AN artist can find his muse in many places but looking out to the ocean one day a Warrnambool songwriter found some unusual inspiration on Middle Island.The penguin-protecting skills of Maremma dogs have amazed young and old alike and now the gentle guardians are the subject of the latest song by children's entertainer Barry Peters.Peters, who often includes environmental themes in his writing, said he'd always been interested in the island's little penguin population, which was threatened by predators such as foxes and stray dogs."I live just around the corner and to see the penguins disappear was just horrible," he said."I love the fact that penguins are so faithful to one another and that the dogs want to protect them from harm."With an upbeat reggae groove, Peters' song tells the Maremma's version of their life-saving duties."The moment I started writing, I knew it would work," he said. "The penguins are just gorgeous and having the dogs on the island was just a really great concept to work with."I just tried to write about what the dogs might be thinking about their role on the island."The new song They Call Me Maremma will be launched as part of Peters' show at Wunta in February.Footage of the performance will be used as part of the film clip for the song. The musician said he encouraged children to come dressed as penguins for a chance to be part of the filming. "Hopefully there will be lots of little dancing penguins that we can use in the film clip," he said.The interactive show will also feature dancers from Melissa's Hip Hop Dance Elements. They will also join Peters on stage at the Port Fairy Folk Festival and Apollo Bay Music Festival.[FUBULLET][PI9017] Hear the song at The Standard's website: www.standard.net.au