Birds on a wire

Talking with tails

Chattering 

Chortling

Like middle-school girls before class

 

Each one is a flutter

But dare not get out of sync

Duos 

Trios

They trade spaces with stories while moving together

 

Others join

Swaying the swayed

Tittle 

Tattle 

These doves they squabble, but dare not move

 

...That is until they move together

Birds of a feather

Fly

 

The Middle Pigeons is an auditory journey that harmonizes the life of pigeons to the likenesses of middle-school girls. The inspiration for this piece began with observing a row of pigeons situating themselves on an electrical line, swaying their tails in tandem to counteract the effects of the wind. They were sitting two by two by four, with a small space in-between. This grouping is the opening melodic rhythm of the piece. With further thought, the above poem was born and other similarities emerged: each group is a bit odd-looking, they flock together, they strut, they are used as go-betweens, and they chatter and cry. 

 

These musings have resulted in a piece in ABA form. The A section giggles and coos with the trombone and tuba playing along. The tuba turns to a more somber melody in the B section, but before long what was once somber becomes dramatic; worthy of a middle-school girl huddle, with all of the squawking and fluttering of wings that one should expect. As all drama eventually dies down, here too the A section returns to bring The Middle Pigeons to rest.

LENGTH

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7:15