05

Hanna Benn

The White River

-86.174926, 39.754659

Created as a personification of the White River, the largest of Indianapolis’s six waterways, this piece is composed of three musical movements that mirror the history of this river: (I) from the start of its life at mouth of the river; (II) to the advent of machinery that changed the quality of the river’s life; and finally, (III) the acclimation (the processes of change) of the landscape over time caused by movements, floods, and retractions of the White River. Each movement is Benn’s interpretation of the ecologies, the multispecies inhabitants, and the human influence surrounding the river, and the effect each has on one another. This track, like the White River, is grand and sweeping in its orchestral quality. Benn’s work is a tribute to a river that is complex.

• Duration: 12:12

• Year: 2015

• Commissioned by: National Science Foundation