Wind Power Handbook » Wind Music

Wind-in-song

Timlynn Babitsky — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:54:09 +0000

by Timlynn Babitsky
Ah, a few more entries in the Wind Songs hunt. Same song title – The Will of the Wind- two different takes; two different artists - both are on YouTube.

The Will of the Wind by Jim Photoglo click here to see and The Will of the Wind live by Kenny Loggins click here to see are both worth a listen. Each is a beautiful piece that you will surely want to add to your positive wind music collection.

Wind Songs

Timlynn Babitsky — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:29:39 +0000

by Timlynn Babitsky
I’ve been on a hunt for songs and music with the beauty of wind as the theme. There are certainly a number of songs about the terrible power of wind. You know, sinking ships, blowing away dreams and that kind of thing. I posted my query to one of the best folk music websites thinking there MUST be some great ”good wind” folk songs….and three songs were immediately posted in reply:

Blow The Man Down
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Watching Lake Michigan Roll

Ok, so two of the three are definitely NOT wind-positive. And, I can’t find the lyrics for Lee Murdock’s Watching Lake Michigan Roll. But I’m guessing it may be more about the water and less positive about the wind — who knows?

This is only the first reply I got on the AlleyChat forum (at one of the best 24/7 listener supported live-streaming folk music websites I know - Folk Alley). So maybe there will be others. I’ll let you know.

Now, back to my hunt — here’s what I’ve been able to find as “wind is good” songs so far today. You will recognize these I’m sure at Everything Pre-School. It tickles me to see that these are positive wind songs for the littlest wind lovers.

I’m still looking….

If you know the lyrics to Murdock’s song or if you can think of a positive folk song about wind…. how about a comment! – or drop me an e-mail.

Wind Inspiration

Timlynn Babitsky — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:27:05 +0000

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.