White Birch Books

White Birch Books, Tin Mountain Conservation Center and Mountain Top Music Center present author Judy Pelikan on Thursday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m., for a presentation and book signing. Pelikan is the adapter and illustrator of "The Music of Wild Birds: An Illustrated, Annotated, and Opinionated Guide to Fifty Birds and Their Songs." Pelikan has created this book based on F. Schulyler Mathews "Field Book of Wild Birds and Their Music" written in the late 19th century. This event is free and the public is invited to attend.A naturalist and composer, Mathews (1854-1938) actually wrote down the musical compositions of the bird songs he heard. He discovered that bird music has found its way into our culture in poems, childrens nursery songs and even the works of great composers: the meadowlarks song can be found in "La Traviata" and the listener can hear the Nashville warbler in Rossinis "Carnovale." Pelikan has taken Mathews erudite and entertaining prose, accompanied by his musical scores for 50 birds. Each is complemented by Pelikans illustrations of the birds, their nests, eggs and feathers.During Pelikans visit to White Birch Books, she will talk about her book and autograph copies. A representative of Mountain Top Music will provide flute music from the works described in Pelikans book.