It’s the sound of a light breeze. The crinkly noise the pine needles make as they blow together in the trees above. I hear a bird chirp, singing a far-away tune. And the caw, caw, caw of a flock flying over.
As I pass by a pond filled with tadpoles, I hear the deep croak of a frog: it sounds nothing like Ribbit. When I walk, there’s the squish of mud beneath my feet, the rush of tall reeds against my legs, the percussion-like sound of dislodged rocks rolling back down the mountain.
On warm days, I hear the buzzing of bees flitting between the winter wildflowers. This sound is so loud, I wonder whether someone is flying a drone.
This is the soundtrack of nature.
Sometimes, I close my eyes and just listen. When I tune out the rest of my senses, all that’s left is this symphony, so touching to my soul. How many different instruments make up this haphazard orchestra? And how do they combine in such a wonderful way? Nature’s sounds are so soothing that people package and sell them as white noise: Ocean Waves, Rainstorm, Nighttime in the Country.
Each one with its own unique melody.
With all the types of beauty that overwhelm our senses when we step outdoors, it’s hard to notice a thing as simple as sound. But what would it feel like if the world was completely silent? Thinking about it this way, we can’t fail to appreciate the wonderful music that accompanies our every excursion.
In a cave, the rain falls, pitter pattering one minute, then rushing down in constant noise the next. It’s dry in here, and the sounds of our voices echo against the stark rock walls.
In a desert canyon, the birds take over. Each trill and caw resound against the stone cliffs, filling our ears with a beautiful melody.
At the sea – well, we all know what that sounds like. Waves: rushing, soothing, in and out. They hush, they crash, they affect us in ways we don’t even realize.
The symphony of nature is an ongoing refrain, now dramatic and dark, then cheery and bright. All we have to do to attend this concert is head outdoors and sit on a rock in silence. Then, we can close our eyes and let the music make our hearts dance.
