"Walks at Brush Creek" for piano by Nell Shaw Cohen, performed by Jon Ensminger HD

"Walks at Brush Creek" (2017) for solo piano Music & Photography by Nell Shaw Cohen Performed by Jon Ensminger, Piano Recorded live at Michigan Technological University, December 10, 2017 "Walks at Brush Creek" was inspired by my daily walks through rural Western scenery as an Artist-in-Residence at Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, located on a ranch in southeastern Wyoming abutting Medicine Bow National Forest. In the spirit of John Muir, I slowly “sauntered” for many miles on foot trails and dirt roads snaking through forests, valleys, and hills, and tried various approaches to combining this active mindfulness—a walking meditation, of sorts—with my creative process. The best days were when I generated melodies and motives on-the-move in the morning and fleshed them out at the piano in the afternoon. "Walks at Brush Creek" is the fruit of these experiments. With this score, I offer a musical illustration of my emotional responses to the landscape of Brush Creek Ranch—from the ever-shifting cloud shadows playing over the grasses and sagebrush to the sweeping lines of wooden fences that frame them. More information and sheet music available at http://nellshawcohen.com