Living the Alaska Life: Songs from the New North

Original music performed by Teri Tibbett

CDs/cassettes

$15.00

Order:
Migration Music
P. O. Box 21078
Juneau, Alaska 99802
teri@migrationmusic.net

Living The Alaska Life: Songs from the New North (1988) is a compilation CD of Alaskan songs depicting modern life in the last frontier. The songs are performed by Alaskan singer and songwriter Teri Tibbett, whose music reflects her experiences traveling throughout Alaska as an itinerant musician, teacher, writer, and photographer for three decades. The songs paint a musical picture of dog mushers on the Iditarod trail, raw and rugged women, Eskimo whale hunters on the Arctic Ocean, lovers on the Yukon River, and more.

CD Track Listing

Home is In Your Heart - by Teri Tibbett - Many people visit Alaska every year. It's surprising how many decide to come back and make Alaska their home. This song is about finding your own place in the world.

Lady of the Chilkoot - by Teri Tibbett - On April 12, 1898 over 70 people were buried in an avalanche as they hiked the Chilkoot Trail into the gold fields of the Yukon Territory. Many perished, but one man was pulled out of the snow by his girlfriend who, upon seeing his lifeless body, began to breathe air into his lungs, shake him, and massage him until he slowly came back to life and called her name. Her name was Vernie Woodward and this is her song.

The Slow Destruction of the Simbo II - by Teri Tibbett - This is the true story of a small fishing boat named the Simbo II that went up on the rocks and sank near Sitka, Alaska, leaving the skipper and myself stranded on an island for three days. The hardest part of the experience was watching the boat, my friend's livelihood, being tossed and beaten by the waves on the shore.

Moonlight, The Yukon, and You - by Jim Richards and Buck Evans - The Yukon River runs through Canada and Alaska to the Bering Sea. People have lived along its shores for thousands of years, hunting and fishing and using it for travel. Not only is it a resource for subsistence life, but it is also an inspiration for stories and songs. This is a love song inspired by the beautiful Yukon River.

If You Like Rain - by Jeff Brown - They say the rainy season in southeast Alaska begins January 1 and ends December 31. People get used to doing normal things in the rain, from walks and picnics to fishing and playing sports. We do these things happily in rubber boots, raincoats, and a good hat.

Yukon Women - by Susan Ellenton - This song tells of raw and rugged women who mush their own dog teams, fish their own fishing boats, or drive truck for the trans-Alaska pipeline. "Independent" comes to mind.

Mush Them Dogs - by Buddy Tabor - The Iditarod Sled Dog Race runs from Anchorage to Nome each spring. Mushers travel over mountain passes, through blizzards, and over frozen rivers and oceans until they reach the finish some 1,100 miles later. This song is dedicated to them and their dogs.
Dividing the Muktuk - by Buddy Tabor - Every year Inupiat (Eskimo) whale hunters of the arctic climb into their boats and pursue the whales that will feed the people of their village during the year. Most villagers turn out to help cut up and distribute the meat and blubber. This ancient tradition of sharing the whale has kept the people alive and united for centuries.

She'll Be Comin' O'er the Tundra - Traditional (adapted) - The words to this version of an American favorite were invented by the children of Koyuk in northwestern Alaska. The words, "muktuk" and "agutaq" mean "whale blubber" and "Eskimo ice cream" respectively. Agutaq is a delicacy made with rancid seal oil, tundra berries, sugar, and ice.

America, The Beautiful - by Katharine Lee Bates - From snow covered mountain peaks to forested waterways, from golden tundra to shimmering aspen groves, the beauty of Alaska, the 49th state, cannot go without mention. This song amply reflects the sentiment many Alaskans feel about their home in America.