Kenwood School’s third-grade students collaborated with a team led by local artist/ composer/ director/ historian/ organizer JG Everest to create an immersive, multi-sensory experience for visitors to the wooded trails in of the DNR-designated School Forest near East Cedar Lake Beach.
Their work commenced on Earth Day and included weekly sessions with artists as they practiced listening, studied the flora and fauna of the forest, wrote poems, and built natural sculptures.
The project culminated when all these elements were combined with music composed by Everest to complement the sounds of the forest, emitting from over 40 small wireless speakers nestled throughout the trails in bird houses, felt mushrooms and other subtle spots. Visitors who walked the trails were treated to a peaceful, beautiful opportunity to connect with the natural world and hidden truths.
Upon reaching the trails near the beach, visitors heard calming, engaging sounds coming from many spots through the forest. Poems created by the third graders in English, Spanish and Arabic hung on branches along the trails, and intricate sculptures made of natural materials graced some of the key foot traffic spots.
Guidelines for mindfully experiencing the Sound Garden were posted and (mostly!) followed as all the classes from Kenwood School got the chance to bathe in the sights and sounds.
The grown-ups were pretty impressed, too. The installation reignited a sense of wonder in everyone, from chaperones to runners, hikers and dog-walkers who happened upon the Sound Garden — and even drew some to tears!
The third grade Sound Garden installation is part of Kenwood School’s Arts Residencies program, enabled by teachers and funded by the PTA. In addition to regular arts programs and field trips, ongoing residencies bring professional artists to work with students and teachers to enrich the classroom experience, while expanding and reinforcing learning. Residencies are a crucial and unique aspect of the Kenwood School experience.
Teaching Artist JG Everest’s Wavelets Creative is a community integrative arts organization dedicated to bringing people together in new ways through immersive arts experiences, often emphasizing and facilitating connections to the natural world.
