MUSIC AND CREDITS

Here you will find a small collection of midi files which I've created. The medleys have been used on my home page and the others were created for other reasons. These files were generated with a Sound Blaster 32 and (later a Diamond Monster 300) sound card in a general midi format using Recording Sessions Plus 2.0, long hours of time, and both ingenuity and imagination. The main sources of energy placed in this music includes that from "Bear Stories" characters, close friends, and of course Great Mystery.

If you find that these files tend to sound more like moaning and occasional noises, you may wish to visit my PC Tips pages for Midi Map tweaking. As I indicate on my home page, a sound card with 32 voices or more can make these sound much better. To play the music simply left click on my flutes below. Ahoh!!!

Lead Bass Flute - Walking Grizzly Bear

2nd Bass Flutes - Gray Eye Grandfather Bear, Sister Golda Bear & Blue Moon Father Bear

Percussion & Sound FX - Recorded and dubbed guests...

Spiritual Guide - Crow Who Calls the Thunder

About the Ensemble:

The family I come from is very musically inclined. It may go back to my great grandmother and her insistence that balance and harmony are learned, practiced, and demonstrated when one makes joyful noises to Great Spirit. It was not our intention to ever go public with recordings of our music; but with much encouragement from friends and family we decided to share.

Blowers was our first serious indeavor to bring about a sound fitting the experiences we had during meditation. Our music is regarded as unique and somewhat ordered where we come from. Though others back home make music, most do not get into the group thing. Hence, we depended heavily on overdubbing to capture a rythmic percussion effect.

With each step we took toward developing this music, Crow Who Calls the Thunder kept us focused in mission. Her guidance and friendship have inspired us to keep walking forward on the red path in Spirit's grace and blessings. For this we are honored to have shared her path, if only for these moments.

All my relations...

"Medley 1"

Group: The Great Forest Ensemble

Titles: Calling Wind, Cricket Sings, Echoing Moons - medley1.mid (originally posted as calngwnd.mid)

Lead Flute - Walking Grizzly Bear

2nd Treble Flute - Gray Eye Grandfather Bear

Bass Flutes - Gray Eye Grandfather Bear, Sister Golda Bear & Blue Moon Father Bear

Echoes - "The Howling Wolf Duet", Brothers Winter Mist & Summer Thunder Wolf

Atmosphere - Mother Red Bear

Drum - Billy "Boom Boom" Beaver

Chirping - Moonless Midnight Cricket

Rattles - Sister Cedar Berry Snake & Grandmother Sylvia Snake

Wind - Great Mystery

Spiritual Guide - Crow Who Calls the Thunder

About the Ensemble:

What started out as a family of flute blowing bears, eventually turned into a group of woodland folks who enjoy socializing, dancing, and even howling in harmony with Earth Mother. As audience participation became more prevalent, our family evolved into a circle of regulars who rehearsed and lived together in commune of Great Mystery's will.

Perhaps the most significant turn of events for the sound we make was when Billy showed up. He started keeping us in tempo by beating on a hollow tree trunk with his tail. Soon after that, Grandmother Sylvia and her daughter Cedar Berry crawled out from under their rocks and added a lot of texture to the percussion. Then one day a couple of visiting wolves were compelled to vocalize a little, and the harmonics of our sound were obviously enriched. After asking Winter Mist and Summer Storm to keep hanging with us at the Great River (where we usually play) they moved in and became a part of this growing circle of musicians.

Midnight isn't a regular member of the circle and was extremely hard to approach about sharing time and space on a regular basis. After much begging and foraging for a gift of food, she finally committed to a special cameo in "Cricket Sings".

As usual, Crow Who Calls the Thunder was often with us during rehearsal and recording times. Her patience with our sometimes unbearable attitudes gave us the much needed strength to follow through with this project.

All my relations...

