Sound Garden saxophone surprise in Sleeping Bear Dunes

By Sophie Schwartz

Sun contributor

One might expect to hear the sounds of a saxophone in a sophisticated concert hall, a wedding, or an otherwise lavish, exclusive event. Fewer may expect to hear such sounds in places such as local boutique Cottonseed, or at 9 a.m. outside of Rinco Bros Coffee.

This surprise and accessibility is the prime objective of the Sound Garden Project, an initiative by Interlochen Public Radio to “plant classical music in unexpected places”.

The Cerus Quartet, an award-winning saxophone quartet, visited Glen Arbor as part of this initiative from June 9-21. The Quartet performed in locations such as Leelanau Coffee Roasters, Cherry Republic, and even the post office before hosting a culminating concert at the Glen Arbor Township Hall.

The members of the quartet include graduates Robert Campo, Laura Ramsay, Kyle Kato and Samuel Dishon, all graduates from the University of Michigan. Although the group has been working together for five years, this is their first full season together, and they have plans to bring their music all over both the East and West coasts this summer.

I was fortunate enough to witness three of the quartet’s performances, including one at Cottonseed, their culminating concert at Glen Arbor Township Hall, and their final performance at Rinco Bros Coffee Roasters.

The reactions to the unexpected music have been varied but overwhelmingly delightful. As I watched the group perform in Cottonseed apparel, many customers stopped and became entranced with the music. The Quartet approached two women inside the shop and asked them to listen to a piece and reflect on which season they felt it represented best. Upon hearing which seasons they picked, the quartet played the same piece again while focusing on the idea of winter or autumn. When they were finished performing, many customers lingered and chatted amongst themselves or with the quartet members, seeming enthusiastic about the music.

The group reports that some of their most memorable moments performing in Glen Arbor include their performance at Cherry Republic, where a woman was so startled by the music that she let out a blood curdling scream, or on the quiet lakeside shores, where an older man stopped the group to tell them how much their music reminded him of his late wife whose ashes he had spread in the lake.

Compared to their seemingly spontaneous, unexpected performances on the street, I noticed the atmosphere in the culminating concert in Glen Arbor Township Hall was noticeably more formal and serious. The group performed many of the same pieces as they did around town, and were accompanied by storytellers Norm Wheeler and Anne-Marie Oomen, who shared historical stories and reflections on the area. The crowd skewed older, and while the performance was beautiful and touching, I noticed less people stopping to linger and chat afterwards.

Comparatively, their final performance at Rinco Bros Coffee the next morning featured many dancing children, old friends catching up, and a tangible sense of community. Audience member and coffee-drinker Sean Swikle remarked that this was “a great way to start the morning, with coffee and community.” Other spectators reported that the music and dancing made them feel like they were in an “enchanted garden filled with sounds of music and enjoyment.”

Reflecting on their time in Glen Arbor, Campo shares that it had been “an awesome two weeks of creating community in a way they otherwise would not have been exposed to,” and that their time in Glen Arbor has left them feeling revitalized for the rest of their season. The group all expressed that everyone they had interacted with had been very welcoming, leading to their concerts feeling much more relaxed.

Next, the group will head out west to continue planting their melodies in the least expected of places along the west coast.