CAN A SONG ABOUT MOTHS SAVE THE EARTH?
The MOTH PROJECT invites you on a parallel journey of moths and humans.
MUSIC - From Bach to Joni Mitchell to KISS to original songs, the music reflects the incredible diversity of the moth species and explores the common themes between us and them - migration, seduction, death, transformation, hope.
PICTURES – Through a visually stunning tour of macro photography, slow motion video, and dynamic motion graphics, moths appear larger than life, towering over two musicians and engulfing them in their world.
WORDS - By weaving science, Western and Indigenous mythologies, and personal story of one family’s journey from post-war Europe to North America, The MOTH PROJECT explores the multiple ways we connect to our ecosystem.
"Thank you, Peter, for amplifying the messages of reciprocity. I like to think of people seeing the world in a new way with the music and images you've created." - Robin Wall Kimmerer, best selling author of “Braiding Sweetgrass” and collaborator (lyrics, narration) on “Reciprocity” from The MOTH PROJECT debut album.
"I knew I had to bring The MOTH PROJECT to our interpretive site, it was unlike anything I'd ever seen and it had to be shared. It was beautiful, touching, and a unique experience for our Garden." - Christie Collins, Director of Education and Interpretation, Santa Fe Botanical Garden, Santa Fe, NM
"After immersing myself in Peter and Whitney's amazing Moth Project, I was inspired to create a story about these mystical and beautiful creatures. Like The MOTH PROJECT, moths and their kin tell us much about who we are and the joys and perils of the world we live in." - Michael J. Raupp, Professor Emeritus of Entomology, Fellow of the Entomological Society of America and frequent consultant for NPR.
"The MOTH PROJECT'S singing and spoken words matched to spectacular visuals of the different stages of moths and effortless musical juxtapositions from classical to jazz to dance to ambient. The MOTH PROJECT deserves a wide audience, it's really a singular experience!" - Mick Lewis, The Big Takeover Mag
PETER KIESEWALTER studied clarinet and saxophone performance at Ottawa University. He moved to New York City in 1997 and has worked as a touring/recording musician, composer, arranger, Music Director, and producer ever since, most notably with his East Village Opera Company project which signed to Decca/Universal in 2005, garnered much acclaim (“highbrow and brilliant” – New York Magazine Approval Matrix) and a GRAMMY nomination for their modernist take on classic Opera repertoire. He splits his time between Brooklyn with his three children and an upstate NY 18th century farmhouse that he bought and renovated with his partner Whitney La Grange.
WHITNEY LA GRANGE is from McAllen, TX. She received her Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School. She also attended Yale University on full scholarship in the Artists Diploma Program and received her Master of Music Degree from the University of Illinois where she was a teaching assistant. In NYC, she has enjoyed the variety of playing in orchestras (New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, Brooklyn Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra), on Broadway (upcoming production of Camelot at Lincoln Center), chamber music (Blue Door String Quartet, Lautreamont String Quartet), and rock/pop gigs (Billy Joel, Jon Batiste, Janelle Monae, Darlene Love, Brian Wilson, Graham Nash, Josh Groban, Rod Stewart, Smokey Robinson, and an upcoming tour with Natalie Merchant). When she’s not in NYC working, she spends time with Peter at their farmhouse in Sullivan County.