I composed and recorded this three-track guzheng piece yesterday in the middle of a very humid and hot day in Nashville. The inspiration came from seeing a big female tiger swallowtail butterfly in the forest (photo below). They have been coming back every summer, which makes me happy. One interesting fact about living in the forest is that incests and plants don’t always come back every year. Many of them are good for the enrichment. For example, I have not seen ladybugs returning to the forest for at least four years. It’s not good for our eco system, told by my local farmer.
I learned some fun facts about the tiger swallowtail butterfly:
they can fly up to 30 miles per hour. The Tiger Swallowtail has a wingspan of 3-6 inches, making it one of the largest butterflies in North America.
The male tiger swallowtail is yellow with black stripes. The female has two forms: one like the male and another that is all black. Both female forms show iridescent blue on the upperside of the hindwings. The underside of the forewing has a row of yellow spots, while the underside of the hindwing has an orange spot.
Meanwhile, I wait for the ladybugs to show up again. Hope this piece brings you joy into the weekend!
Wu Fei 吴非
Wufeimusic.com
