Stubs, what a wonderful story!

The wild places are not silent and their music is there for all who would but listen. When that music is inspiration for human music that music is the most beautiful and complete celebration of life that is possible.

I have a friend who has a small quantity of land in Colorado. The land is remote and difficult to reach but once there, is a soothing and comfortable place. His favorite thing to do on this land is to sit and listen. He will awake before dawn and sometimes sit in one spot until the sun has long set. 16, 18, 20 hours at a time! He says that he never suffers from cramps or numbness when he does this because he "becomes the earth".

The San Francisco Folk Music Club used to have "encampments" (probably still does) in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area at a site called Kirby Cove. There are old WWII gun emplacements in the area which provide excellent acoustical venues. We once did a "float trip" down the Sacramento River. Two huge inflatable "rafts", probably more than fifty people. We would stop and perform mini-concerts at river-front parks along the way. One day we decided that we would only sing or play songs somehow related to water. Everything from The Skye Boat to A Capital Ship, to Over the Waterfall. We spent most of that day with that "restriction" and seemed to barely scratch the surface of "watery" music. The sound, across the water, was beautiful.

I like music done indoors, especially acoustic, non amplified in ANY way. But music outdoors is awesome, especially when there is just one person, responding to their surroundings.

I think I will try "singing the waters" when up in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone this summer.

CB