Sean Hopkins Hits a High Note

Grabbing his acoustic guitar, Sean Hopkins walks onto the stage, sits on a stool, rests his instrument in his hands, and strums the first few notes. What follows is a performance filled with vulnerability and creativity. For Hopkins, a Washington Crossing resident and singer-songwriter, whether it’s playing in front of a crowd or sharing his music on his albums, the goal is the same: to create connections with the people listening.

At age 66, Hopkins released his third album, “Shadows & Light,” an indie-rock collection of songs on Sept. 22. However, his musical journey started long before he hit this latest high note in his career.

Hopkins earned a degree in business and data from Saint Joseph’s University, but after graduation, his path took a different turn. “Growing up, my parents always encouraged me to take music and guitar lessons,” he says. “In the early ’80s, I fell in love with punk and new wave bands like The Cure. At 21 years old, I tried to dovetail my love of that new form of music with the fact that I could play instruments, and I started to play with several bands.”

One of those bands was signed to an independent record label after representatives heard the group’s songs play live on the radio. The opportunity led to touring up and down the East Coast and recording in a professional studio.

With that success, a major label expressed interest in taking the band to the next level, but the deal never materialized. Disappointed, Hopkins decided to drop music entirely and use his college degree to pursue a business profession. It would be 25 years before he would pick up a guitar again.

Living the Bucks County Life

Born in Delaware County, Hopkins has called Bucks County his home for more than 30 years. He initially moved to Yardley in his late 20s before spending 15 years in Solebury Township where he raised his children. During that time, he served on the New-Hope Solebury school board, coached youth baseball, and remained active in the community. After his children “flew the coop” about a decade ago, he relocated to Washington Crossing.

“I don’t think you can beat Bucks County,” Hopkins says. “It’s the beauty of the area; the river and river towns have such unique personalities. I love heading out to the Washington Crossing Bridge, gazing out on the river, thinking of the history that happened here. There’s a lot of nature here, and it’s been preserved in a good way.”

A Surprise Reprise

Around the time he moved to Washington Crossing was when Hopkins’ love of playing music came back into his life. His passion was renewed when he was talking with a friend who recently purchased a guitar. Hopkins mentioned he owned two Martin guitars, and the conversation prompted him to open the cases for the first time in 25 years.

His heart fell instantly when he realized years of humidity had warped the guitars, and the bindings were coming loose. He immediately got in his car and drove to the Martin Factory in Nazareth to have the instruments restored. Once they were repaired, Hopkins had the incentive to play them again.

“When I opened my acoustic guitar case, I said to myself, ‘I remember you,’ pulled it out, and realized I lost the dexterity in my fingers and understanding of music theory,” he says. “I dove right back into it. I was 56 at the time and going full steam ahead with playing again.”

Rediscovering the Guitar

Hopkins enlisted local instructor Woody Jiang of Yardley to help him relearn chord changes, playing techniques, drills, and music theory. After two years of instruction, he decided to try his hand at writing a song. Within another year, he had 12 songs under his belt. With Jiang’s help, he produced his first album, “Chasing Ghosts in the Dark,” as well as all of his future releases.

For Hopkins, the writing process can be scary, but when he listens to the finished products, it’s simply magical. “As a song writer, you can be a voyeur,” he says. “It’s really a vignette of experiences, either personal or observed, that I feel compelled to encapsulate in a song. It can also be cathartic for me to get something out of my system. I’m trying to tell someone I love them and I want to do it in words, that turns into a song.”

Much of the creative process happens in the sunroom of Hopkins’ Washington Crossing home where a window looks out onto his garden. His wife, Desiree, often serves as his sounding board when writing lyrics for his songs. He recalls one time, while working on the song “Wandering in the Rain,” when he had three options for one particular lyric and presented them to Desiree. When he said the line, “Now there’s wind in my sail, that only dreamers share,” she knew immediately that was the one.

Desiree has a musical side of her own, playing the piano and contributing to her husband’s latest album. Her talent can be heard on the recording of “Eden’s Garden” from “Shadows & Light.”

“‘Shadows & Light’ is the title of the album and the name of a love song I wrote for my wife,” Hopkins says. “It was a way for me to say thank you, I love you, and there are more chapters to be written.”

Music Success

The music business has changed considerably since Hopkins was pursuing a record deal in his early 20s. Today, social media provides artists with new ways to reach audiences, while technology makes it easier to create, record, and produce songs from home. However, with greater accessibility comes great competition. There are many more musicians vying for opportunities to play at clubs, bars, and other venues.

Hopkins says the music scene in Bucks County is all friendly competition. “What I love about the singer-songwriter community is that everyone seems to be cheering on each other, and I feel it’s collaborative,” he says. “That sense of community on the artistic side is fulfilling for me.”

Hopkins’ three records are available on all streaming services. Following the release of “Shadows & Light” he has lined up performances locally and as far away as Delaware, along with radio appearances and live streams. He continues to write and hopes to expand his performing opportunities.

For someone who walked away from music for a quarter century, Hopkins has now made his guitar a daily companion. “Ever since I retired from my regular job less than a year ago, I consider myself a full-time musician,” he says. “Whether I’m writing a song, putting out a record, playing in a club, or busking on the streets of New Hope, not a day goes by where I don’t pick up my guitar and play.”

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Upcoming Shows

• Oct. 3, 3 to 6 p.m.
John & Peter’s, New Hope

• Oct. 7, 6 to 7 p.m.
WDVR FM in-studio performance and interview

• Oct. 9, 6 to 8 p.m.
Tod the Mod’s Starving Artist Café, Stockton, New Jersey

• Oct. 15, 7 to 10 p.m.
Dharma Bums, Point Pleasant

• Oct. 23, 10 to 11 a.m.
JB Kline Show Facebook live stream

• Nov. 1, 4 to 6 p.m.
Union Coffee, Lambertville, New Jersey

• Nov. 13, 5 to 7 p.m.
Bellefonte Café, Wilmington, Delaware

Dari Kotzker is the editor of Upper Makefield magazine. She has worked as a reporter in television news and print media since 2001 and resides in Bucks County with her husband and four kids.

Photograph by Desiree Hopkins