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'''Alternate Learning''' (or '''ALRN''') was a [[power pop]]/[[new wave music|new wave]] band from 1977 to 1982, based in [[Davis, California]] and fronted by [[Scott Miller (pop musician)|Scott Miller]], a singer-songwriter later known for his work as leader of the 1980s band [[Game Theory (band)|Game Theory]] and 1990s band [[the Loud Family]].<ref name=rollingstone2013/><ref name=strongdiscog/>
==Musical career==
===Early ''ALRN'' period (1977–1980)===
Alternate Learning, which was
[[Scott Miller (pop musician)|Scott Miller]]'s first band to record on independent recording label Rational Records, was initially formed while its original members were in high school.<ref name=burt/> Miller, Jozef Becker, and Scott Gallawa began performing at [[Rio Americano High School]] under the name Alternate Learning as early as 1977. The three original members recorded Alternate Learning's first release in [[Sacramento]].
In 1978, Miller moved the band to [[Davis, California]], where he was attending college. Bassist Carolyn O'Rourke and keyboard player Lynn Ross joined the band, which performed in the [[Sacramento]] area, in [[San Francisco]], and most frequently at [[U.C. Davis]].
The group's self-titled debut, a four-song 7" [[extended play|EP]] (sometimes referred to as the ''ALRN'' EP), was independently released on Rational Records in 1979.<ref name=burt/> Alternate Learning became known by the abbreviation ALRN, which was prominently featured on the front cover. The disc was labeled with the band's unabbreviated name.<ref name=alrncover/> The first EP is also sometimes known as the [http://www.discogs.com/Alternate-Learning-Green-Card-EP/release/1619964 ''Green Card'' EP], based on the title of the first song.<ref name=alrncover/>
In 1980, Lynn Ross, Scott Gallawa and Jozef Becker left the group, with Becker citing conflicts of personality.
Gallawa and Becker formed the Les-Z-Boys with Guy Kyser; Becker and Kyser went on to become founding members of [[Thin White Rope]].<ref
name=twr-form/> Becker, who was also a member of [[True West (band)|True West]], rejoined Miller as a member of [[Game Theory (band)|Game Theory]] from 1989 to 1990, and later was a member of Miller's 1990s group [[The Loud Family]].
===''Painted Windows'' period (1981–1982)===
In February 1981, drummer Eric Landers joined Alternate Learning, as did keyboard player Byl Miller (no relation to [[Scott Miller (pop musician)|Scott Miller]]). The new line-up performed a series of shows from April through October 1981, and recorded a full-length [[LP record|LP]] called [http://www.discogs.com/ALRN-Painted-Windows/release/1619433 ''Painted Windows''], which was released in January 1982 on Rational Records.<ref name=alrn-discogs/>
After the release of ''Painted Windows'', the group's final show took place at the [[U.C. Davis]] Coffeehouse in March 1982. The trio of Scott Miller, Carolyn O'Rourke, and Byl Miller performed without a drummer, accompanied by taped percussion and effects.<ref name=aggie3-3-82/><!-- see also GT/Rational Newsletter -->
Alternate Learning was officially disbanded by [[Scott Miller (pop musician)|Miller]] in May 1982. Within a few months, Miller had formed his new group, [[Game Theory (band)|Game Theory]].<ref name=gimarc/> The new band included keyboard player Nancy Becker, who had previously appeared in shows as a member of Alternate Learning, playing synthesizer.<!-- GT/Rational Newsletter --><ref name=yudt-obit />
==Legacy==
[[File:Nan Becker and the Wheels 2013-07-20.png|thumb|float|Nan Becker and the Wheels, performing at memorial tribute to Scott Miller in 2013.]]
===Material performed by Game Theory (1990)===
In 1990, the final CD released by [[Game Theory (band)|Game Theory]] included newly recorded material by former Alternate Learning members [[Scott Miller (pop musician)|Scott Miller]], Jozef Becker, and Nancy Becker, along with [[Michael Quercio]]. The group recorded a new version of the Alternate Learning song "Beach State Rocking," which appeared on Game Theory's compilation ''[[Tinker to Evers to Chance (album)|Tinker to Evers to Chance]]''.
