It was a still evening, and although a complete novice to the flute, I managed to play notes that were low, long and sombre.
Then the strangest thing happened.
After a few minutes, a curious hedgehog wandered across the back lawn and settled at my feet.
I had never seen or experienced anything quite like it.
The Pied Piper of Hamlin right? Maybe, given a little more practice I could rid the neighbourhood of rats?
In an attempt to find an explanation for this, I was lead to a story about elephants in the Belfast Zoo.
You see, elephants do not cope so well in captivity because they have this built-in instinct to roam great distances.
Fortunately, researchers discovered that playing classical music to captive elephants reduces abnormal behaviours such as swaying, pacing and trunk tossing.
With Beethoven's help, the lives of many have become a lot more comfortable in Belfast Zoo and beyond.
Plants enjoy music too.
It has been well proven that harmonic sound waves affect the growth, flowering, and fruiting of plants.
In some cases, when exposed to music, a rice or wheat harvest has actually doubled.
However, it seems not just any music will do.
While plants will lean towards a radio playing classical music, they will try to scramble away from rock music.
In fact, in one experiment, marigolds 'listening' to rock music died within two weeks, whereas those in the classical music room just next door were flowering away happily.
Certainly some food for thought there.
As an underwater example let's consider a case of zebrafish, rhythmically wagging their tails to the music - even after the beat had stopped.
Yes, that is right ... dancing fish.
For a brief explanation of these things, here's the science.
Protoplasm, the translucent living matter of which all animal and plant cells are composed, is in a state of perpetual motion.
With sound-wave frequencies, vibration and pressure, music can stimulate or influence the speed and nature of protoplasm movement.
Sure, science could help us understand (on an intellectual level) how and why living organisms respond to music as they do, but it could never fully explain the magic of music - no more than the science of cardiology can explain the mystery of love.
When it comes to creative endeavours like art and music, there are intangible factors such as intuition, inspiration and intent which cannot be measured.
Above all then, let's just accept that Shakespeare probably offers the best advice on these matters: "If music be the food of love ... play on."
Concerts featuring live, local original music continue on Friday evenings this month at the Princes Gate Hotel. For further details and schedules see www.creativerotorua.org.nz.
Marc Spijkerbosch is the public arts advisor for the Rotorua Lakes Council.
