SONGS FROM THE SEA:

An artistic statement from the creators

Guiding Question:􏰁􏰂
“Can we create a metaphorical ocean on stage?”

THESIS

In an accelerated technological era with a “…13% rise in mental health conditions…over the last decade” [world health organization] where phones are the new heroine, we are in desperate need of reestablishing a connection to our natural world, to awaken us from our aimless scrolling and drug induced slumber.

Many of us in urbanized environments have been trained out of our sense of intuition. Fortunately Science reminds us that “…our brains are hardwired to react positively to water” an element that “…can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what’s broken [ Wallace J. Nichols, Blue Mind].”

And yet, we do not prioritize building this relationship, despite having the evidence right in front of us, with resources like Blue Mind being readily available. Why then do we turn away from the natural world, our antidote, and instead focus our attention on consuming a slow killing kind of poison labeled ‘social media’. If we truly require water to live and flourish, why do we forge paths in asphalt jungles, only surfing tsunami’s of concrete? Well, as Nichols points out, perhaps “…water is a mirror for our darker emotions as much as it is an engine for our happiness [Blue mind].”

So are people too afraid to dive into the blue because they do not know what may surface in themselves?

It is within this line of invocation that we start our performative investigation.

However as much as we love challenging through art, and we do see benefit in pushing our audience into the deep end, we aren’t deaf ears to Nichols’ statement. As such, we hope that ‘Songs from the sea’ will be an initial foray, a toe in the shore if you will, to a pursuit of greater connection and hopeful future dive in deeper waters. In the spirit of Nichols’ work, we too wish you well, as “[we] wish you water”.

OBJECTIVES

Our intention is to utilize the “ocean” as an anchor in our creative development. In a musical sense this means creating a score that captures the feeling of “awe” that the ocean regularly invokes. This will be done through particular musical elements such as:

• Freedom
• Arpeggiation
• Free Time
• Odd time signatures

Our hope is that this musical experience reminds audiences of the importance of the natural world and as a result encourages listeners to deepen their relationship with nature and ultimately themselves, a symbiotic and life long investigation.

In terms of text, lyricism and poetry will be used to celebrate the spirit of storytelling and the oral tradition. Folklore, Mythology and Fables centered around the ocean will be the basis of inspiration and the framework for the development of new stories.

THEORIES

We hope to apply an environmental, ecologicial and feminist lense, and where appropriate eco-feminist cross over.

MANTRA:

“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.” — Isak Dinesen

*Written and edited by Samantha Hafey, Co-written by Thomas Meyer*