What Siberian Cranes Tell Us
Mamaroneck, NY
2022, Junior, Performing Arts
Reflection
Siberian cranes are a critically endangered species due to habitat loss from climate change. Siberian cranes make lots of musical sounds, so I was inspired to compose a piece about the voices of Siberian cranes, so that they can be heard beyond the limited area where they still live. I started composing the piece by thinking about their high-pitch calls. At the beginning of the piece, I used repetition because an approaching flock of flying birds repeat their vocal repertoire as they fly. In the middle of the piece, I wrote a faster part to sound like the Siberian cranes were soaring while they were flying. This presto part sounds especially exciting and fast. In the last third of the piece, I returned back to the musical phrases from the beginning of the piece and finished developing the sounds of the Siberian cranes. While I composed the piece, I also played different notes on the piano to help create different tones and rhythms. I hope that listeners will realize that the funny thing about climate change is that it can try to silence nature's music, but music compositions can increase awareness of the negative effects of climate change.