The Whirligig Music Project and The Listening Garden

Excerpts from the Guest Book

2008-10-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

On Monday the 6th, I took the garden down. It is now installed on my front porch, where it clashes terribly with my ugly mauvish rental house, but I don't have room inside to store it, and at least it makes our house look a little more colorful.

I found that when the garden was up, I made more time in my day to listen. I enjoyed the garden more than anyone, I'm sure.

There was a guest book in the garden for the entire week. Here are some comments from the book:

"...a great reminder of how easy it is to pause for a moment. i hear...crickets, lawnmowers in the distance, cars passing by, my own deep breaths, an air conditioning system in a nearby building, birds, the creak of the chair when i rock, rustling leaves in the breeze. i only got one opportunity to make noise, and it was better that way..."

"...thank you all so much for this wonderful park. Just going out for an afternoon walk, I stumbled over this meditation space as I may call it for myself. My sound was the song "what a friend we have in Jesus". I felt so good..."

"...What a wonderful way to be silent and still. I stopped for a spell after returning to the park from lunch. I'm spellbound..."

"...10am back for the 4th time since I discovered this space and the wind is enough to move the whirligigs. Hooray!..."

"... came by around 6, but it wasn't windy. Tried playing some blues with guitar and trumpet. Difficulty with the transpositions..."

"...lovely childrens garden. The orange chairs inspire conversation on a windless day..."

"...love the orange chairs against the green grass. Dead still wind but the space is inviting and meditative. Light fading, bird sounds shifting to insects and tree frogs. A cricket, tree frog, background noise dominates punctuated by more percussive insect sounds and the occasional crescendo of tree frog sounds..."

"...It's wonderful to see how you have created (or rather honored) the space here. I never noticed it before, and I have been here dozens of times. What used to feel mundane now feels sacred..."

"...I sit in the Listening Garden and listen to my thoughts. I sit and listen to my kids as they play with the big turtle."

"...Even the traffic is muted. I didn't hear the leaf fall but watched it float from sky to grass."

"...In the Glen, quiet, then finally a breeze blew! Wow! Whirly Gigs Spin!"

"The wind is still. The crickets rub legs and sing. Traffic and voices at the pavilion expand in the background. I love the swish of distant traffic and the crickets singing their songs. A bird chirps stacatto!"

"...great spot! "tiene much duende""

"...I enjoy this quiet space within a world of man-made and nature sounds. The birds chirping remind me that peace comes from within, not through being isolated from external stimulus. Thanks for this moment"...

Cy Rawls

2008-10-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

I just think about his smile and his eyes, and how little he had to say to be an integral part of our music scene and community of friends.

I've put a memory book in a metal lunchbox at the garden for Cy's friends to write a little if they feel like it, and will pass the journal and any mementos anyone leaves on to Cy's family at the memorial service.

I had many thoughts about consciousness when I sat and thought about Cy in the garden. The wind is so full of presence and life that I felt him there and know that he must be in a place of beauty and peace.
Again, I met some visitors who didn't know Cy, but asked about him when they saw the dedication sign I put up. We had a very substantial conversation about life and God and the importance of listening to your inner voice and following your own path, which I know Cy always did.

Day 4 at The Listening Garden

2008-10-02T20:52:00.000-07:00

I met a friend at The Listening Garden today - Trinity - she is just old enough to sign her name in the guest book. Trinity noticed the cricket sounds in The Listening Garden. In the guest book, someone wrote about a song that came to her mind while reflecting in The Listening Garden ("What a friend we have in Jesus)". I've noticed several people around more than once - sometimes I feel like I need to stay away just to let others have a chance to be themselves in The Listening Garden. I've felt that I need to visit several times a day to make sure everything is still working, and have also found myself feeling responsible for keeping the trash out of the area. When items from the installation get moved, I feel tense about it, but I actually think it's a good thing. People have been moving the chairs around, which I think means they are enjoying the space as a public place, not a piece of art to be observed only.

Even though I created the garden, I am still mesmerized when one of my whirligigs (or several) start moving. I'm pretty happy with the garden as a first installation, though I give my construction a C, and definitely plan to continue this space mapping project. The opening performance was beautiful - the performers and audience get major credit for their intense focus and willingness to experience the lengthy interludes of stillness during the hour long piece.

Day 2 at The Listening Garden

2008-09-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

As I approached The Listening Garden Monday morning to check on it, I was surprised to see someone sitting in one of the neon orange rockers I planted in the space to draw attention to the installation. I sat by the visitor and learned that he is a musician who recently returned to Durham after living and working in NY for a while.
If I wouldn't have planted the Listening Garden, I might not have met Ian, so I would say the garden is working so far. By the end of the day, there were many entries in the guestbook.
Last night I dreamed that someone stole one of the chairs. We'll see if they last the whole week (I kind of think they will).

The Listening Garden

2008-09-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

THE LISTENING GARDEN

During the week of Sept 28, 08 through October 5th, 08 you are invited to come visit The Listening Garden (also known as The Whirligig Music Project) in Durham’s Central Park at 534 Foster St.

The Listening Garden is composed of tiny whirligigs entwined into the trees, and seating to encourage visitors to take the time to stay and listen. Visitors are asked to enter in silence, and make sounds when they notice a whirligig spinning. Visitors are welcome to bring instruments or other sound making devices to use when the wind blows the whirligigs.

You can find The Listening Garden in a secluded area of Central Park just below the turtle. The Listening Garden creates a space for people to notice and interact with the sound environment and each other in the park. Listeners might reflect on their personal level of comfort or impatience in waiting for the wind to blow the whirligigs, and remind themselves that Listening is an active process.

More about the September performance

2008-08-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

There will be no charge for attendance at the Durham Central Park Performance. The performance is partially funded by The Durham Arts Council with funding from the state of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art. If you would like to donate to The Whirligig Music Project, you can do it here:!

Featured Artists for the upcoming September performance are:

Juditta Musette - voice and words

Christopher Thurston - double bass

Katherine Gill - violin

John Barrile - Cello

Jay Cartwright - accordian

Wendy Spitzer - oboe

Steve Burnett - electric double bass

Amy Wilksinson - Bass Clarinet

Erin Bailey - saw

Nicolette DeGroot - found percussion

Suzanne Romey - flute

Jude Casseday - percussion