When deciding on the audio to use for the animation I started off making an emotional timeline, this was because I wanted to visually see what feelings the story conveyed and where in the story they were showing up.
First I searched online for copyright free audio music, the specific instruments I had in mind were guitar, harp, birds, violin and piano. After finding the right sounds I wanted, I opened up Adobe Audition and started cutting and combining the individual clips together. Using the Peanut animation to ensure the sounds came into play at the times I wanted.
Raw audio clips: guitar
Raw audio clips: birds
Raw audio clips: harp
Raw audio clips: piano
Final audio created for animation
The final audio is a mix of a guitar course, birds singing, harp strings and some piano. The animation opens up with the soft guitar melody and the bright songs of the birds, this plays for most of the animation up until we arrive at Peanuts home.
There is a change in the story from here so that's why I introduced the harp music, I find it a bit more emotional and gives off a different atmosphere. When Peanut is in his chair the piano is introduced further adding to this dramatic scene. The mix of the harp and piano captures the mood of his final scene.
After his death the music quietens until we reach the park scene again, the sound of the birds come back along with the soft melody of the guitar. This keeps constant until the last few moments of the animation, the sounds fade like the images. The joyful, bright sound of the harp ends the final scene, making the last impression bright and beautiful.