"Medley 2"

Group: The Great Forest Ensemble

Titles: Foggy Dawn, Raven's Flight, and Celestial Dreams - medley2.mid

Recorder - Walking Grizzly Bear

Pan Flute - Mother Red Bear

Treble Flutes - Sister Golda Grizzly Bear & Blue Moon Father Bear

Low voices - "The Howling Wolf Duet" Brothers Winter Mist & Summer Thunder Wolf

High voices - Chester "The Jester" Coyote

Big bass drum - Emerald River Elk

Middle Range Drum - Billy "Boom Boom" Beaver

High drum - Shining Crystal Mother Rabbit

Chirping - Moonless Midnight Cricket, Pine Needle Beetle, & Green Meadows Grasshopper

Rattles - Sister Cedar Berry Snake & Grandmother Sylvia Snake

Spiritual Guide - Dancing Eagle AKA Crow Who Calls the Thunder

Special Thanks - Thank you so much Turtle Mother for providing space for socialization, rehearsal, prayers, and meditation for these and many other spirits.

Acknowledgments - We thank and praise Great Mystery for creation, love, peace, inspiration, and for the will to persevere long days of hard work.

Credit is also due to our fine friends who include too many names to list in this limited space. Their critique, nurturing, hard work, and inspiration is always welcome and appreciated.

About the Ensemble:

With winter passing and folks getting back together, we decided to share a second medley. With much appreciated acceptance, word in the Great Forest spread like Great Mystery's blessings. With this the numbers and spirit of the circle has grown tremendously.

As indicated by the credits, my family has shown their versatility by taking on more parts through the music. Also note the new members including Chester, Crystal, and Emerald. Many other woodland folks have expressed a desire to play also. We'll see.

Chester is an old friend who has told us time and again about his talents; but no one took him serious about being able to sing, until he secretly tricked the wolves into being late one day. Although we consented to his substituting for them briefly, we were surprised to find his unique voice added a lot of character to our sound. He'll be around from now on.

Until we heard Emerald kick a hollow log one day, we had not realized how much a bass drum was needed. He's also quite good at hearing pitches and can move up and down that log pretty fast. Emerald says he developed his speed as a calf while trying to keep up with the elders.

Why we didn't think before to audition Crystal for a drummer position befuddles us all. Her thumping signals have always been an easy way to understand happenings throughout Great Forest; even from long distances away. Well, better late than not at all!

Getting Midnight to work days (and rehearse with us) was like pulling claws when we recorded Medley 1, she has since joined the group full time. In fact, she now heads the insect special effects section with help from Pine and Green. Their soothing overtures and overtones are always an added plus to our more traditional percussion.

Although somewhat bewildered by her mid-winter metamorphosis, the circle finds spiritualist Dancing Eagle as sharing as ever when we have need to understand better the pushes we receive from Great Mystery. Without her support our group would surely have fallen apart in the wake of our music's overwhelming popularity. Her insights and zeal in honoring and praising Great Mystery are always an inspiration which keeps us humbled.

All my relations...

"Medley 3"

Group: The Great Forest Ensemble

Titles: Raining Blessings, Crying for Grandmother Moon, and Great River Flows - medley3.mid

Recorder - Walking Grizzly Bear

Pan Flute - Mother Red Bear

Bass Flute - Honey Hair Bear

Treble Flutes - Sister Golda Grizzly Bear & Blue Moon Father Bear

Low voices - "The Howling Wolf Duet" Brothers Winter Mist & Summer Thunder Wolf

High voices - Chester "The Jester" Coyote

Big bass drum - Emerald River Elk

Middle Range Drum - Billy "Boom Boom" Beaver

High drum - Shining Crystal Mother Rabbit

Chirping - Moonless Midnight Cricket, Pine Needle Beetle, & Green Meadows Grasshopper

Rattles - Sister Cedar Berry Snake & Grandmother Sylvia Snake

Wood Blocks - Western Wind Woodpecker & Willow Woodpecker

Clicks - Mother Green Branch Cardinal

Sticks - Red Comet Raccoon

Spiritual Guide - Dancing Eagle

Special Thanks - Thank you so much Groovy Coyote Woman for inspiration towards the fruition of Crying for Grandmother Moon. Although you are as elusive as the wind, you are appreciated.

Acknowledgments - We thank and praise Great Mystery for continued success despite our earthly selves. Near the end of winter Gray Eye Grandfather Bear transcended in his sleep. Although his physical self will be missed by many, his spirit lives on and he still guides us in many ways. His spirit has been very helpful in several of his family's dreams. "Great River Flows" was written lately and is a tribute to the old guy.

