Sitting on an airplane on the runway with the engine-y silence behind this piece. I spent the past few days with a two-year-old in Dallas. We took her rubber bathtub ducks to the water feature in the Trader Joe’s parking lot and let them swim. The next day we saw a pair of mallards land in her neighbor’s yard. Felt like we had maybe conjured them up. We didn’t knock but now I wish we had. I like the summoning up Blake in this homage to John Cage. Lift off.

The softness and intimacy of this is a refreshing change of pace. In mood, it reminds me a little of some early Simon and Garfunkel, where pieces were gentle and reflective. Eye to eye with nature, looking more carefully than most do, allows my mind to settle in a different place. Very enjoyable.

I really like this. I see a scene of two people sitting on a park bench overlooking the water next to someone with a guitar having a conversation. Talking about immediate things and philosophical topics. Things are happening in the background and things come and go as they do in life… but here we are with a bench, a guitar and view of the cormorants down by the pier. The micro view meets the macro view and back again.

Aw, this is lovely! I love the atmosphere of it. The original piece was whimsical and unique and cute, and the additional tracks turned it a different flavour of whimsical and unique and cute. Very FAWM. Makes me want to do collabs again after keeping to myself this year. Also, I had to look up the birds in question, they are fancy! (Don't know why you would call "crest" what is clearly eyebrows. The german version even calls them "ears" - ridiculous! Hey hey) Anyway, I really enjoyed listening.

The improvisatory nature of this is exhilarating. And as I've been a birder since I was a little kid, I'm delightedly imagining this as a twitcher indignantly informing someone who made the mistake of speaking within earshot that cormorants are a separate species, and not ducks at all. "You know that guy" indeed; there's always one nearby.

Yes, it's a concert room, but it's a special performance and there are only friends in the audience. That's how I feel because the silence around the performer is attentive and respectful. Somehow it creates a wonderful atmosphere of kindness.

It feels like sitting in the room with a friend listening to them philosophize in the early morn as the sun has just risen, while someone is making breakfast, very relaxing

Yah, I tried to do something with the original tune but got lost in a forest of loops. Your approach is so much better. Loving the spoken-word approach. Nicely done.

I like the spoken word, works well here! ducks not birds! some good lines here. very thoughtful piece.

The spoken lines are delivered so earnestly and just right. I love the line that a fir is not a spruce, or heck, even a fir. There is some great advice in here. Which Blake poem have I just been assigned as homework? :)

Really beautiful melody, and I love the lyrics. The spoken and sung parts work well together. The ambient background is lovely and provides a great backdrop to the soft singing. Nice!

yeah, we live in a world were people mistake birds for ducks. you put it in such a polite way. the music is very pretty and you spoken parts are as melodious as the sung parts.