Shhh, are you listening? Are you thinking about what you’re hearing? Maybe you should. A poet with a stutter and a band of merry musicians are coming together to make you think about words and sound. Vancouver poet Jordan Scott presents a performance that weaves together his work, music, and expectations to create an experience that is beyond words-elevating his poetry to a sensory level. Scott reads his poems in a separate location, and they are transmitted to the performance space in The Music Gallery, where improv musicians respond to his verses.

Often, music is used as therapy for people who stutter, to help create fluency in their speech. Scott’s location, at an indoor swimming pool, further connects to that concept of fluidity. Water, like sound, is capable of both jarring inconsistency and soothing calm. This dichotomy is embodied by the disconnect between the poetic nature of Scott’s thoughts and his inability to express them with the same rhythm. This audio is fed into an oscilloscope, and the images created are projected onto screens around the musicians. They take cues from these images, as well as spotlights controlled by a conductor. The result? A fascinating exploration of the work of an artist, confronting the process of creation, and how the creator effects how his work is perceived. Sure to be an intriguing evening.

Stutter : Featuring Poet Jordan Scott with The Element Choir.
Thursday May 21st at 7 PM at the Music Gallery 197 John St.
$10 at the Door ( Student and Starving Artist discount applies)