When my dear wife Karen and I settled in to eat bodadcious barbecue Sunday night before Castle Creek took the stage at Upstairs at Upstairs at the Dinosaur, two friendly faces asked if two chairs either side of us were taken.
Peter Allen and his wonderful wife Sherry joined us. We’ve been friends through three decades. Peter is a top-notch graphic artist who works with Karen at Syracuse Media Group. He currently works the magic that allows my freelance stories for the glossy magazine to look so good every other month. And, yes, he’s one of the fellas who’d hang out at lunch and after work with me and KP and Bake and … well, you get my drift. Sherry, a teacher, of course would come to the family inclusive soirees, and we’d share stories of kids and life. Plenty to talk about.
Peter Allen, my friend the artist.
Peter was into the music of Kim Monroe and Chris Eves. He expained how he’s seen them on a small stage at lunchtime a few years back during a Taste of Syracuse, and then again on a bigger stage the following year, how he’d been following their music since.
He’s a good one for that. Peter is also a musician. In September, I wrote about a cool homecoming jazz night at Cazenovia College. One act featured vocalists Marissa Mulder and Karen Oberlin. And Peter was the upright bass player in their ensemble. It was a blast to see my friend up there, cool and collected, a bona fide jazz cat at home in that element.
Mentor Karen Oberlin and former student Marissa Mulder share the stage in Cazenovia, with Peter Allen on upright bass.
Over the years, I knew he played in various collectives, including the collection of company musicians that repreented the big daily in a charity benefit battle of the bands. Peter also records traditional Christmas carols on a CD and hands them out to friends every December.
But as we chatted waiting for Castle Creek to take the stage, I found out things about Peter Allen’s music life I never knew. He’d studied music composition at Onondaga Community College and Syracuse University, for example. Furthermore, he took five years off from his studies and toured the country, playing with various bands.
At 23, Peter landed in Orange County, Calif., playing with a vocalist cat named Johnny Vanelli.
“We’d stay at hotels for four weeks at a time playing a gig,” Peter said. “I never hit up Vegas with him though, with was kind of a shame.”
Back then, Peter said, he’d landed gigs by word of mouth and auditioning. It was not an easy life.
So he returned to Syracuse, got his degree, took his position as a graphic artist at the newspaper — where his father, Rollie, was a veteran editor — and played part-time in some Central New York bands. I remember his with Bill and the Bell-Tones. He credits Central New York veteran musicians Sonny Ferrar and Bobby Hamilton with helping him learn how to read the drummer’s tendencies to become a better bass player. He says he admires the work of veteran Syracuse player Jimmy Cox, still.
Now, with he and Sherry’s two sons young adults, he feels the music part of his life is coming back full circle, even with the demands of his full-time job at SMG. He’s composing and recording pieces he describes as alt-jazz.
You can find them on his Facebook page Peter Allen alt jazz. I went down the line and enjoyed the ride. I’m also the proud owner of his Christmas compositions. He can write and arrange.
“Now with the technology explosion, what you can get on your computer is beyond what you could then,” he says. “Not everyone is going to record in a studio, but that doesn’t mean you can’t record great music.”
Do you know anybody who records music or plays in a band in addition to working a full-time job in another field, and if so, what type of music and full-time job? Have you ever discovered exciting facts about your friends’ lives when they were young that surprised you, and if so, what are some examples? Do have friends who’ve returned to an earlier passion after 30 years away working another job, and if so, what are the careers?
Mark Bialczak 
oh you have some wonderful friends! Thinking I already told you about my interior design friend who is now in school to be a cop and also just took a full-time job to be a case worker in a detention center. She is also mom to two young boys. How she fits it all in, I can’t imagine.
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That’s quite the friend, Liz. Get her on a TV variety show spinning plates on a stick. Juggling bowling balls. Chain saws. Jumping through hoops. Wow. That’s a lot of talents and energy. Coolest.
