Ceremony for Our Land – Performance by IU Music Ensemble

Join us for a unique live arts event in Bloomington, IN at the Arts Alliance Center. 

Building upon Ceremony for Earth, which was featured in April 2024, this interarts collaboration, led by Grace McKenzie and Daixuan Ai, IU Jacobs School of Music, explores how mindfulness practice can deepen the experience of live music – both for performers and listeners. Through this project, they weave their insights into an immersive, contemplative performance that invites the audience into a space of stillness and reflection.

At the heart of this event is an exploration of land, place, and belonging. Four artists from diverse backgrounds – spanning different regions of the country and the world – come together in Bloomington, Indiana, to engage in a shared inquiry: What significance does this land hold for you? How did you arrive here? How do you care for this land? Who has called it home before you?

Through a live poetry reading by Wahpe Clifford and Ash Iteska, accompanied by electronic soundscapes and evocative imagery, the performance creates a layered, immersive experience. Every note played is improvised, making each moment ephemeral and unrepeatable – an experience shaped by presence, connection, and reflection.

We invite you to step into this space, to listen, to feel, and to reflect on the land beneath your feet and the histories it carries.