top of page

Jeroen Schipper is a Dutch music teacher, musician and songwriter. Following the successful publication of two songbooks and two picture books in Holland, Top Dog is his first international endeavour. Jeroen believes good songs are at the basis of good music education so he aims for his songs to have both artistic and music educational value.

Peter Hilken is a gifted storyteller and a lover of language in all its expressions. During his career with the British Council he worked in cultural exchange and aid project management in Africa, India, the Middle East and Latin America. In retirement he has taken up storytelling, puppetry, woodwork and poetry. Translating and promoting the Top Dog songs is his most recent foray into new territory.

Kathleen van der Weerd is a storyteller in English and Dutch who loves languages, textile, grandchildren, dragons, shadow theatre, journeys, and giants.  She works with cloth and fibres, shadow and light, as well as with words, re-creating the story's images in textile and shadow theater. What once began as a hobby has become a way of understanding and living in the world.

Tjerk Sixma is an illustrator who likes to work in different styles, from realism to fantasy to the cartoonesque style that’s featured in ‘Top Dog’. 

Tjerk also illustrated Jeroen's Dutch songbooks. With a light and humorous touch, his illustrations often add an extra layer to the work.  

The musicians on the Top Dog recordings are: Arno Hagemans (bass), Henrik Holm (bass and musical saw), Ramon de Wilde (guitar), Willem Nederstigt (keyboards), Lars Hurks (drums), Arthur Bont (drums and percussion), Madelon Boxman (saxophone), Izak Boom (banjo, guitar, piano, Hammond organ, mandolin and ukulele), Bart Noorman (trumpet), Fred Abbingh (accordeon), Helga Huisjes (vocals) and Jeroen Schipper (vocals, guitar and percussion).

bottom of page