al's brief bio

I am a naturalist in the Victorian sense of the word - one who is curious about the phenomena around him, and who engages in active experimentation to investigate them. I have constructed or accumulated a wide variety of devices to investigate the unseen forces around us, including ultrasound, radiation, ultraviolet, and a wide range of radio frequencies.

My major field of study in college was anthropology (primary concentration in archaeology, with a secondary concentration in linguistics), with a minor in music.

My career path has taken me from professional archaeologist (my master's thesis, Prehistoric Fishweirs in Eastern North America, is online), to computer repair technician, to (currently) radio electronics technician in an electromagnetic interference lab.

I am also an amateur ethnomusicologist and professional musician; I currently play with several klezmer ensembles in the Ithaca, NY area, and comprise one half of the duo Rosetree (Celtic, Americana, Eastern European, Scandinavian and other world folk styles) and one third of the trio The Playford Gang (early music). My primary instruments are clarinet, guitar, and Irish whistles; i also play Turkish saz, and studied sitar with a Hindustani (classical Northern Indian) master for two years.

1985-2000
archaeology

2000-2006
computer repair

2006-present
electromagnetic interference technician

I live with my wife Marie and our cat Chloe in the hills outside Binghamton, New York in the northern Appalachian region. We are both avid stereo photographers, and we currently manage the Cranberry Coffeehouse, Binghamton, New York's premiere folk music venue for over 50 years.

My hobbies include electronics and radio-frequency monitoring; i am a licensed amateur radio operator, and enjoy spending time in my workshop on the repair, maintenance and construction of everything from electronic circuitry (especially vintage electronics) to musical instruments. I also enjoy time outdoors hiking, geocaching, foraging for wild plants and mushrooms, and cartography (generating hiking maps that include trails, topography, points of interest, property boundaries, etc.).

If you'd like to know anything more, and my web pages fail to elucidate it, feel free to contact me at allen@lutins.net.

back to al's home page