Cool Blue Water
Music
Bailey Boutin, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
In Collaboration with Dr. Sophie LaFond-Hudson, Office of Great Waters, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
In speaking with Dr. Sophie LaFond-Hudson, Boutin learned to look a little deeper into the water that’s all around us. They spoke about generations of peoples and the stories they share with our environment. It got Boutin thinking about his love of folk music, which often displays a culture’s values clearly. These are the thoughts that led him to create a jazz inspired tune called, “Cool Blue Water”. While the music is moving and energetic, the words discuss something more. Although there is much damage the human hand has instilled, with a little attention, that same hand can help too. All of this combined paints a picture that illustrates our environment’s ability–or inability–to be resilient against the affects of climate change.
“I study wetlands and lakes because I appreciate being in these places and understanding connections between many things I’m observing. I was curious to see what the connections between water, land, plants, wildlife and humans in wetlands would inspire in someone with an artistic background.” –LaFond-Hudson
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Bailey Boutin is a fourth year music education major studying at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He has been composing for seven years and has publicly performed/conducted numerous original works. In the spring of 2023, he co-founded and co-directed a new body music ensemble entitled One Hundred Footsteps. Focusing on multicultural folk music, this ensemble has given him the unique opportunity to teach and compose, as well as refine practices like body percussion and vocal percussion.
ABOUT THE Water Partner
Dr. Sophie LaFond-Hudson’s current work seeks to understand the resilience of Lake Superior’s coastal wetlands, which provide benefits including protection from waves, improved water quality, unique vegetation communities, habitat for fish and birds, and human well-being. These ecosystems are facing challenges from warming temperatures, increasing precipitation, more extreme lake levels (both high and low), and increasing wind speeds. To understand how coastal wetland benefits will change, and which wetlands will change the most, Dr. LaFond-Hudson is analyzing the sensitivity of about 40 coastal wetlands to each climate driver (temperature, precipitation, lake level, wind). These findings will be used to select specific wetlands to receive adaptation actions to build or maintain resilience in the coming decades.
MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH SUPPORT FROM
