Allison profile picture

Allison

Nostalgic and Proud

About Me

I am all about teaching music to youngsters here in the DC suburbs. Children need cool grown-ups like us to help them become creative and empowered adults! come on, guys! The next generation needs us!!!!

http://www.DCviolinLessons.com

I'm also about playing old-timey music, teaching private lessons, playing with The Able Birds, and getting certified to teach elementary school. Oh, and spending every waking minute (and many sleeping minutes, too) marveling over my son Benjamin.

My Interests

harpsichords, the history of american music, eliminating poverty, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, jack frost nipping at your door, herb gardens, buying tea in bulk, collecting 50 year-old etiquette books and reading them cover to cover, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, collecting hot air balloon and zeppelin postage stamps, urban planning and development, making music for films.

I'd like to meet:

My ancestors

Music:

60s mod and lots of other stuff. Borodin, Chainsaw Kittens, Breeders, Ledbelly, The Carter Family, The Andrews Sisters. I like honest music played by honest people who use instruments made from honest materials. Songs in 3/4 time. I like T-Rex, Magnetic Fields, Sparks, The Kinks, JACKSON FIVE, Brian Eno, David Byrne and the Talking Heads, the Cars, ELO, the Who, Paul McCartney, Louvin Brothers, Stanley Brothers, Beck Mutations, Willie Nelson, King Tubby, Luna, Built to Spill, Elvis Costello (the man who wrote the song that my mother named me by), Paul Simon, Edith Piaf, Ute Lemper, this whole thing makes me sleepy...

Movies:

Toccata for Toy Trains by the Eames'*Bill Murray*Wes Anderson*Jim Jarmusch*Wong Kar Wai*Masters of Russian Animation*Coffee and Cigarettes, etc.* Fellini*Marcello Mastroiani*Akira Kurisawa* Leni Reifenstal*Tim Burton*Lars Von Trier*Wim Wenders* Werner Hertzog*Friends with Money* Napoleon Dynamite*Malibu's Most Wanted*Woody Allen*Brad Beasley* Potter!*So many movies- thats all I do. I...I simply can't spend all day on this.

Television:

Sesame Street, The Office, Ali G, Arrested Development, Pancake Mountain, West Wing, Globe Trekker, Rick Steves!!! Austin City Limits, Jim Lehrer, BBC world news, PBS, WGBH Boston, OETA, Fraggle Rock, Mister Rogers, Square One (especially Mathnet), Antiques Roadshow, and Leslie and Leigh Keno's new show FIND! TWIN PEAKS, King of the Hill, Simpsons, Frontline, NOVA.

Books:

books about real things, cookbooks, children's books--The Max series by Maira Kalman, the Selfish Gene, Chomsky, Harry Potter, I like Dwell Magazine and Martha (and Domino and Cookie), Any John Irving novel, Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert, Why Gender Matters by Leonard Sax. You know, fool, popular science 'n' shi'.

Heroes:

Sera McReynolds, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Ray Davies, Danny Elfman, Thomas Jefferson, Ledbelly, Camille Paglia, John Irving, Noam Chomsky, Umberto Eco(just the linguistics stuff, thanks), any and all Dictionary writers, Rumi, Ray and Charles Eames, Russel Wright, The Wright Brothers, Martin Luther King, Django Reinhardt, All good winemakers, my son Ben. W.B. Yeats, Leonard Sax, Steven Pinker, Leslie and Leigh Keno, DANIEL GILBERT!!!

My Blog

Free Range Kids

I've been talking a lot about raising Ben in the country; free; wild; safe in the prairie. I want him to have a healthy amount of caution, of course, but I also want him to feel confident that he know...
Posted by Allison on Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:21:00 PST

My New Favorite Blog

Okay, I know I’m like, totally behind all the trends, and that’s why I put stuff up here that’s like, totally old news. But I don’t care. I have a new favorite blog that I foun...
Posted by Allison on Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:48:00 PST

My Dance with Daniel Johnston

My most favorite local TV program, Pancake Mountain, hosted a dance party with Daniel Johnston a few days ago. Here is my disclaimer:1) That song was really hard to dance to and those are NOT my norma...
Posted by Allison on Sat, 01 Mar 2008 10:34:00 PST

Charlie & Lola: Bestest in the Barn

Charlie & Lola is a British cartoon for children. I love this show because it's so pretty to look at, but also because the voices are sooo cute!Here is one of my favorite Charlie & Lola clips. It's ab...
Posted by Allison on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 04:18:00 PST

Eavesdropping on the Mouse Divorce

Edie Brickell, my lifelong hero, created this 30 second musical cartoon for her website. I absolutely adore it. http://ediebrickell.com/meanMovie.html
Posted by Allison on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 09:11:00 PST

I’m playing at the Red & the Black

Listen up. My band The Able Birds is playing at The Red & the Black on Thursday, August 9th. Now pay attention. I really would like you to come. I know some of you don't live in DC. That's fine. Just ...
Posted by Allison on Sat, 04 Aug 2007 04:23:00 PST

Bayeaux Tapestry Animated

This is a YouTube link to an animated ancient tapestry project. It is so cool. http://youtube.com/watch?v=bDaB-NNyM8o
Posted by Allison on Mon, 07 May 2007 06:26:00 PST

Memorable Visit to NYC

So...in making sure that my life is always filled with adventure, I planned an overnight to NYC with my dear friend Alicia. Here is the crazy/sexy/cool website I made in dedication to this fantastic 2...
Posted by Allison on Mon, 09 Apr 2007 02:21:00 PST

Martin Gardner (thanks Steven)

I just found out that beloved Math and Science writer Martin Gardner is living in Norman. But, of course he is, because its heaven, and you go there to die (not that he's close to death, I mean, he wa...
Posted by Allison on Sun, 17 Dec 2006 05:38:00 PST

Maryland for the Holidays

Hello, dear Oklahoma friends!I wanted to write about our holiday plans, since so many people have asked (undoubtably curious about when they get to finally see the magic love child)!We're staying here...
Posted by Allison on Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:43:00 PST