From its origins as a state asylum to its current place as a social, retail and residential center, Traverse City's Building 50 has a fascinating history.
Composer and producer Seth Boustead is telling the story of Building 50 in a new installment of the independent public television series “Songs About Buildings and Moods."
Each episode of "Songs About Buildings and Moods" uses music and storytelling to connect and and architecture, focusing on unique spaces such as Chicago's Wrigley Building and Milwaukee's Central Library.
Boustead is telling the story of Building 50 with original music scores by Interlochen Center for the Arts faculty composers Cynthia Van Maanen and Thomas Childs.
Van Maanen and Childs have composed “transformational landscapes” that will be recorded by musicians including current Interlochen students Ava Gilbert (flute) and Joseph Rodriguez (percussion) as well as Interlochen alumni and Viridian Strings co-founders Joseph Skerik (viola) and Kyle Stachnik (cello).
This "Songs About Buildings and Moods" episode about Building 50 will be the first in the series to include dance, featuring a collaboration with Interlochen dance instructor Katie Dorn.
Join IPR in Building 50's Kirkbride Hall on Saturday, May 10 at 7 p.m. to hear the original music, meet Seth Boustead and hear about the process of turning the story of Building 50's history into music and dance.
The event is free, and no tickets are required.
Boustead will also present a finished episode from his series about the Fisher Building in Detroit.
"Songs About Buildings and Moods" is a production of Access Contemporary Music (ACM).
Sponsored by Friends of the Historic Commons, who are restoring the arboretum at Building 50.