California Guitar Trio

Last night I saw an amazing concert by the California Guitar Trio at the San Juan Community Theater. Three musicians on acoustic guitars (one from the US, one from Belgium, and one from Japan) demonstrated their truly remarkable craftsmanship, which included a song in the circulation form, where "the notes of the melody are divided into three parts, with each player playing every third note in precisely the right time and tempo".

What, you may ask, does this have to do with wildlife in the San Juans? First of all, one of my favorite songs they played, an original piece called "The Marsh", reminded me of this photo I took a week or so ago along Westside Road. It also re-emphasized for me how powerful music and the natural world can be when coupled together. One of my projects (this winter, if not sooner) is going to be working with my boyfriend to record an original music track to the orca video I put together several years ago. He's going to compose some acoustic guitar and keyboard to go with the footage, which I'll compile digitally. The concert really inspired me to make this project happen.

Additionally, one of the band members was talking about playing a private concert earlier in the afternoon near Eagle Cove, where he was truly moved by the landscapes and seascapes in front of him while he played. He said one song will be forever changed for him because the orcas came by while they played it. While they usually play a concert in a different city every night, their touring agency recommended staying an extra day in the San Juans, since so many other musicians wanted extra time here. He was glad they'd have today to tour the island a bit more. "You guys are truly lucky to live here," he said. He's right.