Koko and the strange bird
Jun 11, 07:17 AM
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"Every place has a heartbeat, a beat all its own. As a songwriter, I try to echo the beauty and mystery which already exits.
"For the Koruse Beach field recording, I was immediately inspired by one little bird, whom I named Koko. What a wonderful eighth note rhythm he had in his song! At first, I tried to tame Koko by cutting his song into single chirps in order to manipulate them. But Koko sounded wrong, not like Koko. So, I knew I must be Koko. I grunted (not chirped, because chirping "like a bird" doesn't work) into the microphone, and raised the grunt an octave. I became the "strange bird" on beats two and four to join with Koko's natural song.
"There is nothing like a synthesizer to provoke images. Using a hesitant synth arpeggio, I urged the sound to become the pull and release of waves against a north country's shore. A piano melody joined the cacophony and brought the thrill and challenge of a new day just beginning.
"To honor Estonia's rich vocal heritage, I added a vocalization of the main melody. All the while Koko reappeared throughout my song, singing his soft staccato morning song by the sea. I let the field recording play to allow the chance encounters of the numerous bird calls interplay with the music. How lucky I was to hear the soaring sound of a seagull just as the song finished."
Koruse beach, Estonia reimagined by Anna Tynsky.
"For the Koruse Beach field recording, I was immediately inspired by one little bird, whom I named Koko. What a wonderful eighth note rhythm he had in his song! At first, I tried to tame Koko by cutting his song into single chirps in order to manipulate them. But Koko sounded wrong, not like Koko. So, I knew I must be Koko. I grunted (not chirped, because chirping "like a bird" doesn't work) into the microphone, and raised the grunt an octave. I became the "strange bird" on beats two and four to join with Koko's natural song.
"There is nothing like a synthesizer to provoke images. Using a hesitant synth arpeggio, I urged the sound to become the pull and release of waves against a north country's shore. A piano melody joined the cacophony and brought the thrill and challenge of a new day just beginning.
"To honor Estonia's rich vocal heritage, I added a vocalization of the main melody. All the while Koko reappeared throughout my song, singing his soft staccato morning song by the sea. I let the field recording play to allow the chance encounters of the numerous bird calls interplay with the music. How lucky I was to hear the soaring sound of a seagull just as the song finished."
Koruse beach, Estonia reimagined by Anna Tynsky.