About the Ensemble:

With spring passing, we began to develop a third medley. Again you'll notice the numbers and spirit of the circle has grown tremendously. New members including: Honey Hair, Western Wind, Willow, Green Branch and Red Comet.

Western Wind and Willow are the newest (and youngest) members of the group and are quite a blessing in themselves. Their lack of experience with such a diverse group as the Ensemble helps remind us of how truly blessed we are to have each other. Their unique sounds are new to our music; but fit in quite well.

Green Branch is an old friend of "Boom Boom", and asked if we could use a soft clicking sound. Apparently she uses her tongue and upper beak to create a suction that in turn makes her nice sounds. What a gift!

Red Comet also makes a clicking sound, which he learned as a means of mimicking his own speech patterns. He uses a couple of real dry sticks and all fours to perform this feat. Sometimes it's hard to just keep rehearsing for watching his method. It's even harder to concentrate when Comet and Chester get to mixing it up. Although they have found each other to be prime targets for mischief, when they work together someone is always surprised at the outcome.

Honey Hair is the newest bear to actually join our group, though he did perform some with Medley 2 in Gray Eye Grandfather's absence. He was always at rehearsal before showing interest; but after hearing we would need a new bass flute player, he approached us about a permenant possition in the Ensemble. He was the soul writter of the first part of Medley 3, called "Raining Blessings". Honey Hair seems to be real good on his own; but several have said there is a different look about him when he is playing with the group. Somewhat like a knowing that he is part of something special; and he is!.

Midnight is now in charge of conducting all percussion; with lots of help from Green Branch (she's a natural). Summer Thunder is conductor of wood-winds and voices. He says he has "found his calling". Well, it seems he really has; since the bear family doesn't have to conduct at all, and things are going very smoothly. Midnight and Summer Thunder don't seem to have any problems in coordinating with each other. His brother Winter Mist, by the way, wrote "Crying for Grandmother Moon".

All my relations...

"Medley 4"

Group: The Great Forest Ensemble

Titles: Meadow Dance, Sunset's Rhythms, and Fallin Leaves - medley4.mid

Recorder - Walking Grizzly Bear

Pan Flute - Mother Red Bear

Bass Flute - Honey Hair Bear

Treble Flutes - Sister Golda Grizzly Bear & Blue Moon Father Bear

Low voices - "The Howling Wolf Duet" Brothers Winter Mist & Summer Thunder Wolf

High voices - Chester "The Jester" Coyote

Big bass drum - Emerald River Elk

Middle Range Drum - Billy "Boom Boom" Beaver

High drum - Shining Crystal Mother Rabbit

Chirping - Moonless Midnight Cricket, Pine Needle Beetle, & Green Meadows Grasshopper

Rattles - Sister Cedar Berry Snake & Grandmother Sylvia Snake

Wood Blocks - Western Wind Woodpecker & Willow Woodpecker

Clicks - Mother Green Branch Cardinal

Sticks - Red Comet Raccoon

Spiritual Guides - Dancing Eagle and Turtle Mother

Special Thanks - A "friend forever" who now dances with the stars, Dancingwolf, will be remembered and always loved by the Ensemble for the inspiration, support, and very kind words she gave us. Meadow Dance is her memorial, since her ability to shine with Great Mystery's light seemed to be like that of a butterfly dancing in springtime meadows filled with blooming wildflowers and grasses waving in gentle breezes. Also thanks to a sister from the wolf clan, Star*Shine, for her nurturing and helpful attention to many of the Ensemble. You are truly a Star who shines with Spirit's red light.

Acknowledgments - We thank Great Mystery for keeping the Ensemble together and for all the blessings which lead to our bringing about this new medley.

About the Ensemble:

As Grandfather Sun flew higher and higher into the summer skies, we began to develop a fourth medley. You may notice no new members have joined the group, but instead we have grown closer and now play and rehearse as a very tight family of musicians.

Summer and Chester were chiefly responsible for writing Meadow Dance, and were also insistent on an isolation of the higher pitches of Walking Grizzly Bear's flute to bring about the intended spirit of the song. The bear clan finally collaborated in an effort to capture Grandfather Sun setting in the west into music with Sunset's Rhythms. Emerald River Elk was inspired to write Falling Leaves as a means of getting into some real nice harmonics, and for honoring her mother, Grandmother Rainbow Leaves.

