Nature's Orchestra

Gr 9 Up—After a successful career as a musician, Dr. Bernie Krause now devotes himself completely to his passion for recording the sounds of nature and speaking on preserving the environment. Krause has traveled the world, recording more than 15,000 species during the past 45 years. Returning to habitats he previously recorded, he finds the differences resulting from human interventions, such as logging and the flight patterns of jets, have had devastating effects on the diversity of life and health of the environment. Viewers see Krause and his crew transporting their recording gear and camping in remote places to capture nature's spectrum. The film also documents Krause's field trip with high school students, so used to being plugged in to music. He has them listen to the natural world, to their wonder and delight. Additionally, professional dancers poetically interpret his recordings—Krause claims that humans learned singing, drumming, and dancing from the natural world. The film is gorgeously shot with scenery of Californian meadows and Alaska's Arctic Circle National Wildlife Refuge. The narrative is accompanied by Krause's exceptional, unique soundscapes and composed music. It's hard not to fall in love with the passion of Krause, who states, "The music of the natural world holds the secret of love for all things, especially our own humanity."