Reflection

Reflection

The first time I thrust my head into the waters of a tropical reef, I was hit with the sound: the crackling and crunching of millions of organisms. Returning to the same reef years later, I was shocked to find the sounds I remembered replaced by a quiet reef of bleached coral. “The Coral Symphony” opens with the soundscape of healthy coral reefs I recorded in Taiwan. This sound continues uninterrupted for the first two movements until it is cut short abruptly. Like the coral reefs themselves, the reef soundscape isn’t truly appreciated until it is gone. The first movement evokes a healthy reef, with added percussion representing the wildlife of coral reefs (pistol shrimp, anemonefish). The melody itself is based on the humpback whale calls heard at the beginning of the movement. The second movement opens with industrial noises. The music suggests the exploitation of the Middle East for oil. Later, the banjo and trainlike fiddle represent the American railroad system and coal industry. The screeching violins are the reef screaming for help until, suddenly, they go silent. The final movement opens with a quiet reef-less world. Then, the synthesizer enters, representing a reef restoration technique called “acoustic enrichment” where a healthy coral soundscape is played on hydrophones to attract wildlife to previously damaged reefs. The sound of the reef slowly returns, followed by whale calls. This time the calls are echoed by a chorus of human voices, a sign that humanity is at last listening to the reef.