Keep Close to Nature’s Heart

Keep Close to Nature’s Heart (2013) for Chamber Ensemble

-Premiered at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival by the FSAF Chamber Players.

Keep Close to Nature’s Heart (Score)

Keep Close to Nature’s Heart (Recording)

Walking in nature exposes us to a vast array of sights, sounds, and scents. Each sensory element provides insight into the planet we inhabit and enriches our awareness of our place in nature. Unfortunately, years of city and suburban environments can dampened the mind’s ability to properly perceive these elements, and subsequent visits to Denali and Yukon-Charley National Parks reminded me of this problem. The commanding, vast wilderness of Alaska has revealed the genuine need to comprehend what our environment is communicating to us. Keep Close to Nature’s Heart aims to address this problem in a brief musical narrative. The piece is dedicated, with highest gratitude, to the many scientists, guides, rangers, hosts, and performers who made my recent visit to Alaska a truly wonderful experience.