If you’re a magical naturalist, then it’s quite likely you sing when you’re adventuring in nature. (Many magical naturalists love to sing). And if you sing in nature, it may even be possible — perhaps even likely! — that you hear music in the wind, the ocean, in bird song. Perhaps the plants sing to you (they sing to me!).
If you like music — drumming, singing, humming — try this the next time you’re wandering in nature.
1) Put on your top secret Animal Forms. Don’t know what top secret Animal Forms are? Just download our free Because Of The Red Fox book preview. Scroll to page 25 to the section entitled, “Attention! Animal Forms”, and try them on for yourself.
2) Okay! Now, Fox Walking and using those Owl Eyes, and especially your Deer Ears, sneak outside. Pick up a couple of sticks, if you’d like, and tap them together.
3) With those Deer Ears, start listening to things. Wind in the leaves, airplanes in the distance, or cars nearby. Bird song. Crow calls. Choose one sound and imitate it.
4) Get melodic with that sound. Or jazzy. Be playful or melodramatic.
5) Wow! You’re hearing the magic of music in the world around you! Wow, you’re making magical music!
6) Choose another sound, and repeat steps 2-5 for as long as it’s fun.
7) Come back and share your musical adventures in the comment box below!
Here’s how we co-created musical magic with a group of kids today.
Scene: A Pacific Northwest forest
It’s a “Community & Ecology” day in the Vashon Wilderness Program summer camp for 4-6 year olds, and what better way to nourish group connection than to make music together! Along the trail, we pick up sticks, tapping them together. We sing “The Earth Is Our Mother” and other songs as we wander along. We explore the sounds of the different trees, gently drumming on their trunks. (I think the slightly hollow sound of the Red Elder is particularly nice — Elder has been traditionally used to make flutes, by the way).
Near one of the raven-frequented areas, we stop to improvise a “Raven song”. We listen for the language of the ravens, creating two simple phrases for two groups to sing (assisted by our apprentices). With drummers and singers, and instructor Stacey Hinden taking a raven song solo, we perform a whole song to the trees, and take a bow at the end. We think the forest enjoyed it!
Next time you’re in nature, alone or with others, try improvising and creating some simple music inspired by nature. So much fun! Please share your own magical musical tale here!