The Dog Doth Bark, Part 1

Trio for Flute, Dog & Fire, Part 1

While dog-sitting in the country early last summer, my intention one afternoon had been simply to capture the sounds of my Native Flute with the crackling of an outdoor fire, and I was blown away by the way that Benny, pictured above,  jumped in to provide a spontaneous chorus of nuanced howls. It actually kind of startled me, yet you might imagine how delighted I was at the same time!

So here is some more Native American Flute, this time in concert with Benny, who turned out to be one of the most gifted and musical dogs that I’ve ever encountered!  Gradually the novelty seemed to wear off for him, and he chose to just listen - something all good musicians need to be able to do! Despite my trying to cajole him back into our little spontaneous jam session there was no budging him, and the recording gradually ebbs away until all that remains is the sound of the fire and songbirds at the conclusion.

One has to wonder what this sounded like to him - what it meant to him - and what primal instinct the sound of the flute was sparking in his canine mind. At this time of year with the Winter Solstice just passed, I feel that our primal instincts are left rather exposed, and this trio for flute, dog and fire really captures some of these fundamental, archetypal elements.

Indeed, this experience and this recording has left me grappling for a more complete understanding of what musical communication actually means for us as humans and for society: is the urge to make music together so very deep-rooted that it is as essential for our well-being and survival as food, shelter and the warmth of a communal fire to gather around?