You know that catchy little ba-da-bump da-da-bump theme music at the beginning of every show? I bet you’re wondering why it’s so iconic and familiar and lovely.
It’s because we swiped it from a jazzy instrumental version of I Wish I Were a Real Alaskan Girl by Marian Call.
It was an easy decision to use for our tiny sized theme music, Marian is a brilliant songwriter and one of my favorite human beings on this earth. Also, she lives with me, so negotiating a license was cake.
“Oh, it’s easy to see why a local woman’s in demand.”
I particularly love how Real Alaskan Girl playfully cuts into the outsider’s dilemma and openly asks what it means to be a Real Alaskan. When have I frozen my toes enough? When have I donated enough blood to mosquitoes? How many boxes of Pilot Bread must I eat? It’s a measure beyond citizenship, the Real Alaskan, a blend of clichés and rites of passage along with the odd northern misfortune thrown in for good measure.
The Alaska identity is simultaneously an elusive notion and concrete set of rules. It’s a story written by environment and art, politics and principles. Everyday we give that story its shape.
I love it.
