Her intention, guerrilla pianist Sandra Tsing Loh said, was to bring land and sea life into "symphonic harmony with nature's eternal rhythm."

That's why Loh, backed by the Topanga Symphony Orchestra, pounded out her composition, "Night of the Grunion," Friday night on a piano set up at Malibu's Surfrider Beach.

And, as though answering the call of the musicians, the grunion did come ashore, much to the pleasure of about 600 spectators.