Bear Creek Springs: A Song History
"Bear Creek Springs" is one of sixteen original duets for mountain dulcimer and Native American flute in DulciFlute, a book by John and Karen Keane published by Fingers Of Steel; the book pairs a notated flute line with chords for the dulcimer and includes the Keanes' own recording of every tune.[1] The listing does not say which of the two composed this tune.[1] The Keanes, from Shreveport, Louisiana, hold degrees in music education and have written several books and CDs of original music for dulcimer and Native American flute.[2][3]
Maximilian Josef Wagenbauer, Mountainous Landscape with Bear in the Foreground, lithograph, 1789–1829. Shown for its bear; it has no connection to the tune.
A place named Bear Creek Springs does exist in Boone County, Arkansas, where the Bear Creek Motel is on the National Register of Historic Places.[4] Nothing in the sources consulted here ties the tune to that place or to any other, and none says what inspired it.[1][2][3]
Sources
- Fingers Of Steel: "John Keane And Karen Keane, DulciFlute".
- DulcimerDownloads: "John Keane".
- DulcimerDownloads: "Karen Keane".
- National Park Service NPGallery: "Bear Creek Motel".
- Image: Maximilian Josef Wagenbauer, Mountainous Landscape with Bear in the Foreground, lithograph, 1789–1829. The Cleveland Museum of Art.