The Sound of Falling Leaves

It’s hard to say that there is still no first Snowfall in Michigan. As an out of state student from Colorado, they experienced lots of snow this past week, and looking through my friends’ from back home posts, I can confidently say that I am so jealous. I captured this image of the beautiful law quad while walking on a chilly day. While I can see the leaves on the ground surrounded by the architecture of the law quad, I can also see a visual symphony, where each unique element in this picture represents a musical phrase. To me, the bare branches of the trees represent the staff lines on a musical piece, with each fallen leave being a single note.

architectureThe center of this image shows the law quad, and it acts as the steady and elegant beats of the music. The rich details in architecture as well as the arch, evokes a harmony that goes beyond a simple melody. It is complex and raw, with the arch welcoming people in to the creativity warm sounds. In this orchestra, I envision the warm colors of the fall leaves as a cello, with its rich tones bringing to life Fall’s beauty.

I am reminded of the piece Cello Sonata in G minor Movement III Chopin. This beautiful piece is a duet with the cello and piano, and its sounds combine together to form a haunting yet heartwrenching piece. The cello stands out to me as the soloist, and moves the notes in a legato way to emphasize the connectedness of the notes. In this way, the Univeristy of Michigan’s campus becomes a symphony, emphasized by the sound of falling leaves.