Wind Inspiration
by Timlynn Babitsky
“Turbines are ugly. They will totally spoil my view of ______ (insert your favorite location).” This argument is one of the hardest ones for me to digest. The kinetic elegance of a tall turbine moving to the rhythm of the air blowing by is incredibly beautiful. In fact, it’s inspirational.
A couple of years ago while I was working at the North American Rural Futures Institute in northcentral Montana, I e-chatted a bit with Montanan pianist and composer Philip Aaberg about him doing a wind-related compostion. His Live From Montana album nominated for a 2002 Grammy was recorded live in the school auditorium of Aaberg’s hometown, Chester, Montana.
Chester was one of the first places up on the northcentral Montana Hi-Line that installed a wind turbine thanks to the heroic efforts of a number of folks but particularly Liberty County Commissioner, Don Marble, of Chester.
Philip was interested but noted it would take at least $50,000 (in 2002) for him to do a composition and recording on wind, turbines and kinetic beauty. Not having that in the NARFI budget, the idea dropped.
And so to date, the only piece of music I could find out there on wind power – and it’s a good one – is Thomas Dolby’s WindPower recorded in 1982 on The Golden Age of Wireless album. This piece is every bit as hypnotic as watching a turbine moving. It’s a great song to use to open your wind project community organizing meetings.