Birding for Birdies is a set of 9 pieces for trumpet and guitar inspired by birds seen and heard on a road trip to Queensland in June 2023. As a keen birdwatcher I am often thinking about how habit loss and destructive development is pushing birds to the brink. The experience of travel in Queensland was a positive experience that made me marvel at the resilience of Australian birds and the new avian soundscapes I was experiencing in the northern part of Australia.
Musical ideas for Birdies were workshopped with Joel to incorporated a range of mutes and trumpet effects that evoked bird calls. The first performance of the full set was given at Tempo Rubato in Melbourne on 20 March 2024.
The movements are: