Are You Aware?
Wyman Park Dr/Falls Rd Path
i’ve been riding my bike a lot more lately; for recreational purposes more than transportation’s necessity. doing this has kind of made me regret not having an mp3 player to listen to music while i ride.
what could be better than riding around on a beautiful afternoon while Andrew Bird whistles in your ear.
after a good 15 minutes pedaling through the streets of Baltimore, i began to notice something better…
the world around me.
as i fly up and down hills, i notice the sound of air rushing past my ears. acting like a speedometer, it’s pitch falls and drops with the pace of my pedaling. the scenery changes. the instruments in my traveling symphony rearrange. crickets and birds suspend a wavering tremolo of chirps, they decrescendo as i pedal into the next movement. cars flying up and down 83 bring in a wash like the sound of cymbals and crashes. in the distance, it almost sounds like water.
…oh wait, that is water.
the Jones Falls River sneaks underneath the sound of passing cars, blending but with a gentler rush than them. now, where more metallic instruments seemed to fit, more natural ones take over…a marimba maybe? yes! the sound of soft mallets sweeping over smoothed wooden keys somehow seems to embody the sound of the water perfectly.
it’s not just the workings of the world around me i begin to notice, even the workings of my own body i become more conscious of.
circling around the Druid Hill Reservoir, a cool breeze blows from the lake and every time i exhale my hot breath cuts through it; the rotation of hot and cold air wraps around my face.
i’ve never felt more aware of myself, my surroundings…
my being.
and to think i almost ruined this moment of enlightenment by blocking the world out with ear-buds.
i heard music, not any particular artist or genre, but none the less music!
i think it would be impossible to try and capture the sounds of nature with man-made instruments. but if we (men) could try our best to capture, mimic or recreate the muse and understanding that comes from the earth i think these might be some close representations:
Andew Bird – “Yawny at the Apocalypse”
Andrew Bird – “First Song”
Horse Feathers – “Working Poor”
Horse Feathers – “Albina”
Balmorhea – “Remembrance”
I really wanted to post this song, i am not that great with the internet and all!
But please go HERE and check out this amazing song!
