There’s nothing better than being outdoors on a glorious summer’s day, listening to live music. At least that’s what American composer Libby Larsen believes.

“I grew up on outdoor concerts,” she recalls. “There was a bandstand by my house in Minneapolis and all summer long orchestras and bands would play there. There's really something special about being outside and hearing music fill the air with sound...”

On today’s date in 1983, one of Larsen’s own musical works entitled “Deep Summer Music” received its premiere outdoors when the Minnesota Orchestra visited the tiny rural community of Terrace, Minnesota.

Larsen says, “’Deep Summer Music’ was written for an outdoor occasion. That's why there are long trumpet solos that can ring out over the hills. Terrace is a small town of 70 people, but for the concert 8000 people came from western Minnesota and eastern South Dakota. They brought lawn chairs and picnic baskets. The concert was paid for by those same communities and so they had a real stake in the whole experience.”

At first, says Larsen, she thought the large, festive crowd wouldn’t pay much attention to her new piece. Instead, she recalls, as the music began, “There was the most beautiful blanket of quiet you can imagine. And as the second trumpet solo happened a "V" formation of geese flew over and honked during the solo, seeming to echo the music. It was such a lovely and peaceful experience—and you couldn’t have cued the geese any better!”