Reprinted from the Cape Cod Times

Lots of us work more than one job, but for pure eclecticism, Don White would win hands-down. He’s a folk singer, a storyteller, an author – and a part-time home alarm installer.

“I could give up the alarm installing,” White, 50, says. “But I was raised by a father who lived through the Depression, a guy who would rather cut off an arm than give up a source of revenue. Plus, I fry people’s minds when I’m in their house installing their alarm and tell them what else I do, and they say, ‘You’ve recorded six CDs, written a book, and perform, and you’re here doing this?’ It’s fun.”

White says the other good thing about having another source of income is that he never has to take a job just for the money.

“I love being in the position of being able to say no to the gig that would have me playing under a TV while a hockey game is on,” he says. “I have a pretty self-sustaining fan base, but I’m not hungry to be pushing all the time, to be more, more, more. Every step forward has a price. I’m able to play pretty much every weekend. I could use it as a solo source of income, but I’ve also learned it costs you time away from home, your children, and puts a strain on your marriage.”

White performs most weekends, and will be at the C.A.P.E. Coffeehouse at the Old Methodist Meeting House in Wareham tomorrow night. (C.A.P.E. stands for Coalition of Artists Performing for Education.) He says it’s most likely the closest he’ll get to performing on the Cape this year.

White is not your father’s folk singer. There aren’t songs about hammering all the morning and the evening all over this land.

“I never strived to be the best guitarist or singer,” he says. “My background was stand-up comedy.”

White’s latest CD, “Live In Michigan,” is full of songs and stories that will make you laugh and, in the case of a tune like “Sense of Humor,” make you a little verklempt. It’s the kind of CD that could make the grind of that daily commute in bumper-to-bumper traffic a bit more tolerable, and funny.

White says he chose to record the album at a venue in Pontiac, Mich., because it’s a place where he feels very welcome.

“It’s funny, I have the most support out there. I go out two or three times a year. It’s always worth it,” he says.

Between installing alarms and performing, White spent five years writing a collection of short stories, “Confessions of a C Student.”

“The book turned out to be the most popular of all the things I’ve done,” he says. “I freed myself up from writing songs for a while; songs are so limiting.”

White says that while the book is somewhat autobiographical, he calls it a work of fiction so he won’t get in any trouble.

“Yes, by calling them fiction, I don’t have any responsibility,” he says, laughing. “The stories are about being a little kid in Lynn, raising kids, being a folk singer, about quitting drinking. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but it opened my world a lot as a writer.”

Since White brought up his story about quitting drinking, it seemed fair game to ask him about his commitment to folks in recovery.

“I have cultivated these tribes, I guess is what you’d call them,” he says. “I haven’t had a drink since 1990, and I like performing at sober festivals, like the one I just did in Rutland – the Sober in the Sun Festival. I like to be around people taking care of each other.”

Between these gigs, White also teaches classes on performance, and has been bringing his 26-year-old son into the fold as well. More than anything, White says, he’s having a great life, and loves sharing that joy with his audiences.

“I lead an extremely privileged life. Who else gets to have people to listen to what they say? It’s important to drink it in and appreciate it. ... Perspective is so important; I’m a very happy guy at this point.”

“My daughter’s bedroom is next to the bedroom where my wife, myself and Exhaustion sleep. There has never been a real door on her room. We installed one of those flimsy folding doors that slides on tracks and open and close like an accordion. It has given her some privacy, but has deprived her of one of the key ingredients of a complete adolescence – a door that slams.”

To buy Don White’s CDs or his book, “Confessions of a C Student,” go to his Web site at www.donwhite.net.