Spring is Here!

Written by on February 16, 2011 · 7 Comments

photo of Bluets . . . Spring is Here!O Frabjous Day, Callooh! Callay! We chortle with joy ’cause SPRING IS HERE (well, not quite yet) and greenly spirits leap the trees while birdies sing. We shout the infinite, natural YES!—touching, hearing, seeing, breathing, as banjo strings its true blue song to spring:

What else is there to say?

Banjo © Richie Stearns. Nature recording © Lang Elliott. Prose by someone on drugs (okay, we don’t want to point any fingers, but we have to acknowledge Carroll and Cummings for their respective contributions).

photo of a White Trillium

Greenly Thrush

Written by on February 3, 2011 · 8 Comments

photo of cover of "Field Book of Wild Birds and their Music" and photo of John GreenlyFor those who can read music, the Field Book of Wild Birds and their Music by composer and naturalist F. Schuyler Mathews is a real treat (the book was first published in 1904). Mathews worked very hard at converting the songs of our native birds into musical nomenclature, with varying degrees of success. One species with songs that translated pretty well is the Hermit Thrush. Mathews deciphered dozens of different song patterns, comparing certain ones to themes in classical music (such as the wild movement that opens the finale in Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata).

My friend John Greenly, a Cornell physicist, musician, and birdwatcher, took on the task of playing some of Mathews' transcriptions on his clarinet, with piano accompaniment by Bill Cowdery. I recorded their effort and then mixed it with a background of Hermit Thrush songs and a babbling brook (I love those babbling brooks!). The result is quite interesting. It is straightforward musically, but powerful in its naked simplicity—a relaxed and heartfelt tribute to one of our most beautiful avian songsters.

Clarinet interpretations of Hermit Thrush music as transcribed by F. Schuyler Mathews. John Greenly on clarinet and Bill Cowdery on piano. Nature sounds and final mix by Lang Elliott.0:00 / 0:00

Pretty sweet, huh?

Syrinx – Flûte de Pan

Written by on February 2, 2011 · 21 Comments

photo of Claude Debussy (from google images)I’ve been invited to participate in a “Nature and Music Festival” in mid-February in Wheeling WV, sponsored by the Oglebay Institute and the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. I will be giving a talk entitled “The Music of Nature: Soundscape Recordings as Art Forms.” I’m also hoping to collaborate with the Orchestra, or select musicians, to do a mix or two of music with the sounds of nature.

One idea is to pair up with a flutist who would perform Claude Debussy’s Syrinx, which I believe was inspired by nature. The piece was originally called “Flûte de Pan”—a sad and evocative tune that Pan (the god of forests and fields) plays on his pipe just before his death. My choice for the background is Thrush Hollow, featured in an earlier post. This springtime soundscape from North Carolina features a bubbling brook and the songs of two distant Wood Thrushes. I think it mixes very well with the flute solo:

An experimental mix of Claude Debussy's SYRINX and a soundscape recording from the mountains of North Carolina. Mixed by Lang Elliott.0:00 / 0:00

photo of Lang ElliottI know that some folks are not excited about mixing nature with music, especially classical music. But this mix seems to work pretty well. And when one considers that it was inspired by Pan of the forests and fields, it seems like a no-brainer to combine the two. I can readily imagine Pan playing his pipes next to a bubbling brook, with wild birds whistling silvery songs in the background.

Whatya think?

Note: I snatched the flute piece from a CD. If I actually produce and sell this mix as part of a music+nature title, I’ll have to find a talented flautist to play the piece.

Cello and Chuckwills

Written by on January 23, 2011 · 17 Comments

photo of Hank Roberts playing his celloHere is a bit of a surprise for everyone. This is a prototype collaboration with my friend and consummate cellist Hank Roberts. Several years ago, Hank visited my studio and selected a soundscape that he liked—an insect chorus graced by the songs of Chuck-will’s-widows, which I had recorded in Florida. Hank took my recording to his home studio and then composed and recorded an accompaniment, playing not only cello, but also guitar:

photo of Lang ElliottI like this piece a lot. Hank has conjured up a very compelling and creative mix that blends beautifully with the sounds of nature. It is not our final mastered track, but I thought I’d put it up for comments anyway. My plan is to partner with five or six local musicians to create a CD containing around 15 music+nature mixes, done in a style that I believe most of my friends will really like. I believe we’re off to a good start with this one, don’t you?

Do you like this composition? Let me know what you think (by commenting below) as it might have considerable bearing on the unfolding of the concept.

Note: This post also shows off the nifty SoundCloud audio player. I’m thinking of using this player for certain applications. The biggest downside is that it uses a waveform display rather than a sonogram display. Waveform displays (time versus frequency) contain less information than sonogram displays (time versus frequency with loudness indicated by brightness of color).

Water Speaking Water

Written by on January 10, 2011 · 2 Comments

Last autumn, I participated in a sustainability conference sponsored by The Finger Lakes Bioneers. I was asked to create an artistic rendering of water in high definition video and sound. The result was a three-part video called “Water Speaking Water” that features music by my friends Samite Mulondo (playing kalimba, and African thumb piano) and Sunita Staneslow (playing folk harp):

Water Speaking Water, a video by Lang Elliott, Samite Mulondo, and Sunita Staneslow

> HD version.

The three sections are: 1) An Open Door (footage from northern Alabama gathered last spring), 2) Water Abstracted (footage from around Ithaca, NY and the Adirondack Mountain region, gathered during the spring and summer), and 3) Autumn Lullaby (footage from around Ithaca, NY, gathered in mid-October.

photo of Lang ElliottAll three sections feature the sound of water with subtle bird songs in the background. The soundscapes are all eminently relaxing, at least I think. Let me know if you agree (please leave a comment!).