Melusina Calls to the Loon was originally composed for solo violin as part of an 1999 artist residency at Isle Royale National Park. I later orchestrated it for violin and chamber orchestra. I was living in Chicago at the time and was overwhelmed by the beauty of the sights and sounds all around me. My intention was to translate through music my experience at the Park. Each night walking from my cabin I would hear the calls of the loons, the chattering of squirrels and bird songs and the motion of Lake Superior. I imagined a conversation between a mermaid and a loon calling back and forth in the dark. From this conversation Melusina Calls to the Loon was created.