Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Wilderness Rhythms: Playing music to enhance the nature experience
    Wilderness Rhythms: Playing music to enhance the nature experience
    Wilderness Rhythms: Playing music to enhance the nature experience
    Ebook123 pages2 hours

    Wilderness Rhythms: Playing music to enhance the nature experience

    By Chad Clifford

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    A well written work that outlines important aspects of the wilderness experience and how the addition of music can create surprising results. The book is divided into two sections. In the first section, the author shares his understandings of the nature and music experience independently by outlining relevant past experiences that set the stage for the benefits of combining music and nature. The second section is in the form of a journal that offers insight into the experience of injecting music to various nature activities. Through his journaling, the author uncovers a state of expanded awareness that can be reached regularly and quickly. This has enormous impact on the nature experience and on the amount of time that can be saved by ‘getting into’ nature sooner. The author’s knowledge of traditional woods survival skills and lore offer much insight throughout the book. This is a must read for all nature and music enthusiasts!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherChad Clifford
    Release dateJan 6, 2012
    ISBN9781466125803
    Wilderness Rhythms: Playing music to enhance the nature experience
    Author

    Chad Clifford

    Chad has a keen interest in studying and facilitating quality wilderness experiences. He has numerous university degrees in his field and has performed various research projects. He has lived in various locations across Canada including a remote Inuit Village and enjoys teaching and learning land skills. Chad has taught wilderness related skills to people of diverse ages and back grounds and has done consulting for B.B.C.s survival challenge series: The Bare Necessities & other programs.

    Related to Wilderness Rhythms

    Related ebooks

    Self-Improvement For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Welcome

      May 5, 2021

      Welcome
      2 min read

    • Article

      Positive Grid

      Jul 26, 2022

      THE INVENTIVE MINDS at Positive Grid have been busy dreaming up new gadgets to make guitarists’ lives productive, fun and filled with great tone. Last month I looked at the company’s new RIFF guitar audio interface and app. This issue, I’m checking o

      3 min read

    • Article

      Passing Notes

      Nov 9, 2021

      Passing Notes
      1 min read

    • Article

      Good Vibrations

      Apr 6, 2022

      Good Vibrations
      15 min read

    • Article

      Sounding Board

      Apr 19, 2022

      Got something you want to say? EMAIL US AT: GWSoundingBoard@futurenet.com Just got the April edition. The features with Slash and Glenn Tipton were great. However, I was disappointed to see an Animals As Leaders tune in the tab section. Tosin Abasi

      3 min read

    • Article

      30-minute Lickbag

      Mar 8, 2023

      Brought to you by… This sequence uses two-note diads, on the third and fourth string, to imply a chord progression in A Major. Each one is positioned closely to the neighbouring notes to create smooth voice leading within the phrase and making the pa

      2 min read

    • Article

      DAWs For Guitarists

      Nov 30, 2021

      Apple’s fairly priced DAW behemoth contains a veritable smorgasbord of virtual amps, cabs and pedals, all easily accessible via its slickly organised and user-friendly drag-and-drop UI. The ability to quickly conjure up a decent sounding rhythm secti

      1 min read

    • Article

      #04 The 3-reverb approach

      Feb 22, 2023

      #04 The 3-reverb approach
      4 min read

    • Article

      Designing For Repair

      Jul 29, 2018

      Designing For Repair
      6 min read

    • Article

      Blues Headlines

      Sep 20, 2019

      Difficulty 20 mins Tutor: Richard Barrett | Gear used: Atkin J45T IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD the term before, cross-picking uses a ‘flat pick’ (as opposed to a thumb pick) to articulate patterns across the strings, in a way that may initially seem eas

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Genius Of Jimi … In His 20 Greatest Songs

      Apr 9, 2020

      Joe Satriani: “Jimi’s greatest song, without a doubt, is Machine Gun from the Band Of Gypsys live album, recorded at Filmore East in 1969/70. Let’s just start from the top – it was improvised in front of an audience by a trio, and he’s playing a Fend

      11 min read

    • Article

      Taking Notes

      May 18, 2021

      Taking Notes
      2 min read

    • Article

      Playlist

      Oct 1, 2021

      Radiohead recorded Kid A and Amnesiac simultaneously during a creative explosion in 1999-2000. The dystopian, experimental nature of those albums shed a few fans who simply wanted the band to remake indierock anthems such as Fake Plastic Trees and Cr

      2 min read

    • Article

      SOUNDTRACKS FOR MOVIES, GAMES & TECHNO GET STARTED & EARN MONEY

      May 12, 2021

      Music is omnipresent: in films, series, documentaries, games and trailers, in advertising and on the radio as well as on video portals such as YouTube. Accordingly, there is a great need for fresh tracks in a wide variety of styles, from epic orchest

