Getting down deep on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2022
It started as a song I wrote after watching the prairie unfold in springtime in 2020. Every day I went to the same prairie to take a picture and witness its transformation. It was a profound experience for me. I wondered how I have lived in “The Prairie State” so long without ever really knowing about prairie. I thought I’d try to communicate some of the things I learned about it through this song, whose chorus whispered itself to me one particularly breezy day among the swaying grasses.
The people of the prairie have deep roots. They understand and help the land soak up the water. They turn their faces toward the sun. Oooh deep roots! Get down, get down, get down deep”
What started as that seedling of a song has transformed into Deep Roots. In its current state it’s more like a garden. It’s grown through collaborations with other artists and friends I admire: D E E P R O O T S
🌱 Artwork: Kelsey Boncato 🌱 Produced, mixed and mastered by Daniel Oldham 🌱 Background Singers & Snappers: Joel Henderson, Gregg Morris, Dellana Mote 🌱 With partial support by the Illinois Arts Council Agency
🌱 It’s also turned into a program for kids, written by fellow educators Jean Kent and Jackie Flanagan. This program will debut at Hillside School on April 20, 2022.
Deep Roots the SONG is coming out on all streaming platforms Earth Day, April 22, 2022. Pre-save it here.