al's brief bio

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 EMI (electromagnetic interference) lab.

I am also an amateur ethnomusicologist and professional musician; I lead Musica Universalis, an acoustic (primarily European medieval/baroque) ensemble, and I currently play with several klezmer ensembles (including a multi-year stint as guest musician with the Cornell University Klezmer Ensemble). I also comprise one half of the duo Rosetree. My primary instruments are clarinet, guitar, and Irish whistles; i also play a bit of Turkish saz, and studied classical Indian sitar for two years.

I live with my wife Marie in Johnson City (near Binghamton), New York in the northern Appalachian region. In addition to playing music together in Musica Universalis, we are both avid stereo photographers.

My hobbies include electronics and radio-frequency monitoring; i am a licensed amateur radio operator, and former President of the Binghamton Amateur Radio Association...i also spend a lot of time outdoors hiking, backpacking, and foraging for wild plants and mushrooms.

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