      1 min read

    • Article

      THE CROSSROADS T-Bone Walker & Charlie Christian Connections

      Oct 20, 2021

      In the early 1930s, guitar teacher Ralph Hamilton took on a pair of students, the two teenaged friends taking lessons in basic theory and reading skills. Ralph could not have imagined just how monumentally important this pair, Aaron Thibeaux ‘T-Bone’

      5 min read

    • Article

      Call Of The Wild

      Jul 14, 2020

      Call Of The Wild
      5 min read

    • Article

      Forest THERAPY

      Sep 24, 2020

      Forest THERAPY
      4 min read

    • Article

      Editor’s Letter

      Apr 13, 2022

      Editor’s Letter
      1 min read

    • Article

      Nature’s Hidden Charms

      Nov 3, 2021

      Nature’s Hidden Charms
      2 min read

    • Article

      Finding Freedom

      Jun 18, 2021

      Finding Freedom
      2 min read

    • Article

      In Tune

      Apr 19, 2021

      In Tune
      6 min read

    • Article

      Forest Bathing

      Aug 1, 2018

      When I was 25, I moved from the city to the seaside because I needed to sort through my life in a place where there was stillness and spaciousness. I spent mild autumn days wandering through the bush and along the clifftops behind my house, inspectin

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Last Word Interview

      Sep 1, 2022

      What’s your first memory of being outdoors? Snow. My world was mostly the size of a garden and there had been a heavy snowfall, changing everything about the landscape. And a snowball bigger than me. Describe your relationship with nature. Fragile, b

      2 min read

    • Article

      Come to Your Senses

      Feb 27, 2024

      Come to Your Senses
      4 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Wilderness Rhythms

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Wilderness Rhythms - Chad Clifford

      Wilderness Rhythms:

      Playing music to enhance the nature experience

      by: Chadwick Howard Clifford

      2012

      * * * * *

      Published by Chadwick Howard Clifford at Smashwords

      Copyright 2012 by Chadwick H. Clifford

      Cover by Tania K. Marsh

      * * * * *

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      * * * * *

      Table of Contents

      Introduction: The River Runs Deep

      Section One. Music and Nature

      Chapter 1. To Be In Nature

      Chapter 2. River of Song. Discovering a place for music in nature

      Chapter 3. Ancient Cedar Branch Flute

      Section Two: My Journal of Playing Music in Nature

      Chapter 4. My Groove in the Grove

      Chapter 5. Killer Bears and Blindfolds

      Chapter 6. Ginger and Ginseng

      Chapter 7. As Ancient as Fire

      Chapter 8. Sitting Rock

      Chapter 9. Mississippi Without Music

      Chapter 10. Le Tour Music Combo

      Chapter 11. Frail'n the Ol' Banjo

      Chapter 12. Descending Mist of Awareness

      Chapter 13. Last Note

      About the Author

      Other Books

      *****

      Introduction: The River Runs Deep

      On a rugged hillside in the Highlands, waters trickle down over a series of steep rocks into a valley. It is here where a little stream called Nature forms. Its banks are covered with vines and its waters flow clear. This stream has yet to have been dammed or polluted. A ways downstream, a pool forms within a meadow. Another stream empties into the pool here as well. Like the first stream, it has never been polluted and its waters run clear. This stream's name is Music. The water of the two streams mix in the pool before travelling through the outlet. Enough flow is created at this point to declare it a river. The name of this river is Music in Nature, which comes from the two streams that formed it. Along its deeper sections, where the water is cool, a fog often floats over its surface, which seems to accent the sounds of the forest with distinct clarity. And like all rivers it flows to the ocean, but, the Music in Nature River does so at a tremendous speed—almost instantaneously. This ocean is also special and has been called many things, such as: Heightened Awareness, Inspiration, Connection, and Serenity. It is the Music in Nature Rivers speed and clarity on its way to the Heightened Awareness Ocean that make it special. Neither stream that formed the river, alone or doubled, equals the power of this unique combination.

      The idea of music in nature is nothing new. Well, perhaps in the world of academic research it is—as I had found back when preparing a graduate thesis. In relation to my interests, music is generally known to be a most powerful leverage on our emotion. Likewise, experiencing natural spaces holds powerful benefits in terms of re-creation, rejuvenation and much more. The combination of playing music in the nature has otherwise been with us throughout history.

      However, I suspect the awe-inspiring and exceptional benefits of music in nature too often go unnoticed or unexperienced by many today. One rarely hears anything about music in nature beyond campfire songs served up with marshmallows, or New-age like meditations featuring nature and music sounds on a CD. I do enjoy the fore mentioned on occasions myself. But, at a deep-rooted level where one approaches music in nature with purpose: the combination can equal something greater than its composite parts, propelling one to a sense of heightened awareness, serenity, intuitions and more.

