a four-movement piece of music inspired by Minnesota’s land and climate

Minnesota is a special place to me. These 86,939 square miles* are home to thousands of lakes, stunning waterfalls, seemingly endless prairie, and gorgeous bluffs. We experience a wide range of weather throughout the year, from sweaty, humid summers to painfully frigid winters. Our sweeping landscapes and climate make Minnesota a truly distinctive place and helped form who I am.

In 2016 (which is coincidentally the 125th anniversary of Minnesota State Parks and Trails), I was given an opportunity from the Minnesota State Arts Board to make my idea a reality. Between February and October, I visited Lake Maria State Park, Gooseberry Falls State Park, Blue Mounds State Park, and Itasca State Park, one park per season. At each site, I collected sounds from things like birds, wind blowing through trees, snow crunching beneath my feet, rivers. I brought those sounds home, manipulated them, and played them alongside traditional instruments like violin and synthesizer. Nearly every aspect of this music was informed by Minnesota’s unique character. Each movement’s general arc, lyrics, and instrumentation was somehow influenced by this place, therefore the title, MN Mimesis (“the imitative representation of nature or human behavior”**), seemed fitting.

WATCH THE TRAILER: mnmimesis.tumblr.com/tagged/visualep

This event will feature a screening of the MN Mimesis Visual EP, a brief talk from me, and live music performances from Paul Spring, Pete James Johnson, and Dave Herdan. A portion of proceeds will support Minnesota’s Future Forests Fund.