Mastodons & Megafauna

We step back into ancient history, and the footprints here are not made by humans. We hear the tread of the giant mammals of the Ice Age: mammoths, sloths, bison, horses… and mastodons. This lighthearted music—representing extinct mastodons and other megafauna, and composed using the letters of those words and others—starts with the slow step of an adult mastodon played by the timpani, followed by the quicker beat of a young mastodon represented by low pizzicato strings. Soon we hear that it is an entire family of mastodons, and the French Horns make the calls of the adult mastodons as the trumpets represent the answers of their offspring. Composer's Note: The French Horns need not play the upward lines perfectly, as they are intended to sound "elephanty" and it's fine if they're a little messy.