Outdoor Imagery for Inspiration

I am currently writing this post from the beautiful Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Escalante, Utah. My daughter is a forester here in this amazingly scenic area, so my husband and I have an excuse to visit regularly. We hike in the mountains, the desert, and along the red rocks. We go on drives and visit gorgeous overlooks, identifying the rainbow of rock layers in the staircase. We observe trees, flowers, and plant life, identifying and appreciating them. We listen to the calls of birds and try to spot them with the help of our binoculars. We come home feeling rejuvenated and inspired.

Using nature imagery at the piano

When I am learning or teaching expression in a piece of music I draw on many types of inspiration; emotions, moods, and characters. Most often I draw on inspiration from nature. Conjuring images of outdoor scenes and senses can help to beautify and add interest to any piece of music.

The first question I ask myself or a student: 'What does this piece make you think about?'

The follow up questions are: 'What does this phrase remind you of?' or 'How does it make you feel?'

Some of the nature related answers to these questions might be:

• ...a clear cold stream running down the mountain, cascading over rocks.
• ...fresh clean air, the sun is shining, a cool, gentle, breeze blowing.
• ...dark cloudy skies, clouds swirling, thunder rumbling, a storm on the way.
• ...hiking to a giant waterfall, the journey is hard but the end point is worth it.
• ...bright skies, wind flowing over a birds wings, without a care in the world.
• ...massive red cliffs with a red-tailed hawk soaring near the edge.
• ...wind blowing through golden aspen trees, the leaves drifting to the ground.
• ...jumping off of a boulder and landing in the soft, warm sand.
• ...a bumble bee busily flying from flower to flower
• ...a powerful bison ramming heads with another bison.
• ...a pronghorn being chased by a wolf, the pursuit is fast and full of suspense.
• ...laying on the warm, soft sand of a beach, the sun is shining, the ocean is lapping onto the sand.
• ...stepping into an ice-cold river and feeling energy rush into your body.
• ...laying on the cool grass, watching white puffy clouds slowly pass by.
• ...cool rain pelting a canopy of green trees and the surrounding forest.
• ...a refreshing rain storm on a hot summer day, perking up all of the flowers.

There are so many more images to draw upon, these are just some of the possibilities.

The next step: Write a few ideas in the music to remind yourself of the imagery you hope to portray. You may even come up with a cohesive story throughout the whole piece.

How composers use images from nature

Composers have always drawn on their surroundings for inspiration in composing. There are also those that have given nicknames related to nature to pieces not originally intended by the composer, but the listener can't help but hear the similarities. Here are just a few examples of compositions inspired or compared to nature:

• 'Raindrop' Prelude Op. 28, No. 15 in D-flat Major by Chopin
• 'The Fleecy Cloud' Songs without Words Op. 53, No. 2 by Mendelssohn
• 'Spring Song' Songs without Words Op. 62, No. 6 by Mendelssohn
• Ravel's collection 'Miroirs' literally meaning 'mirrors' contains three pieces imitating moths, sad birds, and a boat on the ocean. 'Noctuelles', 'Oiseaux tristes', and 'Une barque sur l'ocean'.
• Debussy's 'Images' hold many pieces related to nature: 'Reflets dans l'eau' (reflections in the water), 'Poissons d'or' (golden fish)
• 'Clair de Lune' (the light reflected by the moon) by Debussy
• Several composers wrote 'pastoral' pieces (having to do with the countryside or farm) including Beethoven in his 'Symphony No. 6', his 'Pastorale' symphony.
• Mozart's 'Piano Concerto No. 17' is said to have been inspired by a melody sung by a starling he kept as a pet.
• Vivaldi 'Four Seasons', each of the four violin concertos is based on a season, each season with three movements.
• 'Flight of the Bumblebee' by Rimsky-Korsakov

We can find inspiration not only in our surroundings, but in the music of these inspired composers. This is a very small sampling of what is actually out there!Hopefully it serves as a starting point for exploration of compositions inspired by nature, as well as inspiration for your own performing!