Liner notes as they appear inside the cover of Robin Hopper's "North Country Living".

All music by Robin Hopper, unless noted.

TAKE IT EASY

Performers: Robin, Joe, Shonti
From the time I was a little girl, my Grandma and I have had a special relationship. She always knows what to say when my world is turned upside down, and she is the source of many special memories for me. She's more than just my Grandmother, she's my 87 year old friend.

LAND OF MY DREAMS

Performers: Robin, Joe, Shonti, John
Ah, Alaska! Land of the midnight sun! (Translation: you can't get to sleep in the summer, because the sun is pouring in your windows at 11:00 p.m..) A fisherman's paradise! (Translation: everyone in the world knows how good the fishing is, and they are all crowded into YOUR spot on the river!) Beautiful, snowcapped peaks! (Translation: Alaska has three seasons - last winter, this winter, and next winter!) All kidding aside, this is a great place to live - the stuff dreams are made of.

SEASONS

Lyrics by Bob Filter
Performers: Robin, Kurt
This was the first of what I hope will be many songs co-written with Bob Filter, a talented Alaskan poet. His words bring the essence of Alaska to life.

HOMER SPIT JIG

Performers: Robin, Denise
Last summer, I was walking down Homer Spit with my two children. It was a brisk and sunny day, and we were having a grand adventure, running and skipping along as we sang songs. I was in the middle of singing a little ditty with nonsensical dum-dee-dum syllables when I stopped dead in my tracks. This wasn't a melody that I recognized - it was something new! We turned around and made a beeline for the camper, singing the tune all the way at the top of our lungs so we wouldn't forget it. When we got back to the campground, I drew a musical staff and scribbled down the notes. Voila! Homer Spit Jig was born!

WHAT A DAY!

Performer: Robin
When my husband built me a beautiful mountain dulcimer, I needed a song that I could play without messing up entirely. This three part round is for that carefree kid that lurks inside each and every one of us.

MAMA'S KISSES

Performers: Robin, Kurt
One of the greatest gifts a parent can give is the sense of tradition and ritual in a child's life. Now that I have children of my own, I find that the comforting words and gestures I use come from the memories in my heart. I love you, Mom and Dad.

NORTH COUNTRY LIVING

Performers: Robin, Sean, Joe, Heather
Have you ever noticed that most of us living in Alaska are from someplace else? I grew up north of the Adirondacks in upstate New York. This song was written there, but when we moved to Alaska in 1984, it seemed equally appropriate to sing here.

TAKE A CHANCE

Performers: Robin, Tim
On my 24th birthday, two of my friends "kidnapped" me and took me to a square dance class as a surprise. When they removed the blindfold, the first person I laid eyes on was a dashing young man, who asked me to dance. It was a case of the proverbial "love at first sight", and a few weeks later, I wrote this song to tell him so. We were married two years later, and I will always be thankful for the best birthday present a girl could ever get!

MAKE YOUR OWN PEACE

Lyrics by Robin and Bruce Hopper
Performer: Robin
This song had been rattling around in my head, without any direction or purpose until my husband, with his logical engineer's eye took it apart and helped me to rebuild it. Thanks, Bruce.

SALMON SONG

Lyrics by Bob Filter
Performers: Robin, Kurt
Can you imagine 75 kindergarten students dressed up as fish, dancing and singing this song? Yes, it's an annual ritual at the school where I teach music to 575 elementary students. With Bob's words, a calypsoish melody, Kurt's earthy rhythm ensemble, and dozens of colorful singing "fish", it's quite a unique experience!

RING AROUND THE MOON

Performers: Robin, Tim
Folklore has it that when you see a ring around the moon, it will tell you how long the good weather will hold. You're supposed to count all the stars that you can see in between the ring and the moon, and that's the number of days it will be before the next storm comes your way. It seemed like a good idea for a love song....

FISH ON !

Performer: Robin
If you've ever fished an Alaskan salmon stream, you know that when you tie into a fish, you're supposed to holler: "Fish on!" to let other folks know to get out of your way. Well, no one had prepared me for this sort of 'protocol', so....I blew it! It seems that this song will never be completely finished, because every fishing trip is a potential new verse! (Which probably explains why no one wants to go fishing with me anymore - they're afraid they'll end up in the story!)

Thanks to:
Kurt and the folks at Surreal Studios for making this a joyful experience. The fine musicians who shared their talents. The students at Homestead Elementary for their interest and support. Mike and Lou for giving me the 'gentle nudge' to get started. Bruce, Caiti, and Grady for seeing me through the process with love and patience.

© Published by Stillwater Productions
All rights reserved.