J.T. Gladysz

J.T. Gladysz and Geräuschbiest Present Eelgrassprairie at Active / Passive Vol. 7 

Thomas and Jesse Krause as Geräuschbiest and I, debuted an original piece entitled Eelgrassprairie for Active / Passive Vol. 7 on Galiano Island this past August.  Eel Grass Prairie looks to the slow-moving but unstoppable rhythms of ocean life to give form to a musical piece, while illustrating the destructive potential of human noise-pollution.

Eel Grass Prairie consists of two musical elements: an electronic synthesizer based sonic environment, and a beach-made orchestra of noise-creatures that dwell therein. It is a location specific piece of music made from and about the eel grass meadows in and around Whaler Bay, Galiano Island. We spent a morning in the bay on Gossip Island locating our driftwood log. We then spent the next few days turning the log into an instrument and rehearsing the piece, before we loaded it into the boat and moved it to Galiano. Here is the write up that was presented alongside our performance:

From wheat to rice to corn to bamboo, grass is essential to our human way of life. Non human animals of the southern gulf islands find themselves bound to eelgrass as a critical habitat in which to live and hunt. The piece Eelgrassprairie is an interpretation of the soundscape of this environment. Listen to myriad species of fish and crustacean fall prey to kingfisher, heron,and otter, all living and dying amid the steady ebb and flow of the intertidal zone. Unavoidable as the tide is our human sonic footprint, bookending this piece in the nautical cacophony that makes it possible for us to experience the Salish Sea. This particular Geräuschbiest (noise+beast) is made from local Arbutus with a few choice pieces of Manitoba Ash and piano-forte.

Eelgrassprairie was performed on the afternoon of Sunday August 10th, 2025 at the Yellowhouse Arts Centre on Galiano Island. 

The performance can be viewed here.