‘rhythms’ of river grass (məθkʷəy̓)

Joey Levesque’s musical piece was put together playing on the concept of ecological ‘rhythms’ of river grass (məθkʷəy̓). Levesque felt it appropriate to compose this piece given UBC’s location on Musqueam territory. The piece was written entirely on that territory and incorporates sounds thereof (knocking on a coastal Douglas Fir and using it as a percussive element). There are several melodic elements that ‘fade’ and return cyclically, a reflection on the Musqueam name-story as detailed here. The aesthetic is not by any means ‘natural’, but I don’t see that as a contradiction.

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Joey Levesque is a student of English at the University of British Columbia. He hails from Vancouver and aims to enter law school after graduation, with particular interest in aboriginal, environmental, and digital issues. Joey works in music production and as a research coordinator for UBC.

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