Music of Life by Kermit M Brown

As morning’s first light warms the mountain tops of Appalachia, the sound of a fiddle, announcing its presence, raises from the still-dark valley.

Through a flute, a Cherokee casts a morning prayer into the stillness.

Hours earlier, thousands of miles away, a bagpipe sent its mournful sound into the morning fog. It would join the chorus of people around the world giving thanks for another day. This is the music of mankind.

Deep within the forests of the world, the morning is greeted by the music of the earth. The sounds that have welcomed morning’s first light for millions of years. Long before the first bow was drawn across a string or a flute was dreamed of – before humanity itself – the earth was making its music. This music remains essentially beautiful. The rhythm of waves rolling ashore, the melodic sound of a mountain brook flowing around and over rocks, the cool morning breeze rustling dry leaves, the warbler’s clear song, a chorus of rain frogs, the mix of chirps, peeps, and sweet notes coming from the forest now softly lit by the distant sunrise All this and more makes up the earth’s music. The music of life itself.

We may be able to live without the music of mankind. But when we stop listening to earth’s music of life – all music will stop.