A Crescendoed Interest in Nature

I left my window open last night and ended up waking up at 4:02am to the sound of birds chirping and the stream next to my house.  All I could think of was, are you joking? I have work in a couple of hours and I don't need this right now.  I eventually shut my window and could not get back to sleep until almost 4:45am.  However, it reminded me of one of the experiences I had as a piano student.  For those of you who do not know, I took piano lessons from age 7 to my senior year of high school. 

During my junior year of high school, my piano teacher assigned a series of pieces by John Robert Poe, a contemporary American composer.  We focused on his Flights of Fantasy Collection which were a variety of pieces in which he observed the natural enviornment of certain living things and composed songs which he thought captured essense of the creatures.

My particular piece was "Chickadee" a piece which exemplified the sounds of the small bird by trills and staccatos.  To give it a listen follow this link: http://www.freehandmusic.com/sheet-music/chickadee-285964
The link also gives you a preview of the sheet music.  If you know anything about reading music, you will find that the piece is quite easy.  However, it is the particulars which make it interesting.  When playing it, you really have to exaggerate every direction to make it work.  From this I learned that no matter how hard a piece looks, or how many notes you have to play, if you don't put your soul and your own twist to it  -- it ain't worth a damn.

FYI the Chickadee is the Massachusetts and Maine state bird

After we mastered the piece, our piano group went on a nature hike so we too could be inspired to make our own composition.  At the time, I thought it was the most ridiculous assignment.  How could I possibly transpose what I hear outside to a piano?  (Also, why would I do something so..... hippie?)  It was quite hard and I ended up butchering it.  Anyhow, this morning reminded me of something I would love to transpose.  The steady flowing of the stream combine with the loud chirping of the birds and the occational truck driving by -- priceless.  My piano teacher would be proud.