Mid-Week Intermission Artist Edition: The Moth Project
You know we love a good art + science combo. But throw moths into the mix?? We’re sold. We caught up with the creators of The Moth Project, an interdisciplinary project headed to the Long Center on February 8 centered all around — you guessed it — MOTHS. Read on to discover the ins and outs of this one-of-a-kind show.
Meet The Moth Project's Peter Kiesewalter & Whitney La Grange
Long Center: Welcome to Mid-Week Intermission! We usually like to ask folks for a song to go with their interview – anything come to mind?
The Moth Project: How about “Migration” from the album?
LC: So what exactly is The Moth Project? What can the audience expect?
The Moth Project: The Moth Project is a 75-minute multidisciplinary live show at the intersection of art and science. It features two musicians performing an eclectic set list in front of a large video screen while a range of macro photographs, slow motion video capture, and motion graphics are projected onto them.
The audience can expect moths, for sure — images, video, science, mythology — but also a between-song narrative arc about one family’s migration from Europe to North America and how we, as humans, connect with the natural world.
LC: You’re both multi-faceted musicians, as demonstrated in the show. Can you share a little bit about your backgrounds?
The Moth Project: Peter is from Canada, where he got a degree in classical clarinet performance by putting himself through school playing keyboards in rock, country, and jazz bands. He moved to NYC in 1997 and has worked as a composer and music director there since, including stints as resident composer at ABC Television and leading his own group, the East Village Opera Company, to a record deal with Decca/Universal, recording three albums (including the Grammy-nominated “Olde School”), and touring all over the world.
Whitney was born in Austin and grew up in McAllen, TX. She studied classical violin performance at the Julliard School in NYC, Yale, and earned her Masters from the University of Illinois. She plays in the pit for countless Broadway shows and performs with a wide range of artists, such as Billy Joel, Jon Batiste, Natalie Merchant, Andrea Bocelli, and Josh Groban to name a few.
LC: Why moths? What was the inspiration for the show?
The Moth Project: During the pandemic summer of 2020, Peter was in quarantine with Whitney, his three children, his brother Tobi (an Interpretive Naturalist for Parks Ontario) and his three children. Over evening campfires, while watching moths drawn to the flame, he began to imagine a show in which the mythology of “moth to the flame” is examined. What’s that about? Why do they go to the light, the flame?
Tobi began taking pictures of moths that summer, a hobby called “moth-ing.” He documented over 600 different species, a number and variety that was stunning to witness. His images, along with Peter’s own deep dive into moths in literature and art, were the catalyst for the show’s basic premise — a show with integrated visuals, noting the similar themes faced by all living creatures like life, death, transformation, migration…
A big influence was the book “Braiding Sweetgrass,” a New York Times best seller written by the Indigenous author MacArthur Fellow and professor Robin Wall Kimmerer, who asks, “in a world that gives us maple syrup, spotted salamanders, sandhill cranes, Douglas firs… isn’t it time we paid attention?”
LC: As you said, this project is a combination of art and science. What is it like to turn what many think of as opposites into one shared performance?
The Moth Project: Art and science have been intertwined throughout history, particularly during the Renaissance. Artists like da Vinci used scientific inquiry to inform his art. More recently it seems like science has become politicized. We like to think of the two disciplines as two sides of the same coin — that the way we see and experience the natural world benefits from a “hearts AND minds” approach.
For example, when looking at biodiversity through both lenses, science tells us that it is important because it supports nutrient cycling, pest control, water purification, and climate regulation, while art would look at the same ecosystem and say that biodiversity is beautiful. Both are important. The case for the importance of cultural diversity is equally simple — organisms thrive in diverse ecosystems, be they natural or cultural.
LC: We know that music is a powerful tool for storytelling and introducing people to concepts and ideas they might be unfamiliar with (like moths).
With such a wide-ranging set of music in the show — from Bach to KISS to original songs — how do you think these stories will resonate with the audience?
The Moth Project: The general story about one family’s migration to North America is universal. Most of us on this continent have ancestors that moved here from somewhere else. In that regard, audiences of all ages and demographics can relate to the story being told. The music represents moments in my life and is, by design, wide-ranging in genre in order to reflect the diversity of the moth species. People our age will recognize the pop culture references for sure.
LC: As a half Native Texan, half New Yorker duo, what are you looking forward to about bringing the show to Austin?
The Moth Project: Whitney and I come to Texas every Thanksgiving — she has a lot of family in Austin and down in the valley. Hers is a family with more than a few football stars (her dad was Texas A&M’s starting quarterback, her brother-in-law played for the Philadelphia Eagles, and her nephew’s already being scouted and courted by football programs at some big schools) so we often get swept up in the excitement of the playoffs at that time of the year. Her family has rarely seen her play the violin — it’ll be wonderful to give them a chance to see and hear what she does on a very high level.
LC: Do you have a favorite moth fun fact you like to share with folks?
The Moth Project: I’m envious of their ability to metamorphosize — they literally annihilate themselves on a cellular level, turn into goo inside their cocoons, and emerge as fabulous, winged adults. I wish I could do that! They are, in fact, the most efficient pollinators on Earth — moreso than day-flying bees.
LC: We can’t wait for the show in Rollins Theatre on February 8. What’s something you’d like people to walk away with after seeing the performance?
The Moth Project: My aim for any audience member is to walk away with a sense of awe and wonder for the natural world… while humming one of our tunes and wearing a new Moth Project t-shirt.
Thanks, Peter & Whitney!
No better way to start your “moth-ing” adventure than to see The Moth Project!
February 8 @ Rollins Theatre
At the Long Center, we’ve always got a new partnership or something cool we know you’ll want to check out! Find and follow us @longcenter on your social media platform of choice, and we’ll see you real soon.
