Peter Alsop

Peter Alsop launched his career performing folk songs aimed at "people who once were kids," yet the creator of "It's Only a Wee Wee (So What's the Big Deal?)" naturally gravitated toward material for young listeners. Through ownership and songwriting duties at Moose School Records, followed by engagements on the human services keynote circuit, his playful personality and accessible approach reached households across the United States.

Raised in Connecticut, Alsop earned degrees from Trinity College in his home state and later Columbia Teacher's College. He worked with emotionally disturbed teenagers in Maine before introducing elementary students to lighthearted tunes that quickly resonated with audiences. His debut recording, the self-titled Peter Alsop, appeared on Flying Fish Records in 1975, after which he issued a series of adult-oriented folk albums that continued into the 1990s.

Children's music, however, remained Alsop's primary focus, particularly its capacity to heal through comedy. In 1980 he joined Happy Traum, Dan Crow, and Utah Phillips to produce the collection Silly Songs and Modern Lullabies, which included the popular track "Safari Up My Sister's Nose." Although the project succeeded, major labels showed no interest in his family-oriented work, prompting Alsop to establish Moose School Records (subsequently shortened to Moose School) in 1983.

The label's inaugural release, Wha'd Ya Wanna Do?, contained characteristically bold selections such as "Bored, Bored, Bored" and "You Get a Little Extra When You Watch TV," along with fresh interpretations of Barry Louis Polisar compositions "I Wanna Be a Dog" and "My Brother Threw Up on My Stuffed Toy Bunny." As with every Moose School project, Alsop recruited non-professional child singers whose genuine delivery reinforced each lyric's sincerity, earning the album NAIRD's highest honor that year.

Three additional titles followed during the decade: Take Me with You, Stayin' Over, and the collaborative concept album In the Hospital with Bill Harley, which examined the challenges of pediatric medical treatment. Each earned a Parent's Choice Award. Alsop further developed several educational videos addressing themes including discrimination and self-esteem.

Pluggin Away arrived in 1991, exploring issues such as conformity pressures and ecological concerns. Chris Moose Holidays appeared four years afterward and again received a Parent's Choice Award. Throughout this era Alsop devoted increasing attention to speaking engagements while producing the videos When Kids Say Goodbye and Get Real.