===Memorial performance (2013)===
After [[Scott Miller (pop musician)|Scott Miller]]'s death, a memorial tribute concert was held in [[Sacramento]] on July 20, 2013, with
proceeds directed to a [http://www.gofundme.com/2nz0vk memorial
==Discography==
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|7" [[extended play|EP]]
|Rational
|RAT-001
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| length10=2:12
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|[[LP record|LP]]
|Rational
|ATI-002
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==References==
{{reflist|2
<ref name=rollingstone2013>{{cite news
|last=Blistein|first=Jon
|title=Scott Miller, Game Theory and Loud Family Singer, Dead at 53
|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/scott-miller-game-theory-and-loud-family-singer-dead-at-53-20130418
|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131021223728/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/scott-miller-game-theory-and-loud-family-singer-dead-at-53-20130418
|archivedate=2013-10-21
|newspaper=[[Rolling Stone]]
|date=April 18, 2013
}}</ref>
<ref name=strongdiscog>{{cite book
|last=Strong|first=Martin C.
|title=The Great Indie Discography
|year=2003
|publisher=Canongate Books
|isbn=9781841953359
|page=345
|url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=HJfGtREyuSAC&pg=PT128
}}</ref>
<ref name=twr-form>{{cite web
|last=Becker|first=Jozef
|title=Thin White Rope formation
|work=Davis 80s Music
|url=http://www.davis80smusic.com/davis80smusic%20thin%20white%20rope%20joe%20becker.htm
|deadurl=yes
|archivedate=2007-08-28
|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828221133/http://www.davis80smusic.com/davis80smusic%20thin%20white%20rope%20joe%20becker.htm
}}</ref>
<ref name=alrncover>{{cite web | url=http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=1619964
|title=Alternate Learning – ''Green Card'' EP Images
}}</ref>
<ref name=burt>{{cite journal
|last=Burt|first=Stephen|title=Game Theory, or, Not Exactly the Boy of My Own Dreams
|authorlink=Stephen Burt
|journal=[[New Haven Review]]
|issue=9|pages=6–25
|date=Winter 2011
|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20120610214912/http://www.newhavenreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/NHR-9-Burt.pdf
|archivedate=2012-06-10
|url=http://www.newhavenreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/NHR-9-Burt.pdf
}}
Reprinted as {{cite journal
|last=Burt|first=Stephen|title=Game Theory: "Pure pop for nerd people," the greatest unknown '80s band
|authorlink=Stephen Burt
|journal=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]
|date=April 18, 2013
|url= http://www.salon.com/2013/04/19/game_theory_pure_pop_for_nerd_people_the_greatest_unknown_80s_band/
|archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20130419035244/http://www.salon.com/2013/04/19/game_theory_pure_pop_for_nerd_people_the_greatest_unknown_80s_band/
|archivedate=2013-04-19
}}</ref>
<ref name=alrn-discogs>{{cite web |title=Alternate Learning |url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/Alternate+Learning|publisher=Discogs }}</ref>
<ref name=aggie3-3-82>{{cite newspaper
|newspaper=[[The California Aggie]]
|date=March 3, 1982
|first=Eric|last=Heinitz
|title='Three Band Bash' a mixed bag
|pages=2, 8
}}</ref>
<ref name=gimarc>{{cite book
|first=George|last=Gimarc
|title=Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock, 1970–1982
|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation
|isbn=9780879308483|page=676
|url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=4WM6Cb1z-PwC&pg=PA676
}}</ref>
<ref name=cosper-obit>{{cite journal
|last=Cosper|first=Alex
|title=Sacramentans pay tribute to musician Scott Miller
|journal=Sacramento Press
|date=July 22, 2013
|url=http://sacramentopress.com/2013/07/22/sacramentans-pay-tribute-to-musician-scott-miller/
|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131102184955/sacramentopress.com/2013/07/22/sacramentans-pay-tribute-to-musician-scott-miller/
|archivedate=2013-11-02
}}</ref>
<ref name=yudt-obit>{{cite news
|last=Yudt|first=Dennis
|title=A way with words: Friends pay tribute to Scott Miller, the late Davis artist who combined his love for music and literature into an influential career
|url=http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=10674648
|newspaper=Sacramento News & Review
|date=July 18, 2013
|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20131119211740/http://www.newsreview.com/sacramento/PrintFriendly?oid=10674648
|archivedate=2013-11-19
}}</ref>
}}
==External links==
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