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A dad named Rollie makes me super happy – what an awesome name!
I know some people who play music on the side… in addition to their day jobs. I respect and appreciate them for it. On the other hand, it’s hard to find people who make much of a living playing music unless it’s the thing they focus on 24/7. Great food for thought, Mark!
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I know more than a handful of folks that cut it both ways here in Syracuse, Dave. There are some who carve out their living with their music, and there are those who turn elsewhere to augment the finances but continue to play, play, play. I salute them all for the passion and diligence. And talent! And great names, of course.
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for sure!
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Anybody who’s a friend of yours must be a great person! What a talented man. Isn’t it funny how you can know someone for many years and continue to find out things about them that you never knew? You and Mrs. B know how to live it up! 🙂
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Yes, Mrs. B, Peter is a deep soul. You and Mr. B do quite a job over there in your neck of the woods, too. 🙂
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What I love about this post Mark….is that you will never, ever, be able to go any place on the face of this earth and not meet up with a friend. Something I greatly admire about you.
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Oh, once in a while, Colleen …
But give me a half hour and an atmosphere to chat, and that can change.
Thank you, my friend. Very much.
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😀 You and Dale Carnegie. 😀
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Never took the course, but I’ve heard of the guy … 🙂
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😉 You resemble him. Though…..I don’t know I’ve ever seen him. But you do. 🙂
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Good guy to resemble, Colleen. Thank you. I am humbled. 🙂
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You’re welcome friend.
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you have such a great rapport and easy connection to all of these artists. his story is so interesting and i love the human story, i am always amazed by people once they share their story with me.
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I know you can draw out the stories, Beth. I read that in your posts. Do you think there are tales in your longtime friends that have yet to come loose from your conversational ways?
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The husband of my friend, Starr, plays the keys for his band. They’re a local band and play some pretty great tunes. She is super supportive of his weekend craft. I think it would be pretty cool to be the wife of the guy all the girls are swooning over. 🙂
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So I can picture Starr walking over to her husband at the end of the gig, taking hold of his arm, and walking out of the club with all female eyes on them. So, yeah, Aud, I do believe you are on to something. 🙂
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A warm and wonderful post, Mark.
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Thank you, Ann. It was a great night of chatting and then MUSIC! (I know you love that part … both parts!)
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So, that’s cool… He can record his music then design his own CD covers. 🙂
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He does on the Christmas music he gives to friends, Rachel. No-brainer. Go to his Facebook page. He has neat illustrations for the sound clips. And he’d be a great person to work with a novelist needing book covers. :-0
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Very cool! 😀
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That is so cool that you are plugged into the music scene such that a musician you know can wander by and join you for supper. I have known a few people from my younger days who were working during the day and creaitng music at night. It was tiring for them but they fairly glowed. There is something special about playing in front of a crowd.
Great post Mark.
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Yes, they can feed off the energy, Paul. You are correct about that. 🙂
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I enjoyed your post as I have discovered many young people I know (athletes) who are talented musicians but your post has set me a challenge to see if I can discover hidden talents amongst long term friends.
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It is interesting when facts flow out, MPW. Thanks for dropping by. I like your illustrations and story at your place. I just clicked over to check it out. 🙂
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Mark, I knew Peter had musical gifts and played in town, but I didn’t know his full story. Thank you for sharing that!
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To hear that he toured the nation when he was 23 hit me like a bolt from the sky, Jim. You think you know all about people you’ve talked with plenty over the course of three decades and then …
You’re welcome.
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I love the way you connect stories and feature such a fine variety of artists of all kinds, especially musicians! You and Karen have some wonderful and famous friends, due to your journalism! Fun times! I am going to post about your photos and story tomorrow, I had a break at work, so will push “publish.” I set it in my drafts on Monday night at 8:30 p.m. I was so excited!! Thanks so much!!
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I read it and commented, Robin. I am putting together the post for tomorrow now. I think it will be good. I hope you will approve. 🙂
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