Collaborations
Uniting visionaries to create lasting impact through collaboration and creative expressions.
Breaking Open
Breaking Open is a new musical in development that illuminates the intertwined stories of Mary Magdalene and Mother Mary, bringing their voices forward as keepers of wisdom and witnesses of transformation. Through a score that merges sacred resonance with modern theatricality, the piece invites audiences into a journey of love, longing, faith, and revelation—challenging inherited narratives of the divine feminine. To date, approximately twenty songs have been composed and eight demos recorded, with a full draft of Act I completed. With the support of Northwoods Music Collaborative as fiscal sponsor, the creative team began rehearsals in Los Angeles, including a small performance, culminating in a public presentation in Montpelier, Vermont. Lyricist is Rebecca Fishman composer is Evan Premo.
Story Forest Network
A new storytelling platform with a mission to help calm our collective nervous systems through sound and story. These stories are inspired by the memory of Chris’ mother, because of the bond he shared with her and that he shares with his own children - around a peaceful transition to sleep and rest. We hope that the compositions are a useful tool to assist in loosening your nervous systems and unwinding some of that anxious energy we tend to build up during the day.
ThirdTone
The Third Tone Project is a pioneering exploration of sound as medicine—bridging art, science, and consciousness research. Through the creation of binaural “third tones,” live performance, and deep listening practices, the project investigates how acoustic vibration can support healing, coherence, and human connection. With Northwoods Music Collaborative serving as fiscal sponsor for its research arm, the project is currently conducting a double-blind pilot study in partnership with the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies, led by Dr. Maria Weiler with Dr. Marjorie Woollacott on the research team. The study involves ten participants, each exposed to three frequency sets and a control condition, followed by questionnaires and interviews to assess their physiological and emotional responses. Depending on the results, the team plans to pursue National Institute of Health (NIH) funding for Phase II, expanding the study to include deeper measurement of physiological effects and broader applications of sound-based healing research
Vocal Opening Workshops
Laurel Premo is piloting a project series of group vocal opening workshops oriented towards folks whose experience has been lived in body/voice that has been traditionally quieted by society. This series of three one-hour group voice workshops would be aimed at unearthing and strengthening the participant’s own authentic voice - the sound of their body. The work will be very somatic-based and therapeutic to a big range of folks - from those who are more self-conscious to use their voice in life (singing or talking), to those who have trauma from past singing experiences, to folks who do sing regularly but want to deepen their knowledge of how they are using their resonating chambers that make their sound. This project is supported by Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation and is being held in Traverse City, Michigan
Energetic Literacy Project
Northwoods Music Collaborative is a part of program development and programming as a fiscal sponsor for the Energetic Literacy Project. Their mission is to support adults and children to work consciously with their nervous system and their bodies for greater resiliency through music therapy programs, practices, and teachings based on ancient wisdom, modern science, creative practice, and somatic experiences. Evan Premo collaborates with ELP in Vermont providing music for therapeutic movement practices.
“We want to explore the creative process, what it means to create as an artist, and where inspiration comes from.”
– EVAN PREMO