SOUND GARDENS
Blue Lady was invited as water ambassador to participate in Wavelets Creative’s four seasonal Sound Garden installations, writing and performing original water songs for each season and location. Blue Lady’s songs are personifications of water, and invoke our dynamic relationship to its ever changing and seasonal shapes. These highly collaborative art performances took place in natural settings combining original music and songs with a choir, instrumentalists, poetry readings and movement. The immersive experiences happened organically near bodies of water, with the goal of connecting people to the nature and water in their community. These first four Sound Gardens launched collaborations that are ongoing and new events will be announced.
WINTER
Winter was the first of four seasonally inspired Sound Garden events. Blue Lady performed her original Snowflakes song on the ice on Lake Nokomis with the Free Range Choir and Orchestra. She added layers of sounds by playing the percussion water jars while roving and mingling with participants.
SNOWFLAKES
by Blue Lady
Water falls from the sky and she says
It’s getting cold round here
Let me transform myself
And put on my winter gear
Snowflakes
They’re just like us
Each one different and a little bit rough
Snowflakes
Feathery ice
Six pointed symmetry
Crystalline light
Falling
Softly falling
Softly falling
Softly falling...
SPRING
Spring was the second Sound Garden event, which took place in historic Harbor Park, Grand Marais. As 200 rivers melted into Lake Superior, Blue Lady was honored to rove through the event, instigate wishes with pebbles in water vessels, play the water jars, and present her song Springtime Heat.
SPRINGTIME HEAT
by Blue Lady
Cloaked all in white
Her lacy icy river gowns
Rumpled tumbled frozen silent
Draped thick and solid over rocks and bends
Hear the sound of springtime heat
The drip of fraying hems
Hear the sound of springtime heat
The glistening softening gems
Cracking melting shedding
Countless layers on the way
Growing urgent warming rush
Give way the swoosh and sway
She starts to giggle gurgle laugh
And frees extremities
Till all that’s left is clear pure flow
Into the lapping laky sea
Hear the sound of springtime heat
The drip of fraying hems
Hear the sound of springtime heat
The glistening softening gems
SUMMER
Summer was the third Sound Garden event at Silverwood Park, St Anthony, MN. Blue Lady mingled while roaming the beautiful park on the island and premiered her summer song “Soakin It In” with the Free Range Orchestra and Choir.
SOAKIN IT IN
by Blue Lady
She beckons with her glassy calm
Reflections of the summer's on
Dream by her side
or slip right in
or stay doing nothin nothin nothin nothin nothin
but soaking it in
Blues greens
and daydreams
and saturated bliss
Drifting free
in the lazy breeze
let's idle a while like this
Boomboom boom she boomboom
oooh oooh oooh
Boomboom boom she boomboom
oooh oooh oooh
FALL
Fall was the final Sound garden of the series, which took place at Monomin Park, Fridley, MN, where Rice Creek flows into the Mississippi River. While the trees were just starting to turn and lose their leaves, Blue Lady meandered the Sound Garden, played chekere, and presented her fall water song accompanied by the Free Range Orchestra and Choir. Her friends the LOVE Butterflies help spread her magic and joy, delivering paper hearts with participants’ messages to the love tree.
FALL WATER POEM
by Blue Lady
She stirs,
and for a moment,
ripples in the wind.
The fiery leaf slowly swirls,
flashing, dancing,
landing lightly
on her glassy reflection.
The passage over,
and just begun.
Now there’s two.
Now there’s one.
Catch us Mami Wata
when we fall.
Carry us gently.
Time to think about it all.
No time at all.
Brilliant, flaming,
reflection.
