has been active in the filk community for over twenty years. He is the warped mind responsible for the filk classic “Wishful Thinking”, as well as “Kitty-cat Z” and “The Alfred G. Packer Memorial Cafeteria Theme Song”. His writing combines a child-like innocence with a really clever turn of phrase. He is an engaging and fun performer, and a skilled pianist. He is known for his unselfish willingness to help others by doing guitar, piano, and vocal backups, both live and on recordings.
Alan has been involved in running filk programming for many years. He ran a very successful filk track for Westercon 40, the first Westercon with a Filk GOH. He has an ongoing involvement in organizing ConChord’s “Totally Tasteless and Tacky Revue”. (He isn’t afraid to sing about anything, and he encourages this trait in others!)
Alan has a deep commitment to, and involvement with, Consonance. He has been a member of the Consonance concom for several years, including stints as chair, programming, and hotel liaison. He provided the paperwork required to incorporate, and apply for tax-exempt status for the organization that runs Consonance. He has worked hard to publicize the convention and to entice filkers from across the continent to attend. Largely because of his efforts, Consonance has become a thriving, vital, financially self-supporting filk convention.
Because of his financial generosity, performers from other parts of the country, and even out of the country, have been able to attend West Coast conventions. He has lent money to undercapitalized filk recording companies, and has spearheaded fund-raising efforts at Consonance that raised money for filkers in need.
Alan has hosted many house filks over the years. He attends filk cons all over the world, an unfailing ambassador of good will, promoting filk and luring people to the West Coast to perform at Westercon, Consonance, and ConChord.
For these contributions to filk music and the filk community, Alan Thiesen is inducted into the Filk Hall of Fame this sixth day of April, two thousand and two.
Photo credit: Walter Korynkiewicz