The river is the reason we can live in this part of the arid high desert. It’s why there are animals and plants, villages and cities. And it’s drying up.
Over the course of this 22 minute sound performance you will hear the voices of six singers channeling the river we know today as the Rio Grande. Each singer represents a point where streamflow data have been collected from the 1970’s through the present and into possible futures.
For the best listening experience, get comfortable, close other browser windows, and use headphones or your favorite speakers. Follow the river as you listen to learn more about this lifeline in arid lands.
We see and hear the river through the span of our lifetimes, and through the stories and histories told to us by grandparents, ancestors, culture bearers and scientists. As we look to the future of this crucial resource, current scientific projections consider climate change and aridity to a century in the coming years. Here, we use our personal histories and experiences with the river to imagine its potential course even further into possible futures, over the next two thousand years. Once you have listened to these voices channeling the river, we invite you to join us in storytelling and future gathering in the tributaries community space by clicking here.