All my relations...

"Two Hearts as One"

Recorder - Walking Grizzly Bear

Pan Flute - Mother Red Bear

Big bass drum - Emerald River Elk

Middle Range Drum - Billy "Boom Boom" Beaver

Rattles - Sister Cedar Berry Snake & Grandmother Sylvia Snake

Spiritual Guides - Dancing Eagle and Turtle Mother

Special Thanks - Stormy is of the wolf clan, and inspires so many of Great Forest's folks with her poems, her wisdom, and with her healing nature.

Acknowledgments - The support and many blessings of Great Mystery rain down upon us and cause us to realize a humbleness of heart and talent.

Stormy agreed there was a need in her world for a piece of music she could use to help soothe guests with. Although winter is set in and many who live in Great Forest are journeying into their long sleep time, we were able to get a few of the Ensemble together for what will be the last project before next spring. Two Hearts as One will be used in a meditative way so as to help project strong words of honesty between two individuals who can become as one in friendship. The power of the message Stormy captured has been echoing through the hearts of friends for generations now, as it will through the ages before us.

All my relations...

"Medley 5"

Group: The Great Forest Ensemble

Titles: Canyon's Calling, Trickling Brook, Salmon's Path - medley5.mid

Recorder - Walking Grizzly Bear, Mother Red Bear, Blue Moon Grandfather Bear, Honey Hair Bear, and Sister Golda Grizzly Bear

Bass Recorder - Honey Hair Bear

Pan Flute and Bass Pan Flute - Mother Red Bear

Bass Flute - Blue Moon Grandfather Bear, Honey Hair Bear, Sister Golda Grizzly Bear, Walking Grizzly Bear

Treble Flutes - Sister Golda Grizzly Bear, Blue Moon Grandfather Bear, Honey Hair Bear, Walking Grizzly Bear

Low voices - "The Howling Wolf Duet" Brothers Winter Mist & Summer Thunder Wolf

Low and high voices - Chester "The Jester" Coyote

Big bass drum - Emerald River Elk

Middle Range Drum - Billy "Boom Boom" Beaver

High drum - Shining Crystal Mother Rabbit

Chirping - Moonless Midnight Cricket, Pine Needle Beetle, & Green Meadows Grasshopper

Rattles - Sister Cedar Berry Snake & Grandmother Sylvia Snake

Wood Blocks - Western Wind Woodpecker & Willow Woodpecker

Clicks - Mother Green Branch Cardinal

Sticks - Red Comet Raccoon

Spiritual Guides - Dancing Eagle and Turtle Mother

Special Thanks - These selections were reviewed and critiqued by Stormy Wolf, and by her encouragement and that of many others we are humbled!

Acknowledgments - As always, Great Mystery brings things together at the right time for them to be most effective in our lives.

About the Ensemble:

From the soul to the heart there is but one distance, the ancient echoes that bless us with remembering we should always live with hope. "Calling Canyons" came about as desert landscapes once visited are reminding Walking Grizzly Bear that they will still be there when he finally returns to visit again.

As a tribute to her daughter Wandering Brook Bear and also to yet another new spring, Mother Red Bear wrote "Trickling Brook". She did this inbetween times when she was fishing and when she was napping near Great River.

Salmon will soon be swarming Great River again in their annual attempt to renew their race's population. In anticipation of this event, Red Comet Raccoon and Honey Hair Bear wrote Salmon's Path. This song in Medley 5 is a droning medley in itself with four parts including, "Spawning", "Oceana", "River", and "Transition".

All my relations...

"Canyons Calling"

Recorder - Walking Grizzly Bear

Spiritual Guides - Dancing Eagle and Turtle Mother

Acknowledgments - Great Mystery is appreciated for slipping this selection into Walking Grizzly Bear's dreams.

While in a time of going within Walking Grizzly Bear was blessed with 14 songs. One of those songs was Canyons Calling. Since the whole song was not used in the above medley, and since better gear was used to produce it, the song reappears here alone. It also sounds better if your sound card can provide reverb. This song and the other thirteen are now available on a CD. Their quality on CD far surpasses anything you will find in midi files.

All my relations...

...more with time.

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