From bird songs in the spring and summer to an evening chorus of crickets and katydids in later summer into fall, we can invite and welcome nature’s chorus into our yards and gardens.
A large park may have a full-sized orchestra, but the intimacy of a chamber ensemble singing close to our homes is also very rewarding. If we know what the performers need to create their music, we can begin to provide a setting in which they will thrive.
Lisa Rainsong holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition from the Cleveland Institute of Music and is a member of CIM’s music theory faculty. A soprano as well as a teacher and composer, she also earned a Naturalist Certificate from the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, where her study focused on field experience. She now teaches birdsong, amphibian song, and insect song classes across the state and does field recording of bird songs and insect songs. In addition, she does field research on crickets and katydids—research work that is done primarily by ear. Her recordings and photos can be found on her blog, Listening in Nature.
Westlake Porter Public Library is an independent public library serving the residents of the city of Westlake, western Cuyahoga County and eastern Lorain County. The library is located at 27333 Center Ridge Road in Westlake, Ohio. Anyone who lives, works, owns property, or goes to school in Ohio can register for a free library card.