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The clanging of cowbells, swaying prairie grass and plows cutting deep into the earth may not sound like music to your ears, but to St. Paul composer Steve Heitzeg these sounds have all the makings of a great symphony. MPR’s Lorna Benson talks with the Heitzeg about his composition.

Heitzeg grew up on a dairy farm in southern Minnesota and says the experience had a profound effect on shaping his musical career -- from the natural sounds he heard to the colorful and determined spirit of the rural people he met along the way.

Funders

Digitization made possible by the State of Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, approved by voters in 2008.

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