      Adding music to the nature experience is the quickest and perhaps the most powerful way I have found to connect with nature and the moment. It brings the clarity of a quieting mediation but goes beyond because it is emotionally charged from the power of music. It even captures some of the benefits reserved for those who would spend extended periods of time in the wilderness. The results surprise. It is during such positive nature experiences that people develop a bond with nature, which in turn brings one closer to an unfeigned stewardship over it.

      For purposes of this book, Music includes playing instruments (i.e., live music), whether on guitar, banjo, fiddle, shakers, drums, and wind instruments like flutes or voice. It may be played by oneself in solitude, in a group, or simply heard as a listener (of live music). It is the timeless engagement of music that has entertained throughout cultures and the ages. Nature in turn, is any place that natural elements can be appreciated, but it need not be remote sects of wilderness. It may be in a national park, a local land-trust or simply the view of a spider in the grass. It is a place that guide one's thoughts and senses to dwell on nature.

      In writing this book, I outline a collection of ideas and experiences that brought me to value the experience of playing music in nature. These experiences have been steeped in the knowledge gained from using music in nature when teaching outdoor skills and doing related research studies. Also included are various experiences with music in nature that coincided with the writing of this book. In as much, I hope there is sufficient opportunity for you to find insight and motivation towards including music in your nature outings and to find the unique benefits waiting there for you.

      * * * * *

      SECTION ONE: MUSIC AND NATURE

      The first section of this book outlines a trail of thoughts and experiences that led me to begin playing music in nature. Chapter One considers how the activities (excluding music) we engage in affects the nature experience. Specifically, how the items we surround ourselves with can move our thoughts closer to or further away from nature. The next chapter recounts certain influential musical experiences I have had with music in nature. Chapter Three catches up with the present moment as I collect wood for making an instrument from a special tree. In all, this section highlights how music in nature may offer powerful leverage on emotions, moods, and awarenesses. Section Two follows in-the-moment experiences of playing music in nature that shed light on the many benefits.

      * * * * *

      Chapter 1. To Be In Nature

      One underlying motivation for writing this book, and I would assume this stands true for many authors of nature related books, is to bring others to further appreciate and care about nature. It matters little if the book is a guide to identifying the local songbirds; a camp-skills guide on how to set-up a tent; or stories that romanticize a wilderness adventure or tale. The result is that readers take another step in developing their own connection with nature. These connections can lead to a lifelong, caring stewardship over nature.

      Those who act pro-environmentally

      doubtlessly learned to care about nature

      through positive nature experiences.

      It stands to reason that the higher the quality of nature experiences one has, the more likely that he or she will care about and protect those areas. So, it is important to have some understanding to which sort of nature experience offers the higher quality. Obviously, this boils down to an individual's interests and tastes but some broader generalizations can be made too.

      Streams

      As a canoeist knows, deep water is found where the current flows fast. This is where you go to avoid the rocks or getting stuck in the shallows. Activities focussed on nature are the deep waters flowing quickly towards a connection with nature. Some more obvious examples of activities focussed on nature include: wild edible plant collecting/viewing, bird watching, exploring animal tracks and trails, walking in nature, bushcraft, snow-shoeing, and star gazing.

      The more the focus is on nature, or naturally occurring objects, the better the chance of developing a connection to natural places—assuming the activity is enjoyable and memorable. However, just because an activity takes place in nature does not make it a nature focussed one. Let us explore this just a little more, with a brief discussion on activities in nature.

      Activities focussed on nature.

      Many nature seers and writers of old have spoke of the timelessness of the nature experience and how activities that include motors, gadgetry, and even thoughts that belong to the urban centres, should be avoided during a wilderness experience. This is because all of the activities, gear and objects we involve ourselves with carry meaning and memories. So we do not want surround ourselves with mental ties to things unrelated to nature and our time there. For example, I am environmentally conscious and love to go canoeing. I also think that the canoe is an icon of the forest. I have two canoes, one is plastic and the other Birch bark. The plastic boat was bought at a local store in town, but was made and transported from hours away. The bark boat was made by hand and with friends in the woods over the period of a week. I also possess a lot of related camping gear, some homemade and others made from natural materials. I also have a lot of gear that is petrol-chemically based (e.g., plastics, nylon, tarps, camp fuel). I have little affection for the plastic boat and petrol-chemically based gear but appreciate their functionality—although mindful of these industries and their close ties to global warming. These items merely function as a means to be in the woods. When in the bark canoe, I find myself more in-tune with nature knowing that I could repair this boat or even replace it with nothing but my surroundings. Moreover I am excited to just step into it. This appreciation

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1