The song I chose is Brolga bird clan songs by Dabulu, Magurn, and party. This song jumped out at me first through the title. Considering we have learned about the importance of animism in many cultures, the title of “Brolga bird clan songs” stood out to me. Through searching what Brolga birds are, I learned that they are a very distinctive bird, and one that is native to Australia. I listened to the call of a Brolga crane and found similarities with my chosen song. In the song, the didjeridu takes a rhythmic sounding pulse that sounds similar to the pattern of the Brolga’s call, with short bursts of sound rather than one steady tone. The vocal singing imitates sounds of the bird as well, with cooing/cawing sounds. The calls also move and descend down, much like the energy and direction of the bird’s call. Listening to music with a new focus of trying to pinpoint these connections, like the similarities between music and sounds of nature, has been eye opening in realizing how much music can speak. These birds are symbolic of sticking together, dancing together, and are even called “Native Companions”, symbolizing the native people of Australia. The overarching theme of the importance of animals in cultures led me to choose this song because I thought it aligned with what we have learned in class. After diving further into the album, I saw more patterns of important cultural themes, which included animal songs, rain songs, and dance songs. Overall, this song has opened up my ears to hear more of the connections between song and nature. 

https://youtu.be/5jYnJmS3RZU?feature=shared