About Alan

You can read my formal “bio” here.

I make a living by teaching storytelling through sound and visual composition. I make some money playing/writing music. I also make a little money from visual stuff like design work and the occasional video job.

I currently teach at the Art Institute of Atlanta. While I’m there students often ask me how I do so many things “so well”.

I struggle to answer this question, because I don’t do many things well (remember, I compare my work to the work I feel is the greatest work ever made. On that scale, I’m not terribly impressive…but I’m getting better).

From my perspective I have reasonable skill as a bassist, but I’m not close to as good as I think my playing should be. I’ve got some reasonable drawing skills, but again, those skills are embarrassing compared with many others. That’s all I’ve got: drawing and playing bass, everything else is just using a computer to manipulate my work so that it seems like those skills are better than they a actually are.

From my perspective I am a media writer. I think I do a good job making things up. I write/make up words, pictures and sounds. I organize them so they communicate ideas.

A media writer is kind of a new idea. I mean, until recently, one had to stick to one type of media in order to get anything done because it was so hard to just calibrate the audio tape deck, or cut the film with a razor blade, or organize one’s paints. Today the computer as an expressive tool has changed all that. the problem is that it is so easy to make mediocre work, everyone is making mediocre work. I feel I am part of this problem.

However, it is my goal, my desire, to rise above mediocrity and make good art.

This website contains links to the work I’ve done as I journey toward that goal.

-A