts.

When we find that even well-loved and previously-respected icons are dropping left & right, we need to be asking what we can do to encourage healthy, thoughtful, & non-predatory male sexuality. Fortunately, Peter Alsop has been exploring & walking just such a path with his music for decades, taking on all the related, thorny issues with wit, insight, & song. After all, Peter is an educational psychologist, as well as a wonderful musician. Also find him on Facebook.

Music shared via video feed from all across the USA for Northern Spirit Radio's fun-raising event, Broadcasting From the Heartland, including Si Kahn, Peter Alsop, Magic Mama, Ken Lonnquist, and Tom Rowley with The Healthcare Blues. All of this, and more, was part of the NSR event!

More insights & music from Peter Alsop on sex, sex roles, sexuality, & relationships, using humor and creativity to shine a light on our society's too-little-examined wounds, presumptions, and possibilities of health & balance.

Peter Alsop has the wit & talent to discuss tough topics in a way that can open eyes & change minds. Today & next week he'll talk with us about love, sex, sex roles, sexuality and more. Peter is a great combination of deep thinker & musician, humorous & creative lyricist, and educational psychologist. Among other places, find this songs in the video of Alsop for Adults Concert: Peter's Song on Love, Sex & Gender.

Instead of just handling emergencies downstream, Up The River Endeavors creatively seeks to fix the causes of our problems. Peter Alsop's newest album, River of Life is full of songs growing out of Peter's connections with Mal Jones and Up The